Gingerale, Sis & coolguy #fundie

Gingerale, Sis & coolguy #fundie godplace.com

[In response to a news article posted about the National Secular Society giving out De-Baptism certificates for people renouncing their faith.]

Gingerale: That is ridiculous!

Sis: Sounds like the end of things as we know it, doesn't it?

coolguy: Good grief...It's not enough to just not go to church anymore? That's a whole new level of sinny-sinny-sin.

73 comments

old comment by solomongrundy

Speaking as a member of the National Secular Society I have to say this is all a bit iffy.

OK, I was baptised into the Church of England at about two months old, every sprog from a non-religious household was in the early sixties, social pressure etc. My family believed you went to Church three times in your life, to be baptized, married and buried. In other words, Church was purely a social construct.

Now, because I was baptized into the CofE as an infant my name's still on their register of members (although I don't believe a word of their ridiculous clap-trap).

So, if I could really de-baptize publicly that'd be great. But the fact remains that my baptism actually happened (and my name remains on the list of CofE members) The number of people on that list justifies the CofE bishops' seats in the House of Lords, giving theologians I wouldn't ordinarily give the time of day to the right to veto democratically proposed legislation.

The CofE should be dis-established tomorrow, it's a complete anachronism in this day and age.

Off topic, as for Prince Charles' wish to be 'Defender of Faith' rather than 'Defender of the Faith', words fail me. By definition, by being monarch he would be head of the CofE. But to expect any more from a treacherous, batshit insane, serially adulterous mummy's boy snob is a bit much really...

old comment by FB

@ Solomongrundy

"Now, because I was baptized into the CofE as an infant my name's still on their register of members"

NO IT'S NOT!

It's just in a register to show the service happened - that's all! It's not used to count members (we do that by counting who comes in the door and who fills in an "Electoral roll form" NOT by baptiSms!). If you don't go to church you're not seen as amember of the C of E - shall I say that more slowly?

That's all the register is - an historical record of what services happened and to whom. The service happened. So what? It meant nothing to you? Fine - move along then.

If you don't go to Church and fill in the membership record itself (nothing to do with the baptism register) you're not counted!!!!!!!!

what do these certificates actually represent? A denial the service happened? Cos that's all the register says.

But let's not confuse ourselves with the facts hey!

That aside - gingerale and sis are just as mad!

old comment by Painful

I have to say a DeBaptism certificate is pretty damn stupid in the first place. Who needs an official document that says you no longer believe in another document - that's essentially it, right? Dude, just print one off in Word or something.

I don't mind that I was baptized, here in the USA that certificate, along with other agreeing evidence, is often considered legal documentation of who you are, like after your identity is stolen. I could go back and pull it from the church and be able to prove I'm the real me. What's the big deal? Kinda sounds like the Whaaa-police need to be called if you are that uptight.

(I make exceptions for those whose religions require a DeBaptising in order to join - but this, I believe, is talking more atheists.)

old comment by Elia

Hey look, the Three Little Pigs finally got internet installed!

The thing with baptism is that there are some denominations, or maybe some churches, that cotton to the idea that as long as you are baptized, that's it, you're in and there's no hope for changing that unless you renounce. I suppose in a way these certificates were a good idea, as they allow people to make it clear that they want nothing to do with their former faith, bar none. I'm not sure they are quite considered legal documents in the sense that a baptismal certificate is, and anyway, the churches I'm familiar with just need a letter from you stating you've renounced your baptism as notice.

old comment by solomongrundy

FB wrote: If you don't go to church you're not seen as amember of the C of E - shall I say that more slowly? Ah, feel that Christian love...

The CofE website claims 'Almost half the people in England regard themselves as belonging to the Church of England',so the CofE claims to represent around thirty million members. However,they can only muster three million church service visits over the entire Christmas period. That suggests to me the vast majority just put down 'CofE' on census forms etc because they were baptized into it.

Whatever the figures the Lords Spiritual have no place in the House of Lords. Face it, Rowan Williams views on Sharia made him unsuitable to have any influence on the country's government. Essentially he said 'you don't like our laws? Fine, follow your own'. We are a supposed democracy, everyone should be under one law. Full stop. Not Sharia, not Beth Din, one law.

old comment by Giveitaday

Gingerale: That is ridiculous!

Yeah, it is. But it's no more ridiculous than believing in an invisible magic sky daddy that will have you tortured for eternity unless you kiss his ass in just the right way, and doesn't let anyone for certain just what the right way is.

Sis: Sounds like the end of things as we know it, doesn't it?

You act as if there have never been people who not only didn't buy into but who publically rejected it. It's not as if christianity has had a monopoly on the minds of americans until just recently, there have always been non-believers, even when it was the policy of christianity to kill non-believers.

coolguy: Good grief...It's not enough to just not go to church anymore?

So a non-believer should just keep his or her mouth shut so the don't harm the delicate sensabilities of their christian overlords? Just not go to church, keep their head down and hope that no christians find out that they don't believe. You act if you think that christians, and only christians, should be allowed to voice their beliefs or lack thereof.

That's a whole new level of sinny-sinny-sin.

So until now nobody no one ever renounced their faith? So how is it a "new level" of sin when your religion and it's holy book claim that all sins are equal in the eyes of your "god"? Further more, your opinion means nothing to people who don't believe in your "god", much less fear him.

Gingerale, Sis & coolguy #fundie godplace.com

73 comments

Confused?