Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by KC the Great on November 30, 2009 at 12:55pm

Not worried. Just curious.

Permalink Reply by KC the Great on November 30, 2009 at 12:56pm

Specifically, interested in other people's thoughts and experiences!

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on January 7, 2010 at 1:19pm

You can have your name formerly removed from their rolls if you want to expend your energy on such an effort.

How would one go about doing that? I've certainly not heard/read that this is possible.

Permalink Reply by Gwaithmir on January 5, 2010 at 8:37am

I don't think it's possible to unenroll from the Catholic Church. During my tenure as Vice-Director of the Connecticut Chapter of American Atheists, I received a number of letters from other members who had written to various bishops, or even the Vatican, asking to be dropped from the rolls or ex-communicated. In most instances, their requests were met with silence. When answered, however, the usual condescending reply was that prayers were being offered up for the petitioner's reconversion and/or salvation. The Church depends partially on its official number of members to bolster its public image, so it's highly unlikely that it would jeapordize this by issuing what could snowball into a deluge of debaptism certificates.

Permalink Reply by KC the Great on January 7, 2010 at 1:06pm

Gwaithmir, thanks for sharing this information. I suspected something like this was the case. I find it pretty disheartening.

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on January 7, 2010 at 1:16pm

KC, maybe it's time for a public group of people who would like their names expunged. At the very least, people could have a membership card in a group that deducts its number from the global number of Catholics.

Permalink Reply by KC the Great on January 26, 2010 at 11:28am

That would tremendously fun, I think! I wonder if there is anyone already engaged in such a project? It seems like something that would have already started on the web somewhere by now. I'll search and if I find nothing, I'll start thinking about ways to make this happen.

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on January 7, 2010 at 1:13pm

According to Gardnerian Wicca, I'm no longer a Roman Catholic. The great thing about Gardnerian Wicca is that you can unenroll, and even so... there are no data banks of who is or isn't a Gardnerian Wiccan.

The Atheist Foundation of Australia lists Easy Steps to Excommunication, with additional advice and a success story.

Permalink Reply by Vicky Borman on March 1, 2010 at 3:24am

Actually you can get un-counted as of March 13, 06. The church will always consider you Catholic in a certain sense, but they won't count you if you get an actus formalis defectionis ab Ecclesia catholica. They aren't allowed to ever throw away your baptismal/confirmation certificates, but they will note it on there and won't report you among them when they do an internal head count.
Here's how:

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3zwpS5JhnQ
part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxp2Wvi4JWA&feature=related

Permalink Reply by Beebub on April 26, 2010 at 10:02am

I just posted a link to www.countmeout.ie which has details of how you can officially defect. Yes, it's true that the catholic church says that you can't be un-baptised, but that's just in their eyes. Who cares what they think, their belief system is so screwed up anyway. But by officically defecting they will mark your baptismal cert with an official defection and they will remove your name from their register. Thereafter they can no longer officially count you. As to the thoughts of their sky goblin or the permanent mark on your non-existant soul, let them think what they want!