Is it possible for a Muslim to be godfather to an Orthodox Christian?

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MarlenCabrera, you’re right, baptize and forget.
I also take this seriously. My friend asked me to become godmother for her son, but I refused, explaining that I was not a person of deep faith. No, of course she’s a believer, but she goes to church from time to time. My daughter’s godfather doesn’t even come up when he sees us, just for show. What a twist! How is that possible? In order to become godparents you need to prepare. Why such a godfather who is not even a Christian? For show? That's the argument, of course. So as not to offend. Well, if the child’s parents knew the godfather’s faith, this is their sin. And your husband, as far as I understand, will not take any part at all. That is, like most godparents. They baptized and forgot. It's strange somehow.

I'm married to a Muslim

The Holy Fathers understand baptism as a seed of eternal life planted in a person’s heart. It will not grow if you plant it in a cellar and close it tightly with a lid so that no one finds out. Therefore, baptizing children without the consent of the husband is a futile matter. Rather, train them to know the Lord Jesus Christ and become His sincere followers. This saving faith will be their best vaccination against external conditions unfavorable for Christian life. Let me accept Baptism myself when I reach adulthood. Experience shows that secret Baptism, without teaching and Christian upbringing, does not bring positive results: a person quickly forgets about it, converts to another faith, or becomes an unbeliever. Therefore, by personal example and word, try to instill in children a love for Christ. The rest will have to be left to the will of God and their own will.

Regarding divorce from a husband who is a non-believer, the Apostle Paul instructs on this matter: “If a brother has an unbelieving wife, and she agrees to live with him, then he should not leave her; and a wife who has an unbelieving husband, and he agrees to live with her, should not leave him. For an unbelieving husband is sanctified by a believing wife, and an unbelieving wife is sanctified by a believing husband” (1 Cor. 7: 12-14).

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Date: 12/03/2014 14:47:34

Dmitry, Moscow

Protodeacon Dmitry Polovnikov answers

My daughter was born. Is it possible for a Muslim woman to be the godmother of a child, and wouldn’t this be a violation of her faith, as well as a violation of the canons of Orthodoxy? Thank you.

Dear Dmitry, of course, a Christian can have different friends, including those who are different from him in faith. We must treat everyone with merciful, sacrificial love. But to believe that a Muslim can be a receiver from the font, that is, that a Muslim will help you raise a child in faith, piety, purity, and strengthen yourself in the truths of the Orthodox faith, is at least paradoxical. Only an Orthodox Christian can be a godmother, especially if she is truly a believer who can teach the child faith. In your case, you need to look for another godmother.

Question:

Hello, I married a Muslim and at one time I gave my word that the children would be Muslims, just don’t touch me. Then I was an ordinary laywoman, but a year and a half ago God’s grace came to me and everything changed, but I can’t change the mistake, I’m suffering terribly. My husband is not a role model. Tell me, is it possible to baptize children with his knowledge but without his consent, or just pray, this is my punishment, I pray that the Lord will forgive me and help me resolve the issue, the main thing is for me to know what to do, what should I do? I won’t be able to watch how over time he will start taking him to the mosque and so on. Who knows whether I need to endure until the Lord himself makes a decision, because He sees my repentance, or whether to baptize her without his permission? At the same time, they will live in a Muslim country, they will mix everything up, because Islam is taught in school here, not to mention their endlessly praying relatives. Or get a divorce altogether? Help, I'm in a lot of pain. Thank you.

Answers the question:

Archpriest Dimitry Shushpanov

Priest's answer:

Hello Dima, first you should know what baptism is.

Who established Water Baptism

Mf. 28:19, Mark. 16:16 - Christ commanded
Baptism.
Acts 2:38, 10:48 - Peter fulfills Christ’s commandment about Baptism.

Thus, Water baptism is what our Lord commanded us to do. This commandment was fulfilled by the disciples of Christ, and we are fulfilling this commandment. Therefore, our attitude to baptism is not as a custom or rite, but as a commandment given to us by Jesus Christ, which we want to obey.

Who can be baptized? Who is it for?

Mk. 16:16 – those who believe
.
Acts 8:12, Acts 2:38 - the condition of baptism is faith from the whole heart and repentance
.

These are the conditions necessary for receiving water baptism. By the way, to do this means to fulfill the words of Christ, who said: “Teach and baptize” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Nowhere in the New Testament do we see the practice of infant baptism.

