More than 100,000 people have recently downloaded "certificates of de-baptism" from the Internet to renounce their Christian faith. Skip related content
Related photos / videos Renouncing baptism is between an individual and God, the church says Enlarge photo Renouncing baptism is between an individual and God, the church says Enlarge photo Atheist adverts were put on the side of London's buses in January Enlarge photo The rise of atheism is said to be a backlash against the increasing stridency of churches Enlarge photo The initiative launched by a group called the National Secular Society (NSS) follows atheist campaigns here and elsewhere, including a controversial advert displayed on London buses which declared: "There's probably no God."

"We now produce a certificate on parchment and we have sold 1,500 units at three pounds a pop," said NSS president Terry Sanderson, 58.

John Hunt, a 58-year-old from London and one of the first to try to be "de-baptised," held that he was too young to make any decision when he was christened at five months old.

The male nurse said he approached the Church of England to ask it to remove his name. "They said they had sought legal advice and that I should place an announcement in the London Gazette," said Hunt, referring to one of the official journals of record of the government.

So that's what he did -- his notice of renouncement was published in the Gazette in May 2008 and other have followed suit.

Michael Evans, 66, branded baptising children as "a form of child abuse" -- and said that when he complained to the church where he was christened he was told to contact the European Court of Human Rights.

The Church of England said its official position was not to amend its records. "Renouncing baptism is a matter between the individual and God," a Church spokesman told AFP.

"We are not a 'membership' church, and do not keep a running total of the number of baptised people in the Church of England, and such totals do not feature in the statistics that we regularly publish," he added.

De-baptism organisers say the initiative is a response to what they see as increasing stridency from churches -- the latest last week when Pope Benedict XVI stirred global controversy on a trip to AIDS-ravaged Africa by saying condom use could further the spread of the disease.

"The Catholic Church is so politically active at the moment that I think that is where the hostility is coming from," said Sanderson. "In Catholic countries there is a very strong feeling of wanting to punish the church by leaving it."

In the country, where government figures say nearly 72 percent of the population list themselves as Christian, Sanderson feels this "hostility" is fuelling the de-baptism movement.

Theologian Paul Murray at Durham University disagrees. "That is not my experience," he said, but concedes that change is in the air.

"We are in an interesting climate where Catholicism and other belief systems have moved into the public, pluralist arena, alongside secularists," he said.

De-baptism movements have already sprung up in other countries.

In Spain, the high court ruled in favour of a man from Valencia, Manuel Blat, saying that under data protection laws he could have the record of his baptism erased, according to a report in the International Herald Tribune.

Similarly, the Italian Union of Rationalists and Agnostics (UAAR) won a legal battle over the right to file for de-baptism in 2002, according to media reports. The group's website carries a "de-baptism" form to facilitate matters.

According to UAAR secretary Raffaele Carcano, more than 60,000 of these forms have been downloaded in the past four years and continue to be downloaded at a rate of about 2,000 per month. Another 1,000 were downloaded in one day when the group held its first national de-baptism day last October 25.

Elsewhere, an Argentinian secularist movement is running a "Collective Apostasy" campaign, using the slogan "Not in my name" (No en mi nombre).

Sanderson hopes rulings in other European countries will pave the way for legal action in Britain, since European Union directives require a level of parity among member states' legislation.

"That would be a good precedent for us to say to the British Information Commissioner: Come on, what's your excuse?" said Sanderson.

The bus-side posters that hit London in January sported the message: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

The scheme was in response to pro-Christian adverts on buses directing passers-by to a website warning those who did not accept Jesus would suffer for eternity in hell.

Comedy writer Ariane Sherine, mastermind of the bus campaign that saw a copycat version in Barcelona and other cities, said she backs the "de-baptism" movement but insisted the two initiatives were separate.

Sanderson meanwhile remains resolute. "The fact that people are willing to pay for the parchments shows how seriously they are taking them," he said.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20090330/tuk-rise-of-atheism-100-000-brits-seek-d-a7ad41d.html

Oh I found their certificates of de-baptism a few months back! Considered getting myself one.

Thats really good, I hate the fact that I had no say what so ever whether or not I was entered into a religion.

Thats really good, I hate the fact that I had no say what so ever whether or not I was entered into a religion.

