Religion Getting myself un-baptised.

[WeetBixKid]

Pascal's wager eh? Well you're not coverend in the event that the Muslims are correct, or the Jews, or the Scientologists for that matter

Well, I guess it gives you a 2/9999999999999999999* chance of being correct about the nature of the universe rather than a 1/999999999999999999999* chance.

 

[evo]

You ARE out. Your apostasy is clear, regardless of whether an organisation whose authority you don't recognise has formally annotated their records or not.

Ha, it's a great word isn't it. I think it may be my favourite in the English language. Meaning: rejection of the herd.

 

[Corpuscles]

Gee whiz Chief! ...even for a propeller head with a vested interest in creating provocative forum threads..... email request is bloody LAME way to go about it!???

Why not you (with wifey and kids with Grandma and Grandpa) get dressed up in "Sunday best" and lob at the Cathederal. Preferably one of those equiped with specialist 'exorcist' in residence.

Then chuck a tanty in the middle of the priests mumbo jumbo rants. Demand to be expelled!!!!

(Could you post the vid ..here on BF?)

I am sure your family will be proud!

The more you talk post and worry about the Universal Force that 'churchy' people call 'God" for short... the closer you are getting to discovery!

 

[Chief]

What list? You're not on any list. Churches don't keep a headcount based on number of people baptised. If the 'list' is the roll of people baptised, well, getting yourself severed doesn't erase your record of baptism anyway.

Rationally we can discuss my recognition of the church and whether formally leaving actually has any intrinsic benefit in the eyes of others. It does in mine and it does remove me from any head count of Catholics.

But on top of everything else, it's good to know that I've severed ties officially and finally in the eyes of the church. That in itself can be a dividend worth the effort, don't you think? We're all social, gregarious beings and these sorts of processes and statements of belonging or not belonging are a part of the human community experience the world over.

Reading a few posts here it seems some people think I'm trying to hide the emotional part of the process and want to catch me out as a bitter atheist hiding behind rationality while trying to cause trouble for the sake of it. I'm not hiding anything - I readily admit it has an emotional element, but this doesn't mean it was blocking me from doing anything or causing me anguish.

I hadn't even thought of making it "official" until very recently when I read about other people doing it. A big part of it was to see what the process actually was after reading about other people leaping in and sending abusive letters to the church in order to be excommunicated. Turns out it's a bit easier and more civilised than that and I though people might like to hear about it.

Getting off the rolls officially is one more loose end tidied up for me. I recommend it to anyone and it's easier than it is made out to be. Exchange a couple of emails (and refuse their offer of a pastoral meeting to reinforce the "implications" of my choice) and they send out a certificate. I don't want the certificate but it seems to be part of their process to create another record when I'm just asking that they remove the records they already have.

 

[Chief]

Gee whiz Chief! ...even for a propeller head with a vested interest in creating provocative forum threads..... email request is bloody LAME way to go about it!???
(etc)

Why would you bother with drawing it out when they have a simple process in place?

 

[Chief]

Do whatever you want to do.

Don't see the point in drawing any attention to it though.

If nobody discussed things I'd have no web site. It's what people do - in fact discussing the "unimportant" makes up most of our daily social interaction.

The fact that this particular thing represents some sort of insult to your faith (I can only presume) and so you'd like it to happen quietly, is neither here nor there.

I tell a lie, it is slightly on the amusing side.

 

[Corpuscles]

Why would you bother with drawing it out when they have a simple process in place?

LOL! Even the email approach demonstrates your ignorance of the attitude "they" hold. You put yourself more in the "firing line". Nuns et al ......will be on bended knee.

“Then Jesus told them this parable: ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent’” (Luke 15:3-7).

You might as well see the real response!

 

[Chief]

The email approach is their own process. Had they made it so I had to actually piss in the holy water during a funeral service I wouldn't have bothered.

 

[Corpuscles]

The email approach is their own process. Had they made it so I had to actually piss in the holy water during a funeral service I wouldn't have bothered.

NOYICE!

Our hero .... a template and shining example for society!? ...and all young BF folk 'out there'

 

[Chief]

The church's own process is to ask to meet with you to talk you out of it, an offer which you can decline. They then send you a certificate to say (I assume) they recognise you've left the church.

You seem to believe the church has a much more vigorous approach to retaining members than they actually do. Your quote from scripture isn't how it actually works. The church is more likely to say "We lost some sheep, but we have enough here to fill the truck. Load them up and send them to the abattoir so we can get paid."

Corps, you're the one who made the big deal about making a scene and using inefficient farming methods. I'm assuming you want some sort of argument - why not start a new thread and see who it attracts?

 

[Corpuscles]

The church's own process is to ask to meet with you to talk you out of it, an offer which you can decline. They then send you a certificate to say (I assume) they recognise you've left the church.

You seem to believe the church has a much more vigorous approach to retaining members than they actually do. Your quote from scripture isn't how it actually works. The church is more likely to say "We lost some sheep, but we have enough here to fill the truck. Load them up and send them to the abattoir so we can get paid."

