Man Refuses To Go Through The Religious Process Of Becoming A Godparent, SIL Threatens To Cut Him Off

"I'm very firm in my decision that I don't want to go through with this"

Maryjane

• Published in Interesting
• March 26, 2023

A person who has promised to assist with a child's upbringing, particularly in a religious manner, is known as a "godparent." When a child is baptized in some Christian denominations, they are sponsored by typically two adults who promise to assist the child in the best way possible.

The godparents are among the most significant individuals at baptism because they make important commitments to help their godchild comprehend how to live a Christian life and to encourage them to grow in their faith. The OP and his partner were given this godparent position, and they were honored to receive it.

However, the OP got to find out that there were religious aspects to it. The OP's partner's family is Catholic, and Stephanie (the OP's sister-in-law) wanted her son to be baptized through the church.

The OP was required to become Catholic, was confirmed by the church, and would be "strongly encouraged" to attend mass, among other things. The OP wasn't a religious person, and he doesn't feel comfortable converting to Catholicism in order to be someone's godfather.

The OP decided to explain this to Stephanie, and she got very upset about it. She even went ahead to issue a threat, saying she would cut the OP and his partner out of her son's life. 

Keep scrolling to read the entire story in the OP's own words below.

The Headline

The OP was honored to be a godparent and initially agreed

The OP doesn't feel comfortable with converting to catholicism

The OP is very firm about his decision of not going through with it

It's both of you or neither of you

Here are some of the top comments from redditors in response to the reddit thread

It sounds like she's trying to turn your partner against you

Converting is not a big deal, she says

She should find someone else or forgo having a godfather

This redditor would have also declined

The godparent guides the child through the Catholic rituals

Stephanie is really so off the mark

They can certainly do that with no religious overtones

She is expecting you to follow her beliefs

You are supposed to join what you believe in

A good priest will not allow a conversion that isn't whole hearted

She's trying to damage the relationship you have with your partner

This is a horrible thing to do

She is only doing it for appearances

The OP was given a paper to fill a bunch of questions

You two are not married in the Catholic church

It seems like your compromise would be very reasonable

You can still name someone as a godparent for your child, whether or not the concept is part of your religious beliefs. The wish to give your child a positive role model in life, which may change the definition of a godparent a little, is at the heart of everything.

What advice would you give the OP? Drop them below and share this post as well.

Maryjane