This doesn't technically matter now, but for a while it was something I wrestled with. My step-sister is a traditional Catholic, and extremely pregnant. For a while there was talk of my being asked to be Godfather to her child. If I could not in all conscience renounce the Devil and all his works, would my only course have been to decline or lie? Talk to me about what else I could have done, folks.
2007-01-27 22:57:14 · 11 answers · asked by mdfalco71 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
lol fair enough Bubbles - head-wetting ceremony where folk become godparents. See how unqualified I was for the role? :oD
2007-01-27 23:04:58 · update #1
I'm training to be a priest in the Anglican (Episcopalian church) so not sure about Catholics but in the Church of England you can have something called a service of Thanksgiving, where you just thank God for the life of the child and don't have to make any religious promises yourself and ask the priest to fit it into the ceremony.
The role of a godfather is to support the parents in bringing up the child into the Christian faith so if you're unsure if this is something you personally want for your life you might not want to promise that for someone else. Either way you're right to think you shouldn't have to lie.
As the babies' uncle you'll probably have a significant role in it's life anyway but if your sister would like something more - you could always make up a title that fits you.
Hope this is helpful
2007-01-27 23:18:31 · answer #1 · answered by Grace 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a godmother to two kids, i don not believe in god one bit. However i believe i would be there for the kids if need be and would never let them down. I will always be there, im honored to be godmother. So id say with or without god you can still be a godparent, surely as long as your a good person thats all that matters.
2007-01-27 23:24:03 · answer #2 · answered by monkey 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think you would have been wrong for saying yes. You should be honored that she considered you for such a thing. Yet if your conscious bothers you about it. You should simply decline.
If you were to lie, you would be sinning. Does Yahuweh (God) want you to tell lies? Of course not. So it would be better to tell the truth or decline and not give your reasons. But lying would be the only wicked choice of the options you presented.
2007-01-27 23:06:13 · answer #3 · answered by lil_snipe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes the images we use in church are not helpful.
What is meant by 'the devil and all his works' is not a figure grimacing out of a horror movie; it's everything that is evil: hatred, fear, rage, violence, selfishness, pride, greed.
Would you really not want to renounce those things?
Your greater difficulty might be in saying 'I turn to Christ' - but again, the picture of Christ many people have is not helpful.
Jesus said 'It's not those who keep calling me "Lord, Lord!" who will be saved, but those people who do my father's will.'
Do you believe in what is good? You are turning to Christ.
Do you believe in being loving to the people around you? You are turning to Christ.
Do you believe that Good ultimately overcomes Evil? You are turning to Christ.
Too often, we try and make the Church a club; a little place where we can be saved sheep together, and make ourselves sure of our salvation by pointing to the damned goats outside.
But Jesus said 'I came to bring you life in all its fullness'.
And that's what Baptism celebrates. It's not magic. It's delighting in the gift of new life: and coming together to share that.
What should you have done?
Don't get knotted up in someone else's sad arguments.
Thank God for the baby, and pray that s/he can embrace everything that's good, and reject all that is evil.
2007-01-27 23:48:49 · answer #4 · answered by quicker 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Very interesting; you could have lied; there tends to very no room for manouvering in this situation with the Catholic church at all. I lied at my niece's baptism; but as my sister is a non practising Catholic, I had to explain to her that I would become responsible for the spiritual welfare of my godchild if anything happened to both her parents.
In another twist, my youngest child's father was a Buddhist; when my son was born, I decided to hold off the baptising bit for a while; I wasn't practising myself. However the year my son was due to start school, I had second thoughts; he was going to a Catholic school, and I didn't feel it was right to have him "different" at those times(First Communion) when all the rest of his classmates would be doing something that he wasn't part of. It was enough that he looked different, without me forcing him to suffer because of my lack of belief!
however, the parish priest took a different view. He refused to consider baptising my son on the grounds that I had huge difficulty with making a promise I would have no intention of keeping; that of making sure he attended Mass on Sunday, and of making sure he received the Sacraments.
He explained his position; I explained mine; and we agreed to differ.
Into the breech stepped an elderly preist friend of my brother's, who lived in a very rural parish, and offered to perform a private baptism in his lovely country church, with due regard to the beliefs and feelings of all present, including me. He had a chat with me beforehand; felt that it was more important that my son was raised with love and respect for his fellow man than for him to feel that the trappings of religion were more important!
My kind of priest!
You are one of many thousands in a similar situation; I think you could have offered to negotiate the wording with the priest...my priest understood what i was talking about, and felt it more important that the Catholic Church needed to try to hold on to people than to alienate them. There is a standard format which is normally followed in a Catholic Baptism, but in the right pair of hands, I'm sure it could be negotiable.
2007-01-27 23:25:08 · answer #5 · answered by marie m 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is no scriptures to Christening a baby or even baptizing baby, Baptism comes later on in life after they repented of their sins, I would decline & tell them why.
2007-01-27 23:06:58 · answer #6 · answered by birdsflies 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The correct course of action would be to politely decline her offer.
2007-01-27 23:03:48 · answer #7 · answered by Last Ent Wife (RCIA) 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Could have learned that Catholics get BAPTISED not Christened.
;0)
xxB
2007-01-27 23:03:33 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Renounce the Devil and all his works, fool.
2007-01-27 23:04:13 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
why lie ,the devil is the father of all lies, don't get caught in his trap lean on the only shoulder that you can find a true answer JESUS LOVE pray ,pray,pray you will find your answer man cant give it too you, good thing come to those who truth in the lord!!!!!!!!!!
2007-01-27 23:09:21 · answer #10 · answered by hunter_tn4 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