Comments on: Atheists and Godparents http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/ by Hemant Mehta Sun, 27 May 2012 20:47:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Kathy http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-826384 Kathy Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:03:00 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-826384 This is amazing. We have been struggling with this dilema and you have made our decision easy. If you don't mind I would like to use your invitation for a coming out and introduction party for our twins. Kathy This is amazing. We have been struggling with this dilema and you have made our decision easy. If you don’t mind I would like to use your invitation for a coming out and introduction party for our twins.
Kathy

]]> By: Mary http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-820965 Mary Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:52:00 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-820965 My husband and I are atheists (or in the very least, agnostics) who are definitively non-Christian and anti-religious. Our first child- a baby girl- is due in two weeks. We like the idea of "godparents" in the sense of being a mentor or guide. As far as a legal guardian in case of our death, we have chosen his parents, at least for now. (If enough time passes and they get too "elderly," we will probably change our will.) But since they already have a title- grandparents- and since they will already be QUITE involved in our baby's life, we wanted to pick other people to have a special relationship with her- someone to be there at birthdays and celebrations and take her to the zoo and all that kind of fun stuff, as well as, as I said earlier, someone to be a mentor and a guide.  We plan to invite a male relative from my husband's side, and a female relative from my side, to be "Padrino" and "Madrina" since my husband is 100% Italian and we have a strong Italian culture in our home. We are still deciding on exactly how to word things, but we plan to present them with a beautiful keepsake notecard with something like this written inside:  -- Dear --,   We would like to ask you to honor us and our daughter by agreeing to be a part of a special relationship with her, as her Padrino. We would love nothing more than the two of you to share an important bond together, and for you to share your time and influence with her as she grows into an adult, and beyond, as part of a lifelong commitment.   A Padrino would act as -a person of encouragement -a good mentor -a moral guide -a voice of reason -a source for advice -a trusted confidant -a fun companion in life   If you would honor us by fulfilling this role of Padrino for our daughter, we would invite you to participate in a ceremony this summer as we welcome her into the world and formally introduce her to her family and friends, where we would officially name you as Padrino. The Padrino would represent Matthew’s side of the family, and a Madrina will also be named from Mary’s side of the family.   We would also be honored if your partner in life would participate in this journey with you and our daughter.   Love, Matthew and Mary-- If you wanted to use the "godparent" (or whatever term you choose) to be the legal guardian as well, I think you could still use a similar letter, but just list it as the last item on the description "a legal guardian after we pass away" or however you feel comfortable wording it. Of course, this makes the commitment much more serious, and you would need to have a long talk about it and make sure to put everything in writing into a will or it has no legal bearing.  Anyway... I hope that this helps anyone looking for answers...  Mary  My husband and I are atheists (or in the very least, agnostics) who are definitively non-Christian and anti-religious. Our first child- a baby girl- is due in two weeks.

We like the idea of “godparents” in the sense of being a mentor or guide. As far as a legal guardian in case of our death, we have chosen his parents, at least for now. (If enough time passes and they get too “elderly,” we will probably change our will.) But since they already have a title- grandparents- and since they will already be QUITE involved in our baby’s life, we wanted to pick other people to have a special relationship with her- someone to be there at birthdays and celebrations and take her to the zoo and all that kind of fun stuff, as well as, as I said earlier, someone to be a mentor and a guide. 

We plan to invite a male relative from my husband’s side, and a female relative from my side, to be “Padrino” and “Madrina” since my husband is 100% Italian and we have a strong Italian culture in our home. We are still deciding on exactly how to word things, but we plan to present them with a beautiful keepsake notecard with something like this written inside: 

–
Dear
–,

 

We would
like to ask you to honor us and our daughter by agreeing to be a part of a
special relationship with her, as her Padrino.
We would love nothing more than the two of you to share an important bond
together, and for you to share your time and influence with her as she grows
into an adult, and beyond, as part of a lifelong commitment.

 

A Padrino
would act as

-a person of
encouragement

-a good mentor

-a moral
guide

-a voice of
reason

-a source
for advice

-a trusted confidant

-a fun companion
in life

 

If you would
honor us by fulfilling this role of Padrino for our daughter, we would invite
you to participate in a ceremony this summer as we welcome her into the world
and formally introduce her to her family and friends, where we would officially
name you as Padrino. The Padrino would represent Matthew’s side of the family,
and a Madrina will also be named from Mary’s side of the family.

 

We would
also be honored if your partner in life would participate in this journey with
you and our daughter.

 

Love,

Matthew and Mary–

If you wanted to use the “godparent” (or whatever term you choose) to be the legal guardian as well, I think you could still use a similar letter, but just list it as the last item on the description “a legal guardian after we pass away” or however you feel comfortable wording it. Of course, this makes the commitment much more serious, and you would need to have a long talk about it and make sure to put everything in writing into a will or it has no legal bearing. 

