If you live in England and you have been baptized, you can now un-baptize yourself.
Given that children are baptized against their will and made to be Xian (this isn't limited to Xianity either) this is something that is long overdue. OTOH, you don't really need a certificate to reject religion. In some countries, however, it appears that you really should make it known to the church. As the article points out:
According to Argentine campaigner Ariel Bellino, a former Catholic: "The church counts all those who've been baptized as Catholic and lobbies for legislation based on that number, so we're trying to convey the importance of people expressing they no longer belong to the church." Campaigners say that's particularly important in Argentina, where liberal social values frequently clash with Roman Catholic doctrine related to issues such as birth control, abstinence before marriage and homosexuality; in 2003, Buenos Aries became the first city in South America to legalize gay civil unions.
Back in Britain, Michael Evans, an atheist and former journalist who downloaded the de-baptism certificate in March, believes the Church of England claims more members than it actually has in order to shore up its influence in the secular world. "It claims to speak for the majority of people in Britain," he says.
In countries where this practice happens, it is important to make your rejection of religion known so that the church can not use your name as a number to gain influence that it does not deserve. (Let's be frank here, churches don't deserve any political influence, nor should they have any by default.)
17 comments:
My girlfriend recently had her name removed from the LDS rolls. She was baptized at young age and they began bothering us routinely. We think her grandmother kept giving up our address.
She received a shitty letter from the church telling her her soul would be in jeopardy if she didn't change her mind and offered her a way to reverse it.
She didn't and I'm happy to say we are no longer bothered weekly by uninvited guests! She didn't reverse her baptism but let the church know she was no longer part of their schemes.
Maynard
Good for you and your gf Maynard, and welcome.
I am not catholic nor am i a member of any other religion but i do believe in the lord jesus and god.
I dont go to church mostly because i dont believe that the majority of people who go there are truly good people. I believe i am a truly good person. I may be one in a million lol. Kindness goes a looonnng way, and its so easy to make someone feel good about themselves. I live my life doing that. Holding open doors, my how good you look today, that color suits, and a smile goes such a loooooooooooong way.
Its up to all of us to do our part.
"I dont go to church mostly because i dont believe that the majority of people who go there are truly good people."
You must not go to the mall, grocery store, hospital, school, your work, or even online, right.
After all, I don't believe that the majority of people who go there are truly good people.
What a religious cop-out. Either be a Christian or don't, but quit playin' midcourt. Doesn't the bible say lukewarm people make God sick?
I'm sure that people who have been raped and brutally savaged and people who are now roasting in hell will all be comforted by the idea that god has a plan for all of us. Your god is a moral monster and not worthy of the adoration that you spew upon him.
I don't know what u r trying to accomplish with this blog. It is horrible! U may not be a Christian or a believer but this is the most aweful way I have ever seen. It being expressed. If u love your parents then u love God.He is responsible or all of your blessings in life and your life itself. Cherish him while you still have a chance
What, exactly is so horrible about it? That I use reason and logic to point out the deficiencies in religious assertions? That I point out the many real harms that religion causes upon society? That I criticize religion? Sorry, but your religion is not above criticism and your belief that it is is born of a religious privilege that you have bought into that your religion is given an exalted place above other ideas. This exalted place is not deserved and your ideas are just as much up for debate as any other ideas in a free marketplace of ideas. You wish to shut down debate, and I won't let you.
And, why would you ever compare the love of parents to the supposed love of god? Parents don't send their children to ever-lasting hell. Good parents are generally there for their children. Good parents don't cause undue suffering upon their children, and if they do have to allow some suffering they explain why and try to help the child through it.
To contrast that, god sends people to eternal torment, he's not there to parent at all, and he causes undue suffering with nary a word. There are other dissimilarities as well, but this should be enough to get the point across. Your analogy is simply off the mark.
Well publishing a blog called "why I hate jesus" is aweful. I could care less if u do or not believe in jesus but just keep it to yourself and not express it publically
Why is it awful? What's so awful about it?
And, why should I keep it to myself if I don't believe in Jesus? Why should atheists remain silent? When Xians speak up, it's generally considered a good thing, because they love Jesus and all that, but when atheists speak up we should be quiet, right? That's nothing more than the religious privilege that your religion happens to enjoy in this country that you seem to be part of. Your religious ideas shouldn't be questioned for some unknown reason, and atheists should just sit down and shut up. Well, that's not going to happen. I'm not going to sit down and shut up, because your religion is faulty and causes real harm in the world (although it's not just your religion, but all others as well). It would be wrong of me to sit down and shut up instead of speaking out against the injustice and harm caused by religion.
He was an evil homo and so are christians. You're queen is a christian and is championing attacks on whites since she has fraudulently enslaved you all in '56. Break free of this wretched person possibly the worst of all. She killed Diana.
I'm calling Poe.
why should people who hate jesus have to keep quiet when all these bible thumpers shove all this religious bullshit down our throats and get a good reputation for it? why is every atheist or satanist labled as bad influences and evil? people like you make me sick
I personally believe in a higher power, only that it isn't a god of any religion known to man, just simply a supreme being. If the gods (whichever ones) are as powerful as believers say they are, shouldn't resistance be futile and competition be eradicated already? If so, when? It's been quite a while since these "threats" have been brought up yet nothing has happened so far.
Move along people, religion is dying, start believing more in yourselves for once and not to people telling you what to believe in. (Unless, really, a god spoke to you) In that case I will tell you to go easy on the weed.
But for the christians only, what's up with all the quotes from the bible everytime you try make a point yet completely ignore the most simple ten commandments in your everday lives? Lying, obey mother and father, love neighbors etc.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Don't try and force your opinions on other people, they aren't forcing you to read this blog. You are entitled to disagree, but don't put people down. There's no point in arguing, it will rarely change people's mind and results in tension.
The Catholic church is a false institution exposed in the babylonian mystery. Jesus Christ's real hebrew name was Yeshua. Many false christ's will come in his name! Christmas is a pagan holiday and it's not christian. Nobody can prove Jesus birthday was on December 25th. But what you can prove is the various sun gods birthdays were on that date. If you read the bible it says not to worship the sun, the moon, or the stars! Do your homework people because almost every thing in this world has been set up to deceive you. Television, the radio, politics and government, the whole damn thing. The world is dynamic and many remnants of our past have been scattered. Seek Jesus Christ(Yeshua) with all your heart and you will find him! I promise you that! Other wise you will be walking in darkness your whole life. Try to understand. Don't let false teachers and institutions keep you from seeking and THE TRUTH. This world is a spiritual battlefield whether you realize it or not. Remember, you can shine a light on the darkness and it comprehend not but you can't shine the darkness on the light.
Christians, any religious people at that, insult my intelligence - they anger me because if they enter in a discussion with me, they assume I'm an intellectual equal, when nothing could be further from the truth.
I am fine with all religions. I am a Hellenic, or follow the Greek/Roman gods. I will not stuff it down your throat, but please do not try to force me to join your religion. I feel that people should live in some kind of peace, where we just agree to disagree. I am also fine woth you saying you hate my religion. That is fine. I will not say I hate your religion, no matter what. I am neutral with most religions. Thank you for your time, and God(s) bless.
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