Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
being a god parent is about the capability to be there for the said child in the unfortuate demise of the parents. I am a god parent, not an atheist, but not an avid church goer either and I don't think it matters- as long as you have the best interest of the child in mind. it is an honor. welcome to godmotherhood
I'm godmother to my niece & I guess you could call me agnostic. My BIL is agnostic/athiest but his wife was raised in a fairly religious home (however she doesn't go to church & she isn't as religious as her mother..) She asked us to be godparents & we accepted without hesitation. My SIL knows we don't go to church & aren't religious. In addition, we've never had an in depth discussion about religion. She told me she preferred us as godparents rather than her brother & his wife as she didn't agree with their parenting skills (i.e., their kids are ill behaved & they can't/won't discipline them...) So I appreciated that nice vote for my parenting I realized that took a front seat to any religious differences.
Yes, generally accepting the godparent 'position' means you accept raising the child if something happens to the parents. We went to the church where they had a ceremony & baptized my niece as well. It was short & sweet- we just played along
I'm sure your sister would love you as a godparent but if her husband is deeply religious, he might take issue. I would let the 2 of them work it out & hopefully he will realize what a great godmother you would be!
Thanks so much, everyone! I really appreciate all your input! I'll talk to my sister and her hubby and let them decide how they want to proceed. I'll be fine with whatever they decide. Thanks again!
yes it does. By becoming a godparent you are assuring the parent if something were to happen to them you would take on the responsibility the child is raised & taught their religion.....this may have fallen by the wayside in recent years but at one time that was the purpose of godparents
If it were the Catholic Church you would not be allowed to sponser the child as you need to show you are a Catholic in good standing....
Just share your views and be honest then allow them to decide...it may prevent hurt & hard feelings down the road
Not completely accurate... my sister is baptized Catholic. She attends mass when she comes home to visit... but not at any other time. SHE is my daughter's Godmother... baptized in the Catholic Church and she did not need to PROVE she is a Catholic "in good standing", only needed to show she was Catholic. I chose my sister because I know she would love my children as I do, even though she herself isn't true to our faith any longer, show knows its teachings and beliefs... She would carry out my wishes, that my children be raised Catholic if anything were to happen to me. She knows my wishes and respects them... BUT, she DID discuss her beliefs with me when we decided to ask her and to me that wasn't what the title was about... it may be the case for your sister as well.
Don't you have to set up a legal guardianship to ensure a certain person gains guardianship of your minor children upon your death?
Godparents always seemed mysterious to me - it wasn't our family's tradition. But I don't think it holds any legal standing whatsoever.
I think it is more of a role the person will play on the child's life in this day and age... perhaps years back it meant more. My husband is Italian and it is a very important role for them traditionally. The Godparent is a role model and if something were to happen to the parents they would be responsible for carrying out the Catholic traditions with that child and ensuring they are brought up Catholic... not that they would have gaurdianship... does that make more sense?
My sister, who is due in September, recently asked my hubby and me to be godparents. My sister is not a church-goer, she does believe in god though. (Her husband is a church going Christian.) I have never discussed the fact that I'm an atheist with my sister. We just don't discuss religion at all, never have. My question is, would it be hypocritial if I agreed to be godmother? Should I tell my sister that I'm an atheist, or should I look at being the godmother as more of a symbolic thing?
Thanks to anyone who can give me input.
I am a non religious person and am also a god father (to a young adult now, not a crime family). I look on it as the back up to care for the child if something had befalling his parents. I know I was not expected to pass on my religious view or any other organization views. I am sure my relatives who asked me to be the god father did not want or expect that also. I only offered guidance in things that were real not fairy tales.
The Church did l request you to guide the child’s religious teaching, I think they are more than happy I did not take that request to heart as our views would have been at opposite ends of the religious spectrum. The church did educate him in their views, but in my last talks with him he had rejected their views as fables. Something his uncle and godfather did many years before.
I would let my sister know you are a non religious person just incase it is a problem with them, and if not a problem I would just be the 2nd line in case an emergency comes up.
When my daughter was baptized, the congregation took on the responsibility of her Christian upbringing, while I was seeking godparent(s) who would oversee the general care of my child in the event something happened to me or to her father.
I am godmother to my sister's eldest son, and I sort of saw it as my responsibility to agree to take care of him in the event something ever happened to her and her spouse. Ironically enough, she has raised her children in the family church, so the religious upbringing was easily settled upon, too. I do not attend the church on a regular basis, but would have had no problem seeing to it that her son went, if those were her wishes.
I don't think being a godparent today is necessarily what it was in our parents' generation, or theirs before them. For some families, it is a tradition or a formality more than anything else. It was flattering of your sister and her husband to ask you.
Not completely accurate... my sister is baptized Catholic. She attends mass when she comes home to visit... but not at any other time. SHE is my daughter's Godmother... baptized in the Catholic Church and she did not need to PROVE she is a Catholic "in good standing", only needed to show she was Catholic. I chose my sister because I know she would love my children as I do, even though she herself isn't true to our faith any longer, show knows its teachings and beliefs... She would carry out my wishes, that my children be raised Catholic if anything were to happen to me. She knows my wishes and respects them... BUT, she DID discuss her beliefs with me when we decided to ask her and to me that wasn't what the title was about... it may be the case for your sister as well.
You know in the catholic Church it comes down to who you know, how much the local pastor wants to enforce the rules....at one time in order to sponser a child you needed a letter from your pastor that you were a practicing Catholic...one of the many reasons the catholic Church has left a bad taste in my mouth....
In the Catholic Church, the responsibility of a godparent is to oversee the religious upbringing of the child. Four of my children have godparents, all separate and different. My children's godparents are not assigned legal gardianship for my children if my husband and I should both pass away. That is something totally separate and a legal matter. For me, personally, I expect a godparent to take a special interest in my child's life They are invited to birthdays, graduations, etc. My children clearly know who their godparents are and they hold them in a special place in their hearts. A lot like an aunt or uncle, even though they may not be related. I believe that it is an honor to be asked to be a godparent. I am sure that you will most definitely have to participate in the baptismal ceremony. I would suggest speaking with your sister and perhaps going over what the ceremony will entail and make sure that you are comfortable with the responsibility. As far as the church needing to know your religious beliefs, that would also be something that I would leave with you sister and her husband. The Catholic Church resquires that one of the godparents be a practicing Catholic, but at my parish they somewhat stick to the "don't tell us" policy. You do not have to produce a letter from your priest or any sort of proof of attendance.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I realized that took a front seat to any religious differences. 
