Catholics..what's up with God father and God Mother ?

Question

I came hear about these characters in a recent question here @yahoo answers. why do we need the God father and the God mother for a child to be baptized if one of the parent is not catholic? As u can see these characters were never mentioned in the Holy Bible and Jesus never asked the people to do so....

Answer 1

The role of sponsor of new Christians goes back to the first and second centuries.

The role of the godfather and/or godmother is very important. They must be firm Catholic believers, able and ready to help the newly baptized—child or adult—on the road of Christian life.

To ensure this, a godparent must be at least 16 years old (for maturity's sake), fully initiated (having received Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist), be someone other than the legal parents, and one who leads a life in harmony with the Church.

If you have only one Catholic godparent, then you may have a non-Catholic participate as an official witness. The witness will be responsible for setting a good example for the baptized person while the Catholic godparent will share the specifics of the Catholic faith.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

If the parents die, a need for the childs spirituality and the passing the teachings of the faith.
This is a big day for your family, and you want to do the right thing. Choosing godparents is a decision not to be taken lightly. Too often parents want to honor a special friend, repay a favor, or encourage a nonrelative to have a closer relationship with their child. While all of these motives are well intentioned, they are not ideal. If you want to be happy about your decision, consider the following.

Above all, a godparent serves a special role for one to be baptized, whether it be a child or an adult. Godparents are to represent the Christian Catholic community, the Church. They are to assist in the preparation of adult candidates for Baptism and to be supportive of them afterwards. When it comes to infant Baptism, godparents are to assist the child's parents in raising their child in our Catholic faith, so that the child may profess and live it as an adult.

Thus if we remember a few basic things about Baptism—it gives a person both a new and special status as a child of God and it makes a person a member of the Body of Christ, the Church—then what you are looking for are godparents who can truly represent that Christian community. Basically this means you want at least one active and committed Catholic. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states "...the godfather and godmother... must be firm believers, able and ready to help the newly baptized—child or adult—on the road of Christian life" (#1255). This is the Church's way of saying that being a godparent is truly a ministry in the Church, and not simply an honor.

In fact the whole Church community or parish bears some responsibility for the development and nurturing of the grace given your child at Baptism. Much of this will come later in parish religious education and even classes for you on Christian parenting.

Answer 3

Yeah, and there's a few more things than that which aren't mentioned in the Holy Bible which Jesus never asked people to do and religious people as well as Christians still do them. Anyway God parents are required at a Baptism whether or not both parents are catholic. They are just people who volunteer a religious mentorship so-to-speak ; guidance for the person being baptized. Just like a maid of honor, best man, or witness is needed for a wedding. was that mentioned in the bible?

Answer 4

First, your question exposes why "Sola Scriptura" (the Bible as the sole authority) is a fallacious concept. The first Epistle was not written until 20 years after Jesus' resurrection. The first Gospel wasn't written until 30 years after Jesus' resurrection. So, what did the early Christian community do? How was the gospel message spread? The answer is simply the oral tradition.

Now, to answer you question. It is historical fact that early christian converts did indeed have "sponsors" who were usually a married couple, or a "Godfather" and "Godmother," if you will. Having a sponsor couple was critical in the early chruch because christians and "neophytes" were being killed. Also, the "godparents" would often adopt the surviving children of martyred converts. Often times, the surving siblings (i.e., aunts and uncles) of martyrs were non-christians, and thus it was important for the survival of the early christian community that children of martyrs be adopted by believers, who were usually the Godparents of the converts.

Don't be afraid of words. Don't be afraid of the Truth.

Peace.

Answer 5

God fathers and mothers have been a tradition( not an apostolic tradition) that has gone back to the first centuries of the church. People who wanted to convert were brought to the church by people who were already Christians or people who were already Christians would be the ones who were converting. The christian who brought in a person who wanted to convert would stand in for the new convert during their baptism this was all due to security reasons the early Christians were afraid of roman officials "converting" just to spy on them or any others who were converting for a reason that was other then being a christian. After persecution of the Christians ended the tradition still remained.

Answer 6

You need Godparents regardless if one of the parents is not Catholic (that doesn't matter). Is a tradition and Catholics aren't the only ones doing it, Episcopelians do it too and so do other Protestant denominations. The Godparents are supposed to be good role models for the child and who will be there if the parents are not. Is a way of taking care of the child.

Answer 7

It is about surrounding a child with support, and a way of bringing people together. This is not only a Catholic thing.

Answer 8

It the previous there have been hunter gatherer yet in addition gatherer hunters. To the hunter-gathers the main mandatory individual interior the tribe became into the warrior chief. Who would dispense Justice and protection. to that end to them the final deity became right into a male god. Too the collect hunter the main mandatory individual interior the tribe became into sensible female. Who knew each and every of the therapeutic residences of the plantsdispense therapeutic to the tribe. to that end to them the main deity became right into a female goddess. Now whilst tribes met, it ought to be in peace or war. If it became into in peace they'd commerce and intermarry and over the years their cultures would merge. The God of one tribe and the Goddess of the different would replace into husband and spouse. As different tribes joined the alliance their deities would be further to the Pantheon as different kinfolk. inspite of the undeniable fact that in the event that they met in war then the hunters held the convenience on condition that each and every guy knew a thank you to apply a bow and spear. So their victory would lead them to have self assurance that their god became into the "one and easily god". it particularly is why many monotheistic religions are god based quite than goddess based. _()_