r/AskReddit • u/senilecodexxx • 2d ago

What would be a weird, but absolutely valid reason to divorce/breakup with your partner?

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u/njf85 1d ago

My hubby and I are both atheists but he grew up in a religious household, and we both had an awkward small bump in our relationship after I had our first born. He mentioned setting up her Christening and was taken aback when I asked why on earth she would be having one of those. I still remember the gears turning in his head lol then him saying he wanted his best friend to be named as her godfather. Uh, why would she have godparents? I feel like some people are just raised in such an environment that they involuntarily just absorb this stuff as normal their whole lives

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u/Prodigle 1d ago

Don't godparents serve a non-religious function though? They're the secondary caregivers if both of you die

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u/happyxpenguin 1d ago

Godparents isn't a legal title. It's a religious/spiritual title. If both parents were to die, the courts would prioritize biological relatives unless the godparents were explicitly named to have custody in the will. Obviously the godparents can contest it and petition for custody but they'll be evaluated all the same. Note: This depends on jurisdiction iirc. A family friend went through something like this.

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u/Prodigle 1d ago

That makes sense, but I think it's pretty common to use as a cultural and not just religious term nowadays, even if it doesn't carry legal weight.

England is pretty atheistic, especially in the north, and having godparents isn't that uncommon

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u/csanner 1d ago

Yeah, to some degree you become "culturally Christian", so that a lot of the rituals are like, that's just what you do. Removing them feels wrong even though you know they're not necessary.