Didn’t consent to baptism? Have it ‘deleted’
16Apr. 09
Source article here.
It’s always a good day when successful Atheist endeavors make (what I catch myself thinking of as) the ‘real’ news, that is to say, the news which is on the television and in mainstream newspapers. In just one such case recently, a young gentleman has (with the help of the English National Secular Society) demanded that his childhood church eliminate the record of his baptism, effectively de-baptising him.
The gentleman, John Hunt, reasoned that since he had not consented to the baptism, then it should be removed. Originally the church objected, but Hunt availed himself of a certificate from the NSS, a transcript of choice elements of which is provided:
He then secured a “de-baptism” certificate produced by the National Secular Society (NSS), rejecting “superstitions” or the idea of original sin.
It reads: “I reject all its creeds and other such superstitions in particular the perfidious belief that any baby needs to be cleansed of original sin.”
The best part of this entire article is the very last paragraph, where Terry Sanderson (president of the NSS) admits that the de-baptism certificates were originally a joke, but are now being taken seriously not only by Atheists, but apparently by churches as well.
On a more personal note; I too was baptised as a child and (of course) didn’t give consent. I don’t really think it’s necessary for me to seek out my childhood church and demand they revoke my baptism, but I like the idea of this becoming a common phenomenon. One thing is certain; had I had the intellectual ability as a baby to reject the baptism, I would have done. It is for this reason that I never took my ‘first communion’, a fact which still irks my grandparents today.
I wonder if this will take off?
[Hunt] added: “It’s about time that some of us stood up to be counted. I am hoping that others will follow my lead.”
Tags: atheism, Baptism, De-baptism, news, Secular Action
April 16th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
In other news: This procedure is still not possible for Jews.
April 17th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Zing!
Actually there’s an episode of Penn and Teller on circumcision where they interview a guy who invented a supposedly painless way to grow your foreskin back. Yes, you get to see the result. Check it out
April 17th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Even at a tender age, and long before I began to bat for Team Atheist, I had concluded the nature of my own baptism to be odious. All my life I have endeavoured to operate without this so called ‘Christian’ name only to find it pops up to haunt me whenever I need a travel visa, to open a bank account, move house etc. So much so that I have come to consider this ‘Christian’ name more a Brand that christainity burnt — red hot poker style — on my childhood identity than a name at all.
April 17th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Oh dear Richard. You went there.
April 17th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
I’m just a normal man, like everyone else. I put my pants on one leg at a time.
But once my pants are on, I make briss jokes!
*cowbell begins*
April 17th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Ahhhh yes. Walken ftw