Church of England is ‘dumbing down’ christenings, says cleric
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Church of England has been accused of “dumbing down” the baptism service, one of the cornerstones of the faith, by changing its wording so parents and godparents no longer have to “repent sins” and “reject the Devil”.
A trial of the new wording, aimed at making the service easier to understand, will last in parishes until Easter.
The former Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, writing in The Mail on Sunday, branded it part of the “constant dumbing-down of Christian teaching” rather than trying to explain the meaning of baptism.
No mention of the Devil or sin is made in the new version, in which parents and godparents are asked to “reject evil, and all its many forms, and all its empty promises”.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments