Christian Names

My friend was asked for her Christian name at the library on Saturday and this really made her angry.

When I heard I thought so why be so angry? My friend is Jewish and was quite insulted.

I said I thought that it wasn't very pc but no harm was really done.

My friend argued that not everyone has been christened or baptized there are many who do not have Christian names and this woman should have asked for her first or given name.

I thought it was a bit of a storm in a tea cup because although I was christened and therefore technically I do have a Christian name I am not a Christian.

To be honest I had never given it a thought but quite a few people were also outraged.

Re: Christian Names

Yet another case of PC gone mad Cate darlin' and your friend has over-reacted - its ridiculous.

Re: Christian Names

I think some people nowadays can't wait to be outraged by something!

Although I don't use the term 'Christian name', I don't object if someone uses it - it's a term we're used to. I can understand that people of a different faith would feel uncomfortable about it being applied to them but all they need to say is 'I am not a Christian so that term isn't applicable to me, I prefer ..... ' and the matter is dealt with

I agree with you: a storm in a teacup, it's not as though it was a derogatory term being applied.

Re: Christian Names

As a Christian I prefer to be asked for my Christian name but I can see how it may not be appropriate to ask a Jew or a Muslim etc the same question. Perhaps first or given name should be use to avoid upsetting anyone.

Is it PC gone mad or just common courtesy to consider another persons feelings ?

Re: Christian Names

As I can't always tell if a person is Christian or non then I can only think that like on most forms we fill in nowadays we should refer to our First Name.

It's the same when you call a married lady by her husbands surname and she gets bent out of shape because she uses her own name as well as his.

You know the more I think about it there are more things in this life to get upset about than being asked for your NAME

Re: Christian Names

Well I'll be honest I haven't said Christian name in years as you say we can't always be sure if a person is or isn't a Christian.

I usually ask what people prefer to be called when I need to talk to them so I don't make too many mistakes about what surname etc to use.

Takes but a moment and saves a lot of problems IMO

Re: Christian Names

Yes that is an excellent idea, it also breaks the ice form many people don't like their given name and prefer something different. Good idea.

Re: Christian Names

It is not a question of feelings it is just ignorance and stupidity to ask a person their Christian name if you don't know if they are a Christian. My Malaysian friend is a Buddhist who visits Australia regularly when she was asked for her Christian Name by some half wit she had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. It was not because of poor English she speaks English, Bahasa, Mandarin and Hokkien fluently.

Even asking First Name is misleading because her family name comes first in her name and is followed by her given names.

We live in an era of global travel we have to adapt to the world nothing to do with PC (whatever that means)

Re: Christian Names

I have always referred to a first name as "Christian" name. Nothing wrong with that in my books.

Re: Christian Names

I think the term Christian name has become a term only, and nothing to do with Christianity these days, I'm sure it used to be saints names, we had to be given the name of a saint in the religion I was baptised into

When we chose to give our youngest one name of Trevor, at the baptism the priest said something to the effect that all Trevor's can't be bad.

You'd hardly call names like Bluebell, Peaches and that ilk, Christian names in a religious sense, but that is what we mean.