Anyway… I hope that this helps anyone looking for answers… 
Mary 

]]> By: Kish http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-769870 Kish Sat, 25 Jun 2011 02:23:06 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-769870 My hubby and I aren't even trying to get pregnant, but I'm an over-planner, so I'm trolling these forums... Spinning off of "The B Team," I rather like "The Understudies." With our extended Catholic and Lutheran families, that should hopefully satisfy everyone, as we're kind of the smartasses anyway. My hubby and I aren’t even trying to get pregnant, but I’m an over-planner, so I’m trolling these forums… Spinning off of “The B Team,” I rather like “The Understudies.” With our extended Catholic and Lutheran families, that should hopefully satisfy everyone, as we’re kind of the smartasses anyway.

]]> By: Sengmand http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-751649 Sengmand Sat, 04 Jun 2011 06:39:51 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-751649 How about Atheist Tempered Mentor or ATM's? How about Atheist Tempered Mentor or ATM’s?

]]> By: My Atheist Baby Needs Godparents | motherventing http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-736386 My Atheist Baby Needs Godparents | motherventing Wed, 18 May 2011 19:37:38 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-736386 [...] of godparents? Seems to be a bit of confusion about this one – plenty of feedback on the Friendly Atheist site, with various suggestions including ‘mentor’ ‘guideparent’ [...] [...] of godparents? Seems to be a bit of confusion about this one – plenty of feedback on the Friendly Atheist site, with various suggestions including ‘mentor’ ‘guideparent’ [...]

]]> By: oldretrobiker http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-646763 oldretrobiker Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:32:10 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-646763 I guess its just another way to be tolerant of other people's myths. Which is fine with me. I guess its just another way to be tolerant of other people’s myths.

Which is fine with me.

]]> By: Brynna http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-642019 Brynna Wed, 19 Jan 2011 04:33:12 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-642019 I loved reading this. I'm on the reverse side of this question. I'm an Atheist "godparent" to a Catholic child. So of course I'm not his confirmed godmother, I'm not even aloud to be part of the ceremony according to the church. Even then, in the parent's and the child's eyes, I am part of this baby's life, and will step in if anything were to ever happen to his parents. They call me his Godmother, and I refer to myself as so, it really doesn't bother me. If I were to have my own child, I think I would want to name a "godmother" at least, and since it would be the mother of my Godson (a Catholic), she'd be welcomed to call herself Godmother. I'd also like to add that my "godmother" role, even in the eyes of the Catholic mother, has nothing to do with religion or spiritualism. I'm there as a supporter, and anything else the parents need from me! :) I loved reading this. I’m on the reverse side of this question. I’m an Atheist “godparent” to a Catholic child. So of course I’m not his confirmed godmother, I’m not even aloud to be part of the ceremony according to the church. Even then, in the parent’s and the child’s eyes, I am part of this baby’s life, and will step in if anything were to ever happen to his parents. They call me his Godmother, and I refer to myself as so, it really doesn’t bother me. If I were to have my own child, I think I would want to name a “godmother” at least, and since it would be the mother of my Godson (a Catholic), she’d be welcomed to call herself Godmother.
I’d also like to add that my “godmother” role, even in the eyes of the Catholic mother, has nothing to do with religion or spiritualism. I’m there as a supporter, and anything else the parents need from me! :)

]]> By: JayTre http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-523790 JayTre Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:03:28 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-523790 We are having the same problem with our first child. We found this website useful, thanks. We also found this link which has some secular (in english at least) variants for godparent. http://godparent.askdefine.com/ We are having the same problem with our first child. We found this website useful, thanks. We also found this link which has some secular (in english at least) variants for godparent.

http://godparent.askdefine.com/

]]> By: Jamie http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-498668 Jamie Wed, 16 Jun 2010 03:26:40 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-498668 This was really helpful! I was looking for the legal equivalent of the word "Godparent" on-line and couldn't find one. All of these personal suggestions were great! I chose 3 of them to complete a form for my child's school. They have an Honorary Grandparent/Special Friend day at school and you have to explain what their relationship is to your child. I wanted to emphasis that this couple were more than family friends. Thanks! FYI - I wrote: "Godparents/Guideparents/Willparents" This was really helpful! I was looking for the legal equivalent of the word “Godparent” on-line and couldn’t find one. All of these personal suggestions were great! I chose 3 of them to complete a form for my child’s school. They have an Honorary Grandparent/Special Friend day at school and you have to explain what their relationship is to your child. I wanted to emphasis that this couple were more than family friends. Thanks!

FYI – I wrote: “Godparents/Guideparents/Willparents”

]]> By: james - popnbottles http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-318061 james - popnbottles Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:26:46 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/05/29/atheists-and-godparents/#comment-318061 I actually just put a blog post about this very subject. There's an awesome video that says it all too. check it out . http://popnbottles.wordpress.com/2009/06/10/how-to-choose-god-parents/ I actually just put a blog post about this very subject. There’s an awesome video that says it all too. check it out .

http://popnbottles.wordpress.com/2009/06/10/how-to-choose-god-parents/

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