Baptism by water pistol? These parents thought it was a good idea

In South Africa, as around the world, churches have been closed for months and we've all missed out on many weddings, baptisms, proper funerals, and our regular Sunday gatherings.

But the mandate to follow physical and social distancing protocols didn't stop these American families from baptising their babies, even if it meant going to some rather extreme lengths to do so.

In this image posted on Facebook, the smiling father holds his infant up to the priest who aims a water pistol at the child's head. The mother laughs, and it is clearly meant to be a lighthearted moment.

According to parents Mary and Kyle Nielsen, they had planned to baptise their two-month-old son Wesley James in a church, but as society locked down to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus, they decided to go ahead with the event in their home.

Wesley's parents said it was his maternal uncle's idea to use a water hose or pistol, and because they wanted to make the event memorable, they decided to do it.

"We did the real thing first of course, and then afterwards we made sure to do the picture of the pastor holding a water gun and my husband just held Wesley out there and made sure we got a good photo op of that. Just to get some laughs and smiles to the family that couldn't be there," mom Mary told kttc.com. 

It seems they weren't the only ones with the idea, as another image has been doing the rounds on social media.

In this second image, origin unknown, the mother holds the baby up in church, and a masked priest aims a water pistol at the baby while the parents smile.

Father Tim of St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church in Michigan, USA, also had the same idea, and continued the church's tradition of the Blessing of Easter Food Baskets, drive-thru style. 

Those who were blessed called it "great fun" in the comments of the church's Facebook post about the event, and Father Tim was praised for his "creativity" and "ingenuity". 

Not everyone loves the idea, with some saying it's disrespectful.

But in general it seems many on social media are in need of a laugh, and these images provided just that.

What do you think? Did you resort to strange or extreme measures to celebrate special occasions during the Covid-19 lockdown?

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