What would wearing a mask actually achieve in the church?
Would you ask for the congregation to wear their marks at the buffet (if there is one)?
If the church service all wore masks, would you go to that and not go to the buffet afterwards?
Do you take your 6 year old to the shops?
Probably going to be older family members, so double jabbed anyway. Some may also wear masks regardless, limited numbers. As others have said, don't go and make a day of the visit next time, picnic would be lovely. But it's your decision based on your assessment of the risk. Their do, their rules I'm afraid.
Everyone knows that the holy spirit will protect within the confines of the church, unless you are some kind of Satanist. Are you some kind of satanist?
I didn’t go to my niece’s christening service. Just joined for the after party. This was 20odd years ago. The fam got over it pretty quickly 😆
I understand, despite what a lot of people think, being a God Parent doesn’t mean you’re somehow morally obliged to raise your niece should something happen to her parents, but in fact to help raise them in the Christian faith.
Not my understand at all.
I am godless parents to several children - purely so if something had happened to the parents i would have taken the kids. a obligation I made and took very seriously
to the OP - don't go and make it clear why - the folk organising this are being very stupid indeed and are not worth losing any sleep over.
Could you not hang around outside, as a compromise?
I'm no church expert, but my limited experience of church christenings is that the font(?) is often at the back, by the doors. If you hang out in the porch at a church with that kind of layout, you'll be pretty close to observe the main event. It is July, so doubt they need the doors closed.
My line of thinking would be that if I was worried about actually catching covid, I wouldn't be staking my trust on mask wearing in an indoor setting. So many people will have their nose hanging out, have it over their chin, all sorts. You can't really police it so best stay in the fresh air.
Maybe google the church / streetview it and see if a bodge is possible.
Lots of complicated ideas here.
If you want to go , go and wear a mask , just don’t expect to be able to force everyone to wear one. Many are glad to see the back of them.
If you’re not happy with that , don’t go.
Not complicated.
I'm firmly in the "it's their day, they've offered a meet up, stop stressing about it" camp
Did you think that wearing a suit and saying a few words for your Niece would magically turn you into a God fearing super-catholic?
No but what’s the point if you’re not a practising christian? I may not like or believe in religion but I at least have some respect for those who do
I'm not religious, but I have two godsons. Doesn't matter whether I've made an oath to someone else's sky fairy or not, I promised my best mate that I'd do what I could to support his kids if I had to. The promise I made was to my mate and his wife. If they want me to make it in a church to keep granny happy, that's just fluff and detail.
Plus I knew it would be a slap up feed afterwards, even if not a free bar.
That makes you a godless parent not a god parent 🙂
Do people still get their kids christened? Thought that bollocks has more or less gone...
Obviously we are a family of heathens...
Think of it as a lucky escape. Christenings are shit, shit, shit (I was going to say the work of the devil, but maybe that's going too far).
If you want to go , go and wear a mask , just don’t expect to be able to force everyone to wear one. Many are glad to see the back of them.
If they can see the back of them then they're wearing them incorrectly. Though it's probably a nominal improvement on the more popular 'chin warmer' configuration.
That makes you a godless parent not a god parent 🙂
And I've taught them all I know....😈
I have sympathy for the Parents, it’s a very touchy subject
it really isn't. medical advice is to wear a mask indoors at public facing events; the problem is that people don't want to.
My honest feeling is, that if your or your family are that vulnerable, you don’t go, or you wear masks suitable to give you the level of protection you need.
Irrespective of the laws or guidance in place, your and your family’s health and safety is your responsibility, not anyone else’s.
Just out of curiosity, how many of the people who have refused to be godparent here have been best man (or equivalent) at a church wedding?
DON'T go and seem them the week after. By then the covid they caught in the Church at the Christening will be just prime to infect you!
Their Christening, their choice.
I have not been to a Christening since mine +45 years ago (Church of Scotland). Never been asked to be a God Parent or Best Man. Maybe that is God punishing me for not believing...
Go see them / her next week as they themselves have suggested, it’s not like she’ll have changed much in a week.
..she might have covid by then of course.
Any update on the buffet?
Just out of curiosity, how many of the people who have refused to be godparent here have been best man (or equivalent) at a church wedding?
In my case I wasn't asked to be the official godparent by my churchgoing friends. they knew I couldn't because i am not baptised. However i was the only one of their friends and family who could have taken the kids if anything happened to the parents. something I agreed to and took seriously
I have been in a variety of churches and synagogues of various sorts for weddings. I am respectful standing up and sitting down and closing my eyes at appropriate times but remaining silent ( ie not saying the prayers or singing the songs) nor taking communion or any of that mumbo jumbo
If they're not going to wear masks, is it okay if you bring your swarm of killer bees?
Irrespective of the laws or guidance in place, your and your family’s health and safety is your responsibility, not anyone else’s.
Nice to see STW plumbing new lows of selfish ****ery.
If you don't feel comfortable, don't go. Instead go and visit two weeks later, by which point if they've caught Covid then they'll likely know about it.
Nice to see STW plumbing new lows of selfish ****ery.
You might be being a bit harsh. I read that as meaning "you can't rely on other people to take care of your health", not "people should do whatever they want and screw everyone else".
Families are painful. At my mother's funeral 6 weeks ago my sister made absolutely certain I wasn't able to sit with my dad during the service. To the point where I thought I'd have to stand at the back of the chapel until the FD came and asked who I'd come with and if I'd like a chair after I'd helped carry the coffin in. Still couldn't sit with my dad though unlike her family.
Families are painful. [etc]
😡 Sorry mate.
