Godparents,

theirs even...

I don't believe in God

Neither do I.

Nor does anyone I know who has been chosen to be a Godparent. I think that's why different people choose to carry out their Godparently things in other ways, like gifting money, or being confidantes, or in some cases stepping in if the parents die.

My godparents are great. They've been there for me during situations were even my parents weren't. (OK, perhaps this is because they're in England, while my parents are in the US, so they can actually do things like rescue me and take me and my boxes of books in after running away from a psycho boyfriend.)

I think it is quite a serious duty. My godparents are Christian, but they've never forced their religion on me. It's more a sense of "we are here to keep an eye on you and look after you". It's kind of like this idea of legal guardians, in loco parentis, but with added goodness.

My godparents are useless. one of them even denied being my godfather, until my mum dragged out my baptism certificate and showed him.

I'm godmother to a friend's little boy, I take it seriously, but unfortunately they moved to Australia within a week of the christening, so I've not been able to be a hands on godmother, and at three he's a little too young still to be able to communicate from a distance. I'm going over to see them for a fortnight in less than 6 weeks though which should be interesting, apparently he's a little bugger. I am down as guardian for both the boys, should anything happen to their parents. Even though it was a catholic christening, I don't see it as being anything to do with religion though, but the mum knew how I felt when she asked me.

mine are good, I guess, I was about to say they always took it fairly seriously, but now I think about it all I mean is they always gave me expensive birthday and christmas presents. but that was good. as for religious support, not a great deal, they are to blame for my being a "lapsed catholic" who has strayed from the flock. (only to return)

My parter is Catholic, but his Godchild was christened in a Church of Scotland. He is not expected to have anything to do with her religious education, in fact I think she was just christened because her parents wanted a ceremony.

He wants to know if he should maybe start a little fund for her, but I'm not so sure...

i don't even know who mine are.

> I don't see it as being anything to do with religion

i think the clue is in the name 8) perhaps this is why i don't have any.

I'll rephrase that, I see it as providing and extra moral guidance/support role, rather than specifically being there to persuade them to participate in organised religion.

I think it's an important role, not just for someone to give fantastic presents etc. but there needs to be another name for it.

I would like some, or the non-religious equivalent. And would like to be ditto. Having older people looking out for you who aren't relatives can be really important - I guess you can have that without godparents per se, but maybe formalising the relationship is a good thing.

I'm not sure any of my godparents are still alive - I don't think they are. I'm godparent to two non-first-cousins. One I've barely seen since the baptism 30 years ago, and the other I've not exactly stayed in regular touch with either - he's pushing 30 now. I've been a complete failure as a godfather, I'm afraid.

I haven't been baptised, so I haven't got any. I don't think any of my friends have proper hands-on godparents either though.

im godmother to my niece. i buy her lots of barbies and barbie stuff and tell her shes beautiful. our shared source of pride is that we both have "barbie hair", which was later acknowledged by barbie herself 'you have hair just like mine!' (actually some chick at the mall playing barbie BUT STILL). she hasn't worked out mine is fake yet.

this is about as religious as we get:

http://katie.mindphone.org/saintbarbie1994.jpg

Arrgh!