FANS of the long-running BBC Radio 4 serial The
Archers have been engaging in a heated argument on the
programme’s internet message board about the proposed
infant baptism of Abbie, daughter of Roy and Hayley Tucker.
The baby, conceived through IVF, arrived very
prematurely, but is now thriving and is soon to be baptised by
Alan, the Vicar of Ambridge, the village where the serial is
set.
Clergy, churchgoers, atheists, and lapsed
Christians have all contributed to the debate, says the Revd
David Perry, Vicar of Skirlaugh with Long Riston, Rise and
Swine, in Yorkshire. He is chairman of Baptismal Integrity,
which seeks to “bring to an end the indiscriminate
administration of infant baptism”.
The debate was sparked by a question from
the group’s vice-chairman, Roger Godin, a former General
Synod member for Southwark diocese, who asked: “Since
neither Roy nor Hayley seem to be churchy in any way, why is
Abbie going to be baptised?”
The 400 responses raised such questions as
whether infant baptism was merely a conventional aspect of
British life; whether it was for the benefit of the parents or
the child; and whether a service of thanksgiving for the gift
of a child would be more appropriate for the Tuckers, or
whether that was “second-class baptism”.
Responses included: “It’s the done
thing, innit. Especially in country villages, it’s tradition.
So is a church wedding. It’s to do with the cake, the frock,
the family get-together.”
A clergy contributor wrote: “Sadly there
is a sort of folklore about it. It’s a spiritual MMR jab,
and no child is safe without it. . . I’m just off to baptise
three babies, all of non-churchgoers — a fairly normal
Sunday. But I believe in grace and would never deny baptism to
anyone asking for it. . . It’s for the child, not the
parents/godparents.”
Another cleric wrote: “Ooh, don’t get me
started on this one — we are required by Canon Law to
baptise the child of more or less anyone living in our parish.
I always visit the family at home, prior to the service, and
ask why they have chosen to have their child baptised (when
they do not attend church). Their answers, in order of
frequency, are: ‘I dunno really’; ‘it’s the right
thing to do’; ‘we want to have the baby done’; ‘it’s
our church’; ‘I used to go to Sunday school’. Is it any
wonder the Vicar of Ambridge is half round the bend?”
To this, another contributor responded:
“Interesting. I wish I’d known that when the local Rev
refused to baptise my eldest unless and until we’d attended
Sunday services for a minimum of 12 weeks.”
