Why This Couple Was Told Not To Christen Their Son

A social worker in the UK has gotten criticism over telling a family that christening their son would make it difficult for him to get adopted.

Judge Richard Scarratt said during a family court hearing that, "It is regrettable in my view that the social worker ... had indeed acted as the parents stated she had, discouraging the christening because it might hinder adoption," Premier reports.

The parents had to put their son up for adoption because the father was convicted of rape, according to Premier. Scarratt later decided that the baby could live with a relative instead.

Although the parents wanted to baptize their son before they had to give him up, the social worker on their case told them "that a christening which they wanted might reduce the pool of possible adopters," Premier reports.

Her argument, it seems, is that not all adopting parents would want a child who had been officially declared a Christian, which is what christening often means.

Yet, this argument is unfounded. While it may be true that some prospective parents would choose not to adopt a christened child, it's not likely that christening would put a baby at grave risk of not being adopted.

And knowing their child has been christened — and therefore going to heaven, as many Christian people believe — can be important for parents, whether or not they're giving their baby up for adoption.