I have a question about christenings

[faithfyl]

Seems like there's always somebody getting offended about something.

Isn't that the main function of religion? Just kidding (not really, well partially kidding, partially serious. Kidding about something that is serious, perhaps?).

Anyways, my kids were christened at an Episcopal church. My wife made the mistake of inviting my parents to the first one, She just didn't believe anyone could take offense to a special moment for a baby despite my explanations. My mother's response was typical CoC disgust, which hurt my wife very badly and still does years later.

Why did she attend the christening if she had such a huge problem with it?

I will admit that christening a newborn infant, and one time, made no sense to me. But that was because C of C taught us it was wrong, because the baby couldn't understand what was going on and not reached "age of accountability". But there is no such age even mentioned in the Bible, anyway.

[faithfyl]

They didn't come to the christening. They would never forsake the assembly to go to a family event, even if was at another church service but holy crap, an Episcopal church (the gay Catholic church, as they call it) for an infant sprinkle baptism? They might as well take a baby and sacrifice it to the devil and drink its blood.

They just came to the after party.

Well, that's too bad they wouldn't attend the christening. At least they came to the after party. Better than nothing I suppose. I think its probably better for family to not show up at all, than show up and make a scene, or be negative. That garbage went on at my wedding and I hate it.

I fully expected my C of C relatives to not attend the christening, but they did anyway. However, I think 20 years ago they would have refused. Their thinking was different back then and they were still very enmeshed in the C of C.

I knew a C of C person, in college, who would refuse to attend her friend's weddings if they were not also marrying someone who was a member of C of C. Lots of people in college were getting married around that time, and she would miss quite a few weddings if she determined the couple wasn't "equally yoked" for some reason. When I got married years ago, I hesitated to invite one person I knew, because I knew she would make an issue out of equally yoked; because my husband wasn't a regular church goer at that time. She did show up at the wedding, but left very early. In retrospect, I probably should not have invited her.