Debaptism Movement Gains Traction in England

Time.com recently reported on the growing debaptism movement in England. According to Time, more than 100,000 former Christians had formally denounced their faith by downloading certificates of debaptism.

The group behind the effort, the London-based National Secular Society, started the debaptism movement five years ago to mock the practice of baptizing infants in Britain.

The National Secular Society states that it is “defending our society from the demands of those who seek religious privilege.” It claims people should be allowed to practice any faith and that religious belief or lack of it should be neither an advantage or disadvantage.

“The growing amount of interest in the concept of debaptism indicates that people are not just indifferent to religion–which has been the traditional British approach–but are actually becoming quite hostile to it,” says the group’s president, Terry Sanderson.

The group’s Web site says the certificates are done in the spirit of fun. “After all, the concept of baptism is a complete fantasy that has no meaning outside the heads of the religious,” the site states. “However, many people do wish to make an official break from the church.”

As a side note, the Macmillan English Dictionary now recognizes the word “debaptism”. It’s definition: “a formal act in which a person officially rejects their baptism (a ceremony in which someone is touched or covered with water to welcome them into the Christian religion).”

I like the way one Everyday Christian reader put it: “If these people think baptism is so meaningless, why do they need to undo anything?”

 

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  1. As sad as this is, is there perhaps a message for the Church regarding the practice of infant baptism vs. believer’s baptism?

    May 6, 2009
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