Confirmation?

A strange situation here, were I, non believer, seem to have more respect for true Faith and its Servants and true followers, than those who claim to be 'Christians' only when it suits them. Weddings, funerals and Christenings, and the odd Christmas service

I am not hearing respect in your dismissal of those who opt for church weddings, funerals, christenings and Christmas services as hypocrites who do things only when it suits them, for show or out of superficial motives.
Too judgemental by far.
Too “omniscient” - aka “all knowing”

Calendargirl

Callistemon

But that was my point, that anyone receives the bread and wine, whether confirmed or not.

I realise from reading through this thread, that my thoughts on being confirmed and receiving are out of date with how the church is nowadays.

Why bother going to classes when it really doesn’t matter?

If you go up and receive, that’s perfectly acceptable whatever.

Still seems odd to me, but I am in the minority with my thinking.

That was the point I made too, in my previous post, and I honestly did not realise that non-confirmed people could take communion.

I don't think it is official policy of the Anglican church and thought definitely not in the RC church.

A strange situation here, were I, non believer, seem to have more respect for true Faith and its Servants and true followers, than those who claim to be 'Christians' only when it suits them. Weddings, funerals and Christenings, and the odd Christmas service

I think most churches have a more welcoming attitude than that now.

Who would turn away parents who want to bring their small child to be baptised even if they were not regular churchgoers?
"Suffer little children to come into me" said Jesus.

Marriages? Perhaps for some a church wedding has more to do with tradition than devout belief.

As for funerals, who would deny someone a religious ceremony unless they have expressed strong views against this during their life? They may have found God in their final moments.

Iam64

*and anyway, it is between me and God, and not for show*
Exactly so Joseanne.
One of my friends, a CofE minister talks about faith as something that changes, it’s not unusual for people to have uncertainty, periods of doubt.
Im sure he’s right and that his compassionate acceptance that we aren’t all as committed as some feel we should be is Christian.

A crisis of faith.

Even Jesus had that.

Marriages? Perhaps for some a church wedding has more to do with tradition than devout belief.

Yes, tradition, that's a good word, which is often bound up in the faith of one's family ancestors. Like History.
I think some atheistic Jews visit the synagogue purely to uphold their traditions in the hope they do not die out.

Although it's just as well that 'obey' has been dropped from the ceremony now!

Correction! Autocorrect thought better than me again.

"Suffer little children to come unto me" said Jesus

As a Catholic brought up by wonderful parents who observed every tradition of the Catholic Church, I am grateful for my upbringing in a kind and caring community. My parents both died within a year of each other when I was in my mid-twenties. I married a non-catholic young man when I was 20 and he was 21. We had two children, both brought up as catholics, observing the rules and traditions that I grew up with. Something changed within me as I grew older and learned a little more about religion, faith, trust, discrimination, snobbery , power, coercive control within religous institutions, man's inhumanity to man. I say again that I am grateful for my parents and my upbringing and to have grown up with their example of love and kindness to others and the gift of being non-judgemental. Also for an amazing husband who agreed to our children being brought up as catholics. I became disillusioned by the corruption practiced by so many religions including my own and decided that my faith was between me and the God of my understanding. I no longer attend church unless it is for a family rite of passage. I miss going, I feel as if I have had a precious gift stolen from me. But I cannot subscribe to a currupt organisation.

The faith high school in our area is so oversubscribed, records of church and Sunday school, brownies etc are kept. It’s from birth and christening Fleurpepper. No one gets a place after as you suggested, a brief period of Church attendance, never to be seen again.
As one of our clergy commented, if people disappear after their children get into high school, surely we need to question why we didn’t reach them

My experience is of clergy with a more open, compassionate and of course Christian approach than the one being maintained by fleur

It is lovely to share faith with others of all different ages and backgrounds- I really like that about going to church on Sundays. The church I am in doesn’t have a building, we meet in a school hall so there is no ‘ building worship’ going on. Although we would all love a permanent home there are a few compensations as well as drawbacks ( we have to stack everything away and thoroughly clean straight after the service and we can’t have evening services). Communion is a time of sharing for me- not meant to be ‘private’

Joseanne

^Marriages? Perhaps for some a church wedding has more to do with tradition than devout belief.^

Yes, tradition, that's a good word, which is often bound up in the faith of one's family ancestors. Like History.
I think some atheistic Jews visit the synagogue purely to uphold their traditions in the hope they do not die out.