Corps, you're the one who made the big deal about making a scene and using inefficient farming methods. I'm assuming you want some sort of argument - why not start a new thread and see who it attracts?

Wot? Pls .....essssssplain?

Of course you can call 'having a different opinion'....."some sort of (an) argument"?

But surely on a procative forum.... that..ought be taken for granted?


-----

Just because the "church" doesn't follow the shepard... doesn't make the shepard or his message WRONG!

 

[Chief]

You're saying the church, as agent of this shepherd (or is the church the shepherd and the guys in funny hats the agents?) will be more determined once I am "lost" to them. That they'll drop everything to find me.

They won't. They don't think one individual leaving should stop the whole show.

In other words the numbers still add up for them even without me in the flock so they're fine with "losing" me. IMO they haven't had me in their flock since my parents stopped making me go to church so anything they could try would be 20+ years too late.

 

[bunsen burner]

If I wanted to denounce my Judaism do they just tape that shit back on? Or is there no going back? Am I just consigned to being better than everyone else because of my birthright?

 

[evo]

and they send out a certificate.

WTF.

Now I'm intrigued. What did it say?

Edit: oh, you haven't received it yet.

 

[Chief]

I told them I don't need one but if I get one I'll post a copy.

 

[evo]

I honestly can't imagine what it will say.

"Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out"?

 

[AndSmithMustScore]

If nobody discussed things I'd have no web site. It's what people do - in fact discussing the "unimportant" makes up most of our daily social interaction.

The fact that this particular thing represents some sort of insult to your faith (I can only presume) and so you'd like it to happen quietly, is neither here nor there.

I tell a lie, it is slightly on the amusing side.

I don't find it an insult at all.

I just can't believe people would waste their time undertaking such an action when it's meaningless to seek a detachment from something they think is pretend.

And given that the church really don't care too much about it makes it even more a waste of time.

There's always plenty of broader inclusive issues to discuss.

This isn't one of them, this is more self serving and would appear to be slightly provocative in its intentions.

If we head down this path then we aren't far removed from "I'm changing my brand of bog rolls" type social commentary.

And I'm sure that's what facebook is for...

 

[TheMightyEagles]

If I wanted to denounce my Judaism do they just tape that shit back on? Or is there no going back? Am I just consigned to being better than everyone else because of my birthright?

[youtube]PFOwWaAL6ng[/youtube]

 

[Chief]

I don't find it an insult at all.

I just can't believe people would waste their time undertaking such an action when it's meaningless to seek a detachment from something they think is pretend.

I don't think the Catholic Church is pretend. I think supernatural basis of their belief system is pretend, and their documented multi-century history of condoning child abuse is repulsive in the extreme.

And given that the church really don't care too much about it makes it even more a waste of time.

There's always plenty of broader inclusive issues to discuss.

Yes there is. I've chosen to discuss this issue which has a reasonably broad group of people interested, all the way to some secular humanist and atheist groups with the OTT "de-baptism" certificates they hand out out (for a small fee).

This isn't one of them, this is more self serving and would appear to be slightly provocative in its intentions.

Yes, it is intended to be provocative. Otherwise it wouldn't provoke any thought or response. If you want a bland, non-provocative discussion forum join Club Penguin.

If we head down this path then we aren't far removed from "I'm changing my brand of bog rolls" type social commentary.

Dude, you're a Christian. You don't like someone bringing up the idea that people might like to cancel their membership of your club. I get it, so just be honest about why you're calling "troll".

 

[Kerrby]

Enjoy hell Chief!

I hope you like the smell of sulfur .

 

[bunsen burner]

If you want a bland, non-provocative discussion forum join Club Penguin.

Or the General Discussion Board.

 

[Chief]

Oh ZINGGG!

 

[r dub 19]

Or the General Discussion Board.

Yet you post there regularly

 

[Corpuscles]

You're saying the church, as agent of this shepherd (or is the church the shepherd and the guys in funny hats the agents?) will be more determined once I am "lost" to them. That they'll drop everything to find me.

They won't. They don't think one individual leaving should stop the whole show.

In other words the numbers still add up for them even without me in the flock so they're fine with "losing" me. IMO they haven't had me in their flock since my parents stopped making me go to church so anything they could try would be 20+ years too late.

Nah. Actually, if you chucked the 'tanty' I ( somewhat jokingly)suggested .....then I wouldn't be surprised if you incurred physical harm!

Hypocrisy by the "church " does not make the overall allegory less meaningful. But you are correct that the "meaning" is unlikely to be found via such an institutional membership

The institution "church" is man made . The all encompassing "shepard" is not. That's the one that will seek you out

Dare- Go on.... sincerely ask eg "God or whatever you call yourself I do not believe but in you. But in the remote possibility you exist... then please reveal yourself to me!".... then hang on tight!!!

 

[Chief]

Done. And I was very specific about the date and time this revelation should take place.

Waiting... waiting... waiting...