It isn’t uncommon for secularists born and raised in the south to have been baptized, either unsolicited in infancy or later in life while still influenced by religious dogma. For many this isn’t too much of a concern, given the fact that baptism is nothing more than getting one’s head wet while listening to rote recitation of uninspired fantasy. But for some it is a thing to be regretted, with many wishing there were some way to redress this symbolic form of subjection.
For those looking for documented separation from their religious past, or for those just looking to have a little fun, the National Secular Society is offering a Certificate of De-baptism. So far the campaign has had considerable success. Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, puts it this way: "The growing amount of interest in the concept of de-baptism indicates that people are not just indifferent to religion – which has been the traditional British approach – but are actually becoming quite hostile to it." The certificate is available for purchase from the National Secular Society’s website.
A cheaper and much easier option for those living outside the UK is visiting Debabtized, a website that offers free certificates for download after filling out your first and last name. They also offer the option of being added to their public list of de-baptized people, which is claimed to be preserved for all posterity.
So if you’ve been regretting that former baptism and wish to undo it, or whether you’re just looking to have a little fun and possibly start a conversation, there are people just as qualified to remove your eternal servitude as there are people to cement it; and you don’t even have to get wet.
2009/6/26 20:26
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