A letter recently wrote to a church because of poor decision making, the church name has been removed because it is irrelevant. This is just to show the hypocrisy that still exists in the church today. It also can be a tool of guidance on what not to do in a church. This is not to pass judgment on the church or any other person, it is to get the Bride ready for her groom, Christ. We need to the beacon of light and the salt. As Paul wrote, when the salt has lost it's taste...... What is left?????
Subject line: baby dedication denial
To whom it may concern --
The decision made by your church name is because it is an unwed couple. If it was a single parent doing the dedication, it could have proceeded, but since they are unmarked unwed, they were told no.
This is two people who are being held to the sin of their past by people, not God. They do not live together, they are not living in sin.
The father is trying to do right by this child, and at the same time, be a light to the women. The father has a desire to live a godly life, a few years ago he left the Catholic church because he felt like he had no relationship with God. He found your church name and really felt connected to God. He and the mother made a mistake and a baby occurred because of that sin, but they are not continuing on that path. They live two separate, but joined lives.
Because the father believes in the dedication and both families are staunch Catholics, he felt your church name was best route, to appease both families, but not have Catholic Church praying over child. Also, him involving the mother allows for an amicable relationship with her to maintain.
While no one can tell the church how to handle these situations, I find it odd that this is your church name's on baby dedications, but they allow people to serve when they are cohabitation with their boyfriend/girlfriend. Your church name will even baptise you while you are cohabiting with your boyfriend/girlfriend. This is not about those persons, but to ensure that your church name does not feel like this is unfounded, anonymous persons name, serves in name of ministry at your church and has been baptised by your church name.
So, from a your church name pew perspective, I can serve, be baptised, and take communion BUT be on the quick, straight path to hell. But, I cannot commit a sin, repent, and dedicate the product of my sin to God, making a declaration to God that I will raise the child to love God, fear God, and abide by God's commands! What a contrast.
The most interesting part of this contrast for me is on one side, by your church name not addressing THE sin in the church, the sin that is still occurring, your church name is helping the sinner on their path straight to hell. Then on the other side, by your church name denying this father the ability to partake in a baby dedication, a father who has repented for his sin and is trying to do right, now has no desire to go back to your church name, will probably have the Catholic Church perform their ritualistic ceremony and has made the mother's view of what should be true Christianity look worse than Catholicism..... Which may in turn lead all three lives to hell.
I hope your church name rethinks their approach in the future, with baby dedications, who can serve, and who can be baptised.
Kari
