Religious Ceremonies

[nailit]

Just had a quick butchers at Patsy's link below re: priest slaps baby.
Just got me wondering why do people who arnt particularly religious want religious ceremonies?
I just don't get why people want their babies christened, want to get married in church or want a vicar officiating at their funeral?
My son was never christened. I don't want a funeral with religious overtones and why even bother getting married anyway (unless in a 'civil' sort of way)
WHY?

[david small]

Tradition,

[jno]

they're just rites of passage. Marriage, for instance, was when parents formally handed over their children to partners of their choice and no longer had to take responsibility.

Would it have been nice to be able to do this with your son, for instance? It doesn't look as if the concept of becoming independent and taking control of his life, and giving his Dad a break, has yet occurred to him.

[rowanwitch]

Some people like to celebrate with ritual. I had a register office wedding for number one and a civil ceremony again with Dave, He asked me to arrange a direct cremation when he died and this is what will happen. With no religious belief for me it feels like hypocrisy to have a church service for the sake of the photos

[Neveracrossword]

Nailit, are you sure there are many people who 'aren't particularly religious wanting religious ceremonies'? The last six funerals I've been to were humanist, it's six years since I attended a wedding where a vicar was involved and the only two christenings involved families who were religious, so were fully entitled to have the whole church service.

[kvalidir]

If I get married it will be for me and my man not for some religious exercise. I think it's nice and right to have a ceremony of some sort to let the world know that you have found someone so precious to you that you put them above all else, and it's nice for the person too, it cements your devotion to each other, but there is no need for it to be religious. If I ever have a baby it won't be Christened for exactly the same reason, plus ceremonies of any sort upset my family, my mother's family are Jewish, my father's Catholic and I'm a hedgewitchey Pagan if anything, so what the hell would we choose to keep everyone happy?

[wolf63]

I agree with rowan - I have stated in my will that I want to go direct to cremation. People go to funerals because of tradition, it is the 'done' thing but I can't see the point of having a service with loads of people there that I hadn't seen for years and I refuse to pay for a little light refreshment afterwards.

[wolf63]

kvalidir - a Pagan wedding (or funeral) sounds like it could be fun. ☺☻

[sherrardk]

I had a church wedding but it was 25 years ago but I wouldn't now as there are so many alternatives (Ponypridd register officer wasn't exactly appealing to us). My kids aren't christened and it'll be a direct to crematorium funeral.

[-SharonA-]

Guilty!! I had the whole white wedding gig, but came unstuck when I wanted my first son Christened. The vicar refused point blank as I was not a church goer.

[kvalidir]

Pagan handfastings (weddings) are lovely Wolf, as are Jewish ones actually- (my favourite wedding I ever attended was a cousin's Jewish wedding). I might be tempted to a nature orientated wedding but whatever it was it would be tiny and intimate, I'd hate a great big affair, ideally it would be just us and no-one else at all, that'd be perfect. When I die I'm going to the woodland cemetery up the road, my friend's land bounds it so it feels like a nice idea, and wouldn't mind some Pagan ritual for that tbh x

[-SharonA-]

I too want a direct to cremation funeral.

[jno]

wolf, will you have the cats cremated to accompany you in the afterlife?

[ummmm]

Only 1 of my children has been christened and that was done in Ireland....No questions asked.