[MissingInAction]

I come from a Big European Family background and my DH has a very small, anglo aussie family.
We have discussed godparents loosely (we're still TTC; no kids here yet!) and have tentatively decided that we'd choose:

*my cousin who is like a brother to me (but not his DP who we love dearly)
*DH's sister (but not her DP who we love dearly)

While we love their partners, they're not married yet and probably won't be in the near future as they're just not that way inclined even though they are in committed long term relationships.

HOWEVER, I was raised with a COUPLE as my godparents and feel that they gave me a good example of "marriage" and "christian living" etc so as much as the above mentioned people are our picks for godparents, I'd kind of like our future kid to have a couple (apart from us) to look up to or seek out if that makes sense... THIS IS WHERE IT GETS TRICKY. If we were to pick additional godparents, a COUPLE, this would make FOUR godparents in total. Is that too many?!

As i said before.. it gets tricky here cos the most likely canditates for "couple godparents" would be either
Another of my cousins & his wife (Catholic)
or
ANOTHER of my cousins & his wife (Atheist)

We're probably a lot closer to the atheist cousin couple, they're a wonderful example of a loving committed couple and have more similar child-rearing values to us however... my DH & I have been practicing Christians (bit slack the last little while, but we do hold Christian beliefs & values dear) and i'm not sure having a blatantly atheist godparent for my future child sits right with me (or whether they'd even WANT to?)
SO... what would you do?

This post has been edited by MiaMoo86: 07/01/2013, 10:08 AM

[mynoonmymidnight]

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This post has been edited by Willoughby Chase: 01/02/2013, 12:29 PM

[Ruby Victoria]

Can I ask what denomination your children would be Baptised into?

If it's CAtholic you need at least one Godparent to be a baptised Catholic but I have seen three and four Godparents at Baptisms before.

[lsolaBella]

My sister is DSs godmother. In the meantime she got married so her and he rDH are DDs godparents.

I don't think it is necessary to have a full couple as godparents.

But if that is what you wants to do fine.

As you have not started to TTC who is to say that current DPs will one day be spouses by the time the Christening comes around?

This post has been edited by lsolaBella: 07/01/2013, 10:12 AM

[MrsLexiK]

My mum and her sister and brother are my cousins god parents so they have 3. We have chosen both my sister and one SIL, I see god parents as the people who continue to bring our child or children up in the church we have chosen. Neither are practising anything but I know they will respect our wishes.

[Beancat]

i always thought the tradition for godparents was if the baby is a girl then two femal and one male godparents and if a boy then 2 males and one femal godparent

[Saecularis Angel...]

Disclaimer: I was baptised as an adult and never had godparents, so I don't pretend to have a good understanding of what they can mean to a child.

But I would never ask an atheist to be a godparent. How could they make the necessary promises with any sort of integrity?

I also don't think you need to make someone a godparent to build a good relationship between them and your children, where they can be a positive influence. Why not seek some other way to include the atheist couple in the lives of any children you have?

[lsolaBella]

My siblings and I all had one male, one female. None of them married to each other.

My kids have

DS1- two females my sister and DHs best female friend
DS2 - couple my brother and SIL
DD - couple my sister and BIL

DH is an only child, that is why we are heavy on my family.

[elizabethany]

My DS (baptised Anglican) has 3 godparents (2 male, 1 female, no couples (though 2 are married to other people), who are 1 x baptist, 1 x catholic and 1 x athiest. We read through the ceremony, and it only asked the parents to promise to bring them up Christian, the Godparents had to renounce evil and promise to teach them to be a good person. None of them had a problem with this.

It really depends, but when you have to make this decision, ask you priest for a copy of the ceremony, and what they recommend as to numbers of Godparents.

[bye]

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This post has been edited by bye: 29/03/2013, 02:58 PM