It is widely believed that all Christians have their new children baptised as soon as arrangements can conveniently be made. Yet it is not at all odd that the Baptists (and some others) ~ of all people ~ do not in fact 'automatically' do this. What do they have instead?
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A service of Thanksgiving
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A service of Dedication
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A service of Blessing
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A service of Naming
Q.2.
Which of the following is LEAST likely to be used, or invoked, actively as a symbol during a Christian infant's baptism/naming ceremony?
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Water (and washing)
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Seeds
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Light, probably in the form of a candle
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Oil
Q.3.
Assuming for a moment that an otherwise 'typical Christian baby' has been baptised at the age of a few weeks or months, and that its parents and godparents will have taken vows on its behalf ... what is most likely that young person's next formal step in the religious life, probably as they move into or through their teens?
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Promotion by an elder
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Consecration by a deacon
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Confirmation by a bishop (in churches which have them)
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First Communion
Q.4.
Despite popular belief to the contrary, a Christian wedding can be effected with very few essentials. Which of the following is NOT mandatory?
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A priest, or other person duly trained and licensed to perform the ceremony
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Bridesmaids and/or a best man and groomsmen
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A small number of witnesses
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A bride and groom
Q.5.
Another 'elimination' question: Three of the following are generally understood by Christians to be the allowed and encouraged aims of marriage, but which of them is NOT such a principal aim?
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The giving of mutual support through good times and bad
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The enjoyment of sexual intercourse as an intimate celebration of the relationship
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The having and raising of children
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The sustenance of one another's active Christian faith
Q.6.
Of the following, which ONE do we NOT know from the Bible to have been true about the family status of key early figures in the Christian story?
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Some of the disciples (Peter, at very least) were married men, possibly with families
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Besides the 'known' (male) disciples, there were a small number of unmarried women in Jesus' inner circle
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Jesus was never married
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Paul was never married
Q.7.
To what extent is it true that Christians take a conservative, disapproving stance with regard to homosexuality?
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Most Christians disapprove of it on principle
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Some Christian traditions have become very welcoming of gay lifestyles, but others remain firmly opposed on Biblical principle
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All Christian traditions are at ease with gay issues these days, provided the people in question do not indulge in actual physical intimacy
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Most Christians these days are 'forgiving' and inclusive, and welcome gay people in stable relationships
Q.8.
The pill was mentioned in the debrief for questionWhich of the following most fairly reflects the range of Christian thinking on artificial contraception?
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Virtually all significant churches and their followers have accepted the existence of the pill, and welcome the way it has freed sexually active women from being 'slaves to childbearing' ~ even if some of the relationship ramifications need to be considered further from a pastoral point of view
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The Catholic church ~ along, perhaps, with certain others ~ holds that use of chemical, physical ('barrier') or any other form of artificial contraception constitutes a usurping of God's prerogative to generate a new life from an act of love; so they disapprove on principle. (More on this in our parallel Catholicism strand.) As with the very-broadly-comparable sexual-ethical issue of homosexuality (see question 7 above), most other churches accept contraception ~ at least within marriage, and they probably turn a blind or forgiving eye to otherwise responsible private use of it outside
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All who call themselves serious Christians regard contraception as evil, because it can encourage indulgence of 'fleshly appetites' without traditional responsibility for the biological consequences
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Plenty of practising Christians are comfortable using contraception so that they can enjoy intimacy within a committed relationship, while also making direct and responsible choices about the likely number and spacing of children within their families
Q.9.
Most Christians would affirm that life ~ any, anyone's life ~ is God-given, sacred and to be cherished. But sometimes difficult circumstances arise in which it may be tempting, even reasonable to adopt a different view.
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A fairly close, probably youngish (say, school-age) female family member has been intimately abused and finds herself pregnant as a result of the encounter. Click on this answer if you think any mainstream modern Christian community would WITHHOLD (i.e., not allow) the option of an abortion for the girl if she preferred not to see such a pregnancy through to term
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As a result of illness or accident, an acquaintance needs life-saving medical attention (transfusions, injections, operations etc ~ clearly and necessarily 'intrusive'). Click on this answer if you believe all Christians would accept such treatment should go ahead
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After a long and faithful life, a much-loved family and church member is 'slipping away downhill': barely conscious, incapable of any higher human functions (eating, conversation), and entirely dependent on medicine and machinery for the likely short remainder of their days. Would their nearest and dearest be justified in quietly letting the hospital staff allow this person to 'depart in peace' ~ or should they all fight to keep life going at whatever cost? Click on this answer if you think all Christians would accept the swifter, gentler way forward
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A young Christian person has been severely injured by a criminal (hit-&-run driver, school assassin ...) and is unlikely to be able to achieve their former ambitions ~ college, career, family ~ as a result of permanent and serious injuries. In a State where the law allows the death penalty for such criminal acts, should the family demand 'just punishment' for the person who robbed their loved-one of a meaningful future? If you believe so, click on this answer
Q.10.
In the light of some of the later and deeper questions above, churches which ~ maybe 50 years ago ~ were reasonably full of 'nuclear families' (= married heterosexual couple + children) may now find themselves ministering to people their predecessors might have regarded as unthinkable: single parents, divorcees, children (adult children, even) of broken homes with sad and dysfunctional backgrounds; addicts, and survivors of past abuse. What ought a Christian response to be, to such a person arriving in a church to seek company and support?
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Earnest enquiry about the nature and root of their problems
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Polite but firm condemnation of any ugly past behaviour, as a precondition to 'belonging' within the church
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Acceptance of the individual on their merits, despite appearances and any past or lingering awkwardness
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Warm welcome, coupled with a swift invitation to share their problems in a prayer-and-discussion group
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