I struggle to comprehend stuff like this. My blood family, today, is my mother and that's it. In my formative years I was partially raised by my gran (mum's mum) and uncle (mum's dad's brother). My own dad, well, just didn't care. And that was it for my family.
I say this for context because, I find it utterly alien to excuse people with "yeah but they're family" when they're being shits. Someone had a shag once, if they were lucky it lasted about five minutes, and this impresses on you several decades worth of responsibility? No, **** that. Life is too short to spend it in the company of shits.
In the scenario you paint, I'd have sat on her knee.
Unfortunately, in your position, there are going to be lots of situations like this in the coming weeks/months - and I sympathise.
Like most on here (I think) I despair at a government that simultaneously removes the rule to wear a mask in particular situations, but then tells people that they should still be wearing a mask in particular situations. The whole "personal choice" thing is complete bullshit and a concession to those utter idiots amongst us who STILL don't understand (or conveniently ignore) the simple fact that it's somebody else's choice re: masks that determines your risk.
For the record, I agree with your wife that it would have been very easy to ask people to wear a mask so that your family could attend more safely - but they haven't done that, and you've got to choose how to deal with this situation as you find it.
For me, it's this 100%:
fasthaggis
Full Member
Turn it around, have a nice visit a week later, maybe take a picnic and some cake, meet the wee person and ask how the gig went… or…hate and ignore them to the end of time 🙂
I'm an atheist, but my wife's family are catholic - both our kids are baptised, and I have to say that the whole thing didn't bother me in the slightest. Yes, I understand the hypocrisy, but no I don't care.
There are lots of religious artefacts in our society - we could probably reel off about 20 of them now that a dedicated Athiest would refuse to participate in. If you love Cadbury's cream eggs but cant show up to a child's christening, or make some symbolic commitment to safeguard their spiritual wellbeing..... then I feel a bit sorry for you.
The whole “personal choice” thing is complete bullshit and a concession to those utter idiots amongst us who STILL don’t understand (or conveniently ignore) the simple fact that it’s somebody else’s choice re: masks that determines your risk.
You are completely in control of your own risk by wearing a type of mask that does actually protect you. A well sealed FFP3 mask. Better this, than relying on whatever piece of damp rag that someone else chooses to put over their face.
If you love Cadbury’s cream eggs
They’re not a religious artefact really though are they? It’s just a chocolate egg to make money for a confectioner. Slightly different to attending a church or other religious institution for a ceremony
There are lots of religious artefacts in our society – we could probably reel off about 20 of them now that a dedicated Athiest would refuse to participate in.
Apart from most of these symbols are stolen from pre christian beliefs. the Easter egg? WTF has that got to do with Christianity. Its a pagan fertility symbol from the pre christian era used in spring to get you good crops
almost all christian symbols are the same from the midwinter feast to fertility rituals to the image of jesus as a blue eyed blond ( that actually apollo from the roman gods)
^ yes, everybody knows that.
But Easter eggs don’t have anything to do with celebrating Easter? Of course they do.
Next up: Christmas crackers don’t have anything to do with celebrating Christmas because they’re not mentioned in the bible
As far as I know, C of E guidance is still for face masks to be worn in church buildings.
Their Christening, their choice.
I don't think it's their choice - they would have been askeded to follow church policy as explained to them by the officiant wouldn't they?
But Easter eggs don’t have anything to do with celebrating Easter? Of course they do.
Easter is the pagan spring fertility festival co opted by christians. Can you please point out to me where the egg or the spring fertility festival ( also including rabbits) is mentioned in scripture?
Easter eggs are nothing to do with christianity. its purely a pagan ritual
#Christmas is the pagan midwinter solscice festival - co opted by christians. The bible stories make it pretty clear that christ was born spring / summer.
almost all religions have a midwainter solstice festival and midwinter solstice was celebrated long before chrstianity existed. Most of the symbols are pagan. Holly and Ivy, miseltoe, yule log even the ruddy tree
Next up: Christmas crackers don’t have anything to do with celebrating Christmas because they’re not mentioned in the bible
the crackers come from chinese new year celebrations I think
Next up: Christmas crackers don’t have anything to do with celebrating Christmas because they’re not mentioned in the bible
Yes, they are used for celebrating Xmas. No, they aren't used for celebrating the Christian version of Xmas. Same as Easter eggs.
What's the point of comparing those to christenings which have absolutely no context outside of Christian rituals? People don't organise secular christenings, do they? (Actually I wouldn't be at all surprised to be told that this is a thing..)
Thread drift alert
yes you can have secular naming ceremonies.
You are completely in control of your own risk by wearing a type of mask that does actually protect you. A well sealed FFP3 mask. Better this, than relying on whatever piece of damp rag that someone else chooses to put over their face.
A properly face-fitted FFP3 mask on a 6 year old... good luck!
yes you can have secular naming ceremonies.
And in case you think TJ is talking about some one-off weird situation rather than something relatively mainstream:
https://humanism.org.uk/ceremonies/humanist-namings/
yes you can have secular naming ceremonies.
Thanks TJ and poly. Yes, thread drift, but people are so weird! 😀
I'm clearly not going to be trying to put a mask on Sam. He does say he's a "bandit" when he has one on though.
to me to answer the OP even if you didn't have a vulnerable child I would go no where near these people. they are behaving poorly and dangerously
Turn it around, have a nice visit a week later,
I'd give it a couple of weeks since they will have been attending an unmasked gathering.
People don’t organise secular christenings, do they?
Naming ceremonies are pretty normal, once got invited to one & encouraged to dress up as elves, pixies, fairies etc, the "god" parents became "fairy" parents and we pranced around the grandparents pick your own orchard strumming guitars and banging tambourines - got a few odd looks from the pyo punters 😀