Interesting. I can see how people baptised as babies might feel annoyed that they had no choice over the matter if they have strong anti-religion feelings. Although I'd say that most child baptisms in the UK are not fuelled by religious belief of the parents, but more by tradition. People baptise their babies because that is the British thing to do. Their belief in God or lack thereof is often considered completely irrelevant. The reason so many people claim to be Christian in the UK is simply because they were baptised as children. A lot of them don't actually believe in God. A lot of Christians prefer adult baptisms for the very reason that they consider it should be the choice of the person getting baptised. And in fact, just as there are atheists getting un-baptised, there are Christians getting re-baptised, for the same reason that they didn't have a choice in their first baptism, and they want the experience of getting baptised by choice. Of course there are also Christians who believe strongly in child baptism, and they have specific reasons based on their interpretation of certain Biblical texts.

i think its the catholics who have odd beliefs about babies not going to heaven? we get alot of stick because my daughter isn't baptised. and my husband says babies go to limbo if they die and they are not baptised :S

Yeah, the Catholics believe child baptism is very important. Church of England does too, I believe, to varying degrees, depending on how 'high church' it is. Although I recently attended a very 'high church' C of E church, and they totally let me take communion, despite the fact that I was baptised as an adult, not a child, and in a Baptist church rather than a C of E church (I totally explained all that to them, so that they wouldn't inadvertently give me Communion against their rules!). But I understand a lot of C of E churches would not allow me to take their communion.

I thought that the Catholic church recently reversed that line of thinking.. Within the last 12 months or so?

i have no idea! you're probably right, i'm out of touch!

I'm very bored today. But it will probably help to put your family's mind at ease and maybe lessen the crap you are getting about it ;)

After extensive theological research, the commission has reported that there is a possibility that these unbaptized babies can go to heaven. They agree with past findings that there is no definite answer to this question in religious documents. However, they have found that there is enough evidence to revise the official Roman Catholic Church opinion.

Traditionally the Catholic Church has taught that the unbaptized baby's soul goes into a state of limbo. In this state, the baby's soul enjoys happiness and contentment for eternity, but lacks the perfect joy of being with God. In other words, it is excluded from Heaven, but does not suffer the ravages of Hell or Purgatory, either.

That stance has now changed. In a report by the Associated Press, Rev. Luis Ladaria, the secretary general of the International Theological Commission, is quoted as saying, "We can say we have many reasons to hope that there is salvation for these babies." (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070420/ap_on_re_eu/vatican_limbo)

thank you so much for that!! thats brilliant!! although limbo sounds pretty good to me too lol
xx

My mom maintains the fact that I was christened because it was an excuse for a party ;D

Also, my dad's mom was an Irish Catholic and was brought up by nuns so I daresay she had a say in it too!

Hehe - the 'any excuse for a party' is a big reason people take part in religious ceremonies that they don't believe in. Most Muslims I know celebrate Christmas for this very reason!

Woah what happened to the caps?!

OH, SOZ, YO! I WAS IN SERIOUS DEBATE MODE FROM HAVING JUST BEEN CHATTING IN FORUMZ ON MORE SERIOUS SITES, AND I FORGOT TO SWITCH! I HAVE MADE UP FOR IT BY WRITING AN ENTRY IN ALL CAPS ABOUT THE LESBIAN CORNER SHOP!

I was just getting ready to be like "Ho fuck! Puck wasn't all "YO!", what is this world coming to?"

YO!

I've never been baptised, due to my father's dislike for organized religion. He was raised Mormon, and when he was 14, almost his entire family left the church. My parents wanted us (my brothers and I) to make our own decisions regarding religion when we were old enough to understand the idea. Personally, I'm agnostic, and have no plans to ever be baptised, or accept any religion as my own. I disagree with baptising an infant or child, because they have no choice in the matter. But, it's not up to me to tell parents what to do with their children. I do like the idea of being de-baptised, though. It's a good option to have.

baptism is not a form of abuse. that guy is a fuckhead. i'm not religious, but i was baptised. i don't get why people focus on such ridiculous shit. why can't you just not attend church and ignore the religion you were baptised into like any other normal person? this asshole just wants to make money.

Honestly in my book, being baptized is just some dude pouring water on your head ;D

Public bath, yo!

Thats what I was thinking. If you don't believe in these faiths, then why do you believe the baptism meant anything at all? Like you said - public bath!

Yup yup ;D
Baptism is only something if you think it means something.

Seriously.

It's not abuse.

Pouring some water on your head or dunking you in water isn't chinese water torture or waterboarding you with acid or something.

And yeah. "De-baptized" certificates for 3 pounds or whatever? Rofl. "Here. Have a piece of paper for 3 dollars that says you "officially" renounce your faith. I smell someone capitalizing on a shitty, but curiously interesting, idea.

wish i fucking thought of it. i totally wouldn't mind taking idiots money from them. ;D

Is there really a reason to get de-baptized? Like &skull mentioned, just ignore it. I was baptized and now I'm atheist. End of story. no need to go and 'de-baptize' myself. psh.

As far as those "there's probably no god, enjoy your life" ads....HILARIOUS. I'd love to see that on a bus here!