What is baptism

Water Baptism

is a visible
sign
that we have decided to belong and fully
commit
our lives to Jesus Christ. The rite of baptism itself does not provide salvation.

Example
: I have a fiancée, we love each other, we decided to combine our lives into one, however , until we get married, our relationship is not complete.
Painting is an official decision to connect your life with another person; this action elevates our relationship to an order of magnitude higher. Likewise, baptism is an outward expression of our commitment to Christ. Baptism introduces you into a relationship with God that is an order of magnitude higher. The very meaning of the Greek word Baptism

involves complete
immersion
in water (absorption, soaking wet). Therefore, pouring or sprinkling is not the Biblical way of baptism. Bible texts that speak of total immersion: John. 3:23, Col. 2:12, Matt. 3:16, Acts 8:39.

What spiritual processes begin to occur after baptism

1. Compound

with Christ in His death and burial
. Rome. 6:3-4. Union with Christ in His Resurrection
.
Rome. 6:4, Col. 2:11. When we are immersed in water, this symbolizes
our death together with Christ to sin, to the world, to ourselves. When the waters close over our heads, this symbolizes our burial. When we are raised from the water, this is a symbol of our resurrection with Christ to a new life. The symbol of Baptism - to be dead to sin and alive to God - is the task of our entire life, in Baptism this task is put into our spirit, and after baptism we will feel the full reality of the task given to us by God.

2. We receive member

Body of Jesus Christ.
1 Cor.
12:13. Before we were baptized in water, we were already in the Body of the Church. But after being baptized, we are given responsibility for this Body. And it is expressed in our service to this Body. This responsibility will be expressed in our deeds.

We need to maintain high moral
standards and try to live honestly and righteously. (Titus 2:12)
Donate
money, give donations. 2 Cor. 9:7, Gal. 6:6.
Feed your spirit daily Mf. 6:6.
Attend
regularly and witness. Heb. 10:25, Eph. 6:15.
Look at your life as a path of following Christ
. 1 Cor. 9:24, Mark. 8:34, Phil. 2:12.

3
. God, for his part, guarantees:

Save
us for eternal life. Jude 24, 2 Tim. 4:18, 1:12.
Make us able
to live according to our decision. Phil. 2:12-13, 2 Peter. 1:3, 1 Thess. 5:23-24.

Conclusion

1. Be sure to receive water baptism. 2. Start living the life of a baptized person now. 3. Be prepared for spiritual attacks. 4. Don't view baptism as the final achievement in the Christian life.

Now the direct answer to your question. A Muslim cannot be a godfather because... he lives according to the Koran, and Christians live according to the Bible. There is one God, yes, but the presentation of Him is different among Muslims and Christians, which means their views differ.

The godfather, or godfather, must be an Orthodox Christian. A godfather cannot be a Catholic, a Muslim, or a very good atheist, because the main duty of a godfather is to help the child grow up in the Orthodox faith. The godfather must be a church person, ready to regularly take the godson to church and monitor his Christian upbringing. After baptism has been performed, the godson cannot be changed, but if the godfather has changed greatly for the worse, the godson and his family should pray for him. Pregnant and unmarried women CAN be godparents of both boys and girls - do not listen to superstitious fears! The father and mother of a child cannot be godparents, and a husband and wife cannot be godparents for the same child. other relatives - grandmothers, aunts and even older brothers and sisters can be godparents.

Bless you.

Good afternoon. I was interested in your answer “Hello Dima, first you should know what baptism is. Who established Water BaptismMatt. ..." to the question https://www.. Can I discuss this answer with you?

Discuss with an expert

Good afternoon, I am a Muslim, but the Christian faith is also close to me, my husband is a Catholic, my close friend gave birth and decided that I should be a godmother, please tell me, isn’t our Almighty one? Moreover, given your answer to Alsou, I have no right! and changing religion is an even greater sin, as far as I know. The mother of the child will be responsible for raising the child. Why complicate life and develop inter-religious problems between faiths? Thank you waiting for an answer. Asel.

Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko answers:

Hello, Asel!

