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I agree with Micls on the baptising thing. I wanted to have a family party and "naming ceremony" and wanted to plant a tree in honour of my boys, but as Macy said, I worried about the implications of getting them into the schools I wanted them to go to and my parents were horrified at the thoughts of their grandchildren not being christened so I caved.
I wouldn't cave on the wedding thing. If he wants to get married in a church he is marrying the wrong chick.
I have no desire or need to get married in a church and i wouldnt be dictated to by my family , but if the missus really was religious and wanted to get married in a church then id have no problem doing that either.
Id have no problem using a church that the community has paid for. My family would have given bag loads of cash to the church over the last 60 odd years. Its a large community paid for building its there for the community .
It astounds me that the church still wields so much power in education in Ireland. I remember My brother & his now wife, then girlfriend being told that their son might not be able to make his communion because they were "living in sin", so they had to sneak off for a quicky wedding. That was 15+ years and I had hoped things had improved but clearly not.
The power of the church has definitely been reduced over the past 10-15 years in Ireland. However, it is still a multi-million pound organisation and will always have a grip on this country. Anyone who desires can have a church wedding. Simply give the priest a couple of hundred quid and his principles will fly out the window pretty quickly. I have umpteen people "living in sin" with kids doing this.
As a matter of interest. I have seen pictures of the visit of the last pope to Ireland in the late 70's. If the pope visited Ireland today, what sort of attendances would result?
With the amount of event junkies in this country? I've no doubt he'd sell out anywhere he went. Merchandise would a lot more prominent this time too and it'd be sponsored by a mobile fcuking phone company.
Festival packs would be funny though ...and they could have those lads who normally sell exhorbitantly priced half full plastic glasses of beer selling sweet tea and corned-beef sandwiches
Anybody that only baptises their kids because they are afraid of what schools they can and cannot get them into really need to take a look at themselves. That age is probably the most important as they are so easily influenced and form most of lifes opinions in there. Non believers that send kids to a school to learn things they the parents dont believe are baffling to me. Really strange logic in there somewhere
It's the reality of life. I'll educate my child at home about my opinions on what they are learning in school. I can't replace the local friends they'd lose if we instead chose to send them to the nearest Educate Together school 20 miles away as opposed to the school in the village. That's ignoring the simple realities of getting them to and from school.
Pretty simplistic view of the situation I'd say.
The reality of the situation is that baptism it still necessary, like it or not. A principled stand by a parent is admirable, but their child is the one who doesn't get to make the friends and learn the things they otherwise would have. Not that they won't make friends and learn things, but, as Macy has pointed out, there aren't many other options.
I'm sure parents have no problem with their children learning math, English, reading, writing, etc. The point is that baptism is still necessary to get into the school, not what's taught in the school. Any religious teaching the school carries out can be easily dealt with by the parents at home, should they choose to do so.
I wanted them to go to the best schools possible and the best schools in this area are the catholic ones. Simple fact. Anyway, they dont remember the water being poured on their heads so whats the harm. I have given them moral instruction (laugh all ye like!!) and let them form their own opinions on God et al.
My youngest son has decided that he believes in science not god. My oldest just believes in cooking.
Can you imagine if you didn't get your child baptised, he/she died before you, you went to heaven through being baptised and a last minute confession only to be told that 'sorry your child is burning in Hell for all eternity because you had to have your way, maybe you should have listened to crazy ol' grandma'. I'd laugh if I saw it anyway :o
I would echo those sentiments exactly. and as mrs Raptor is a divorcee we wont be allowed marry in a church anyway. so she want's to do the deed in Vegas whilst I have my heart set on a starwars themed ceremony on the hallowed turf of dalymount before it's sold off. just picture it she dressed as padme amidala me as Vader with storm troopers for grooms men and protocol droids-maids with the imperial march replacing the wedding march .....
on second thoughts do ryanair fly to vegas?:D
I celebrate Newtonmas myself. He invented the cat flap you know.