I think you just need to ask yourself this. How much does it mean to your brother that you should be his sponsor? If it would mean a whole lot, I think you should just do it for him; that’s what I’m doing.

And just because we’re Atheists doesn’t mean we have to force that belief on other people. Hey, if your brother is willing to believe in a religion, more power to him.

He’s somebody close to you, and I think you should just support him in his decision to be confirmed, just as you would any other decision he makes.

Just think of it as doing him a favor. But don’t tell him you’re an Atheist.

When I was confirmed (to make parents happy), I picked my non-believing sister (ironically, also my godmother) to be my sponsor. When I asked her, she said she didn’t think she was the best choice because she didn’t believe. She agreed (still reluctantly) after I explained that was why I picked her, and we learned a little history and did the bare minimum to fake our way through the confirmation process. I would have picked my openly atheist brother except my parents would not have agreed and he wasn’t living nearby.

If his coming out as an atheist in the future sparks a family row, I don’t see that his having taken part in this is going to make it any worse. (And anyway he doesn’t have to specify precisely when he stopped believing.)

But I do think that making a big family stink about it would constitute “making it all about yourself.” So not being fully honest about why he’s declining wouldn’t just be an act of self-protection; it would also be respectful of his brother and his family.

So count me as another vote for “don’t do it but don’t explain why.” I think he should just say, “I’m honored that you asked, but I just don’t feel comfortable doing it/ I don’t think I’m the right person to do this.” If pressed for an explanation, I wouldn’t out-and-out lie, but I’d go for a soft-pedal version of the truth: the “I’m having some questions about my faith” or “I don’t feel that I know enough about the faith” options that others here have suggested.

Heck if you feel faking it is not an option, volunteer at the hospital for a couple of days, its cold and flu season. Just try not to catch anything really serious, like leprosy.

Your brother I’m assuming is about 13 and would likely be more confused than helped by any protest you may have. I think it is nice that your brother thought of you to be a part of his confirmation. When he gets older maybe he will come to the same conclusion as you or you can have a discussion with him about it at that time.

I’m not a rabid anti-theist however and have no problem with people believing their own thing as long as it doesn’t begin to interfere with my life (like not funding stem-cell research or school prayer).

My wife (agnostic) and I (atheist) and one of my sons (just a kid) were members of the wedding party of a Catholic wedding. My brother-in-law was a little concerned about asking me (knowing my lack of belief and particular aversion to the Catholic pedo-factory) to be a groomsman and was surprised that I agreed without protest. I simply told him that I was flattered to be asked to be involved in a such an important event in his life and that just as he has his personal beliefs so do I and I refuse to impose my beliefs on him just as I would expect him to respect mine (although I had put the smackdown when I caught him talking with my 10-year-old about Jebus a year or so earlier).

Not sure if this helps, there will come a day when you have to talk with your family about your beliefs I just don’t think “coming out” during your little brothers confirmation would be the best time. IMO

I don’t know what this person should do, but I know what I would do if I were put in that situation (say one of my nephews, as my family doesn’t know of my atheism). I would say that I don’t believe Confirmation at that age is appropriate and I am not comfortable being a part of it. Ask again in a couple of years.

Oh, and as far as the duties of a sponsor, with child confirmation it’s not much really. The idea is that the sponsor is supposed to ensure the confirmandus knows the doctrine and dogma, but with children, especially if they are in Catholic school, this is all done through classes with a teacher. The sponsor just stands there during the ceremony.
With adult confirmandi, the sponsor is there to discuss the issues and answer questions that a child would not even think to ask.