But Faith is not just 'Tradition and history' - saying that is hugely disrespectful, even if you can't or won't see it.

As for parents just turning up for a few months to get child into CofE School, or Catholic one- it would be nice if you at least read posts. I said parents would get children christened at the local Church and later would attend for a short while before registration at the school. You can of course deny it, your prerogative, but I've seen it just too many times.

Misuse for social or cultural or historical reasons, is disrespectful and hypocritical. Christian, Jew, Muslim or anything else.

Foxygloves

^A strange situation here, were I, non believer, seem to have more respect for true Faith and its Servants and true followers, than those who claim to be 'Christians' only when it suits them. Weddings, funerals and Christenings, and the odd Christmas service^

I am not hearing respect in your dismissal of those who opt for church weddings, funerals, christenings and Christmas services as hypocrites who do things only when it suits them, for show or out of superficial motives.
Too judgemental by far.
Too “omniscient” - aka “all knowing”

I am sure you understood what I meant. I do respect those who choose all the above becaue of their Faith. I don't respect those who misuse for all the wrong reasons, social, historical, cultural- without Faith. Call it judgemental if you wish.

Fleur pepper, my response to your statement about brief church attendance in order to register with a faith school may be your experience. It is not mine as I set out clearly. To get into our c of E high school Church Sunday School, youth organisations all give points and these are counted when applications are made on year 6. The children of asylum seekers and children with an education plan are given priority

Yes I do call your attitude judgemental and rooted in your own prejudice

Touché? I do not have Faith, I do not attend Church, nor would I get children baptised, have my wedding in Church or Funeral- not our of prejudice, but out of respect. And because those times are too important in one's life for them to be based on lies and dishonesty.

Last post on the subject.

I would suggest you wouldn’t do any of those things because you’re a non-believer, not because you have respect.

What I AM able to see, and understand, is the views of The Church of England on getting married in any of its churches. It is made very clear.
The good news is that you can marry in church regardless of your beliefs, whether or not you are christened and whether or not you have been a regular churchgoer.
Churches can be described as ‘peaceful’, ‘serene’, or having an atmosphere that makes marrying there a particularly special experience.
You can feel you’re becoming part of history itself, the bigger plan, by marrying in the same place as your relatives.

crazyH

Although a confirmed Catholic, I do not go to Confession, although I do receive communion. I have convinced myself, that I can ask God directly, to forgive my indiscretions. Yes, it’s quite humbling to ‘confess’ to another human being, but my sins are between God and me…

I absolutely agree. I too am a confirmed Catholic and educated at a Convent School. I haven’t been to confession for over 50 years but I do receive communion on the odd occasion I go to church. Now and again I pop into my local Catholic church to light some candles and to have a chat with God and completely relax for 20 minutes. I always come out feeling better than when I went in. Maybe I should go more often.

"I know that at St Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow (the Episcopalian one, the "English Kirk") invites everyone to join in communion, come what may, no questions asked. At the big medieval church at the top of the High Street commonly called "the cathedral" although it isn't one, there are communion services but I'm not sure what the rules are: having being confirmed by a bishop can't be one of them because, as Flanders and Swann once pointed out, we don't have bishops to show us the way. Not in our established church anyway.

But in any case it should be between you and God whether you are qualified to commune with Her, not a matter of having a piece of paper. If somebody is not enough of a believer to want to attend the service and partake of the eucharist then why would they? It's hardly sticking it to The Man."

You're right, LadyHonoriaDedlock, that the Church of Scotland doesn't have bishops. C of S churches which have been cathedrals in pre-Reformation days still keep the name - Glasgow, Dunblane, St Machar's, etc. We don't have confirmation in the same way as the Roman Catholic Church or the Anglican churches, but you can choose to join the church in your teens or at any time as an adult. You then take vows about joining in worship and committing time, talents and money to the church as appropriate, as well as expressing your faith. Anyone who loves the Lord can take communion, whether a member of the C of S or any other church, or not at all, so it's a personal decision. I'm sure God can cope!

Just for information, the Church of Scotland is not an established church as the C of E is in England. We have no established church here.

Phew!

Foxygloves

Phew!

Indeed 💖😇

That's been going on for years!

Don't think I have been to church in at least 15 years now, and that was happening then ....

Just for information, the Church of Scotland is not an established church as the C of E is in England. We have no established church here

Nor here

But I think I've posted that before 🙂