Is it appropriate (and culturally sensitive) to use the term christen in a sentence such as:
The building was christened the Stone Center in memory of Dr. Stone, whose research made it possible.
Some dictionaries say that christened means just to name something, while other dictionaries and web searches only bring up the sense of giving a person their Christian name.
Perhaps christening the Stone Center has the second problem that Stone is a last name, not a Christian name?
It is used all the time for the initial naming of a variety of objects, such as ships, buildings, even cars. Just because a word has its roots in Christianity, does not mean that its usage implies Christianity.
Although I am Indian, I do not regard it as offensive, or "Christian" to use the word christened.
It's common usage. It will be accepted. Some will find it annoying, especially if the ritual doesn't include something like breaking a bottle of champagne across the bow.
There are probably better words for the purpose, such as inaugurate.
"Real writers rewrite to avoid the problem."
Slightly crude, but a good example nonetheless:
In the UK, "to christen the toilet" is to use the bathroom for the first time after moving into a property.
So yes, "christen" can definitely be used to describe non-Christian things.
Christen/baptize is often used in the sense to name. In this sense it is no different from expressions it is (not) kosher or it is not very Catholic used to designate that something is (not) done according to the rules or with the necessary level of rigor - often in the contexts that have nothing to do with food or religion.
The English christen comes from Greek christos which literally means anointed (originally, with perfumed oil). The word came to be used in reference to dedicating a ship through the custom of breaking a bottle of wine over the hull of the ship--literally christening (anointing) the ship with wine.
A ship would be christened with wine for some of the same reasons a newborn child would be christened through baptism in the Catholic church. A child's christening ceremony would also serve as a way of introducing the child to the community. Christening a ship is similar in that way, but unlike with a baby, christening a ship is not a religious ceremony.
While English speakers might not use the word christen every day, its meaning is not obscure, and christening things (literally by breaking a bottle over them, or figuratively with a small dedication ceremony) would certainly be understood today and would not imply any religious meaning.
