Having attended Catholic school for 11 years means that for the rest of your life you come across a heck of a lot of Catholics who have lapsed or even renounced their faith. However, I have yet to meet one who’s gone for the ceremony:
Atheists choose ‘de-baptism’ to renounce childhood faith
In a type of mock ceremony that’s now been performed in at least four states, a robed “priest” used a hairdryer marked “reason” in an apparent bid to blow away the waters of baptism once and for all. Several dozen participants then fed on a “de-sacrament” (crackers with peanut butter) and received certificates assuring they had “freely renounced a previous mistake, and accepted Reason over Superstition.”
For Gray, the lighthearted spirit of last summer’s Atheist Coming Out Party and De-Baptism Bash in suburban Westerville, Ohio, served a higher purpose than merely spoofing a Christian rite.
Just as having her divorce ceremony, if she would. She’s probably even left instructions in her will to have herself exhumed in the event – God forbid! – she’s buried in sanctified ground.
Bureaucrats play a part in debaptizing, too:
“It’s a bit of satire. People will play the fool by waving their arms in the air and saying, ‘I got de-baptized!’ But the paperwork is still legit.”
After all, what would a ceremony mean without accompanying paperwork?
Anyone dumb enough for this will make a ripe market for enterprising caterers, clothes designers and the such. Imagine the Martha Stewart Book of Debaptizing. If you really want that much attention that you go through the debaptizing, might as well get a gown and all the trimmings. Hairdryer charm bracelets as debaptizing party favors, anyone?
Thank God there are still some mature atheists out there:
Not all American non-believers have warmed to de-baptism rituals. Secularist Phil Zuckerman, a Pitzer College sociologist who studies apostates, said he would never take part in such an event because it “feels intrinsically negative” and “immature.”
I just arrived in Chicago so posting will be light. Here are a few links from friends:
Overheard At Night In The Oval Office
Obama: Mandate Health Coverage Just Like Car Insurance
“Put Your Laws All Over My Body”
Genesis, Evolution the Sistine Chapel
Fausta,
Interesting story. The note that the ceremony is immature is spot on. I love the nicely condescending touch with a blow dryer entitled “reason”. I bet PBXVI could kick their unbaptized tails in any sort of contest involving reason.
What is interesting a recent study found non-believers fell for a lot more hooey than believers.
If you have a de-bar mitzvah do you have to return the presents?
The Mormon geneaology library(I can’t remember the correct name) in Salt Lake City faced a similar problem some years ago. Where a local Baptist congregation was using the records to retroactively baptize relatives before the Mormons could. What really set the librarians off was discovering that a small group of atheists were caught trying to download software that would let them change the religious status that was usually mentioned in the death certificates.
I also find this silly. I have never belonged to a church, unless you want to count Liberal Religious Youth (Unitarian) in high school.
Marcus Aurelius: I recall coming across such a study. Could you provide a link? Thanks.
Just a guess but I would say that might be a recent study that found that the highly educated were more likely to believe in ghosts just not the Holy Ghost!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21477704/
If they get together with doctors who do hymen restorations, they can put together a great package deal.
Fausta, thank you for the link.
Nolanimrod – If they really wanted to step up to the bar Jewish-wise, they’d do a de-bris. Ouch.