It’s good that the Christian faith is close to you, and that you want to become the godmother of your close friend’s child, but I must tell you that you cannot become a godmother not only according to the rules of the Orthodox Church, but also according to the norms of Islam. After all, the godparents at the Sacrament of Baptism must read the “Creed”, in which they confess their faith not only in the One God, but also “In the One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, who was born of the Father before all ages... To whom all things were,” and “in the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giving Lord, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets,” as well as “into the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.” Agree that by professing the Orthodox faith in the church in this way, you will commit a departure from the Muslim faith, in which Christ is considered only a prophet, but not the Son of God, Consubstantial with the Father. And in the future you will not be able to teach your godson Orthodoxy - after all, you do not share the Orthodox faith. So the rule that only an Orthodox Christian can be a godfather does not complicate, but makes life easier for both you and your friend’s child in the future.

Sincerely, Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko.

I am a Muslim, married to a Christian (he is baptized). We want to baptize our child. I don’t want to accept the Christian faith, I am tolerant of all religions, but let everything remain as it is. The main thing is that I believe in God. Can I, being a representative of another religion, baptize my child? Am I not obliged to accept the Christian faith and undergo the Sacrament of Baptism before baptizing my son? Does a godmother have to be baptized? What if the godmother is mixed race (Ukr-tat)?

accountant

Dear Regina, of course, your child can be baptized, and for this you do not have to be baptized yourself. However, it will be good if you, as a mother intending to raise a child in the Orthodox faith, also (but only consciously and voluntarily!) accept Baptism. It should be understood that an indispensable condition for Baptism is faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in His Resurrection, in God, glorified in the Trinity. If you do not find such faith in yourself, but do not object to a believing father raising a child in Orthodoxy, then there are no obstacles to the child’s Baptism. But the recipients must be baptized; nationality does not matter. Godparents are obliged to help raise their godson in the ORTHODOX faith. But how can they do this if they, not being Christians, do not know the foundations of this faith, do not understand the church sacraments, and do not participate in the life of the Church? During the celebration of the Sacrament over the baby, the godfather (of the same gender as the child) will hold him in his arms, pronounce on his behalf the Creed and vows of renunciation of Satan and union with Christ. Read more about the procedure for performing Baptism.

An exceptional situation - if there are no close people close to Orthodoxy, and you are confident in the good morals of a non-Orthodox Christian - then the practice of our Church allows one of the godparents to be a representative of another Christian denomination: Catholic or Protestant.

Of course, non-Christians - atheists, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and so on - cannot be godparents, no matter how close friends the child’s parents are and no matter how pleasant people they are to talk to.

In extreme circumstances, if it is absolutely impossible to find recipients for the sacrament of Baptism, it can be performed without them.

Can a Muslim woman baptize a child in the Orthodox Church?

If she is truly a Muslim, then she knows what Monotheism is, that you can only worship the One and Only Creator. That the Creator does not and cannot have parents and He did not give birth and is not begotten. That the Creator is unlike anything in the world He created alone. That He doesn't need anyone's help. He knows that in religion there is a principle - everything that is not permitted is prohibited. Therefore, Muslim women or men cannot, ever and under any circumstances, in their right mind and of their own free will, engage in activities that are not legalized in religion, namely, church baptismal rites. Not to mention the tradition during baptism to give the baby a spoonful of a diluted alcoholic drink (the blood of Christ:(((.

It’s a completely different matter when people lost their faith and remained Muslims only in name; they are also called ethnic Muslims. They can baptize and not baptize, and drink vodka (as they say - a little))), and eat pork and not know a single sura from the Koran. But if you ask them what religion they profess, they will claim that they are Muslims.

Is it possible to baptize a child with a Muslim name?

- No. and you can’t be a godfather either

— @luiza444, did you ask the priest?

— @katrina_mama, I myself am a Muslim)) so they say that the church is open to everyone, but it’s not desirable for us. but when a friend of mine baptized her son, the father was not allowed in

- are considered baptized Muslims. they can be

- you need to ask the priest, when we baptized our children, Muslims were present.

- What a good question, I also have to do this, but I don’t know whether to go or not (

- what's wrong with that? God is one. We Muslims attended the wedding and the priest didn’t say a word to us. But in general, I’ll tell you one thing, my grandmother fell into a coma before her death and came out of it and told us that it was as if she was flying into a chimney. and there in heaven there are no Russians, no Jews, no Muslims. that God is one. and throughout her life she did not like Christians, but before her death she realized that there was no difference in faith

— my husband’s sister wanted to become a godmother. Let’s go to church. And there it turns out that the godmother must be baptized. For one thing, she was baptized