Non-Catholic Father and Child Baptism

[Cor_ad_Cor]

Based on what you’ve shared, most priests (and officially, the Church and her laws) are accepting of your proposal*. You may run across the occasional priest that fussed about your lack of marriage, but he doesn’t exactly have Canon Law on his side.

*The concept of letting a child choose later may not fly with any priest or member of these forums. I trust you expect that. Of course, we can’t force any adult to do/believe/belong to anything, but I would encourage you to carefully study and consider why so many faiths (not just Catholicism, but Judaism and others, too) consider the faith an “inheritance” from the parents and not a matter of choice - just for your own current and future benefit.

You’ll be in my prayers (if that’s ok with you).

 

[BoomerangToo]

The child will be taught that I view what I believe is right and his/her mother views what she believes is right. That we believe the other is wrong but that we still love each other

Have you thought about how utterly confusing that would be for a child? To be taught to choose sides?

“Mommy’s wrong!”
“No, Daddy’s wrong!”
“I’m right, you’re wrong!”
“No, I’m right and YOU are wrong!”
“Why don’t you just decide for yourselves, kids? But if you pick Mommy’s side, you’ll be wrong, you know!”
“No, if you pick Daddy’s side, you’ll be wrong!”

If you are in agreement that the mother will raise the child in the Catholic faith, then let her do it. Don’t undermine her and twist your kid’s brains all in knots.

You are an atheist. You don’t believe in anything. In that department, you have nothing to teach your kids. You should put your pride aside and don’t hinder your girlfriend from raising the baby in her faith. It’s not going to hurt the child.

You’ll be happy to know that most children who are raised by a church-going mother and an atheist father end up atheists. You will probably get your way no matter what.