Godparent

their descent from both of their parents, which is bilineal descent. (Miller 2011: 120) Numerous cultures may stress how important sharing and support is in kinship. Sharing is evident in kinship when a person adopts or fosters a child, through godparents or brothers that are blood related, and when a kin gives a portion of their food to another person in their family. (Miller 2011: 122) Two forms of adoption would be closed adoption and open adoption. Closed adoption is when a child is adopted,…

relative. Late Old English godsibb, was meant to mean ‘godfather, godmother, baptismal sponsor’, literally ‘a person related to one in God’. By 14th century Middle English, the term referred to ‘a close friend’, someone whom one might choose to godparent their child. This was changed to ‘a person with whom one idly talks’ in the 1560s, especially denoted to women. In 1811 the meaning was shifted to ‘trifling talk or groundless rumor. From there it came to also indicate the idle talk…

Baptism Rituals enact through celebration, sharing, obedience, submission, purification and movement bridging belief and practice. I agree with that statement as many rituals involve a form of celebration, for example baptism; celebrating the purification of sins and the submission of one’s life to God and obedience as your vowing your complete compliance to God and opening yourself for the holy spirit. It is a sacred belief that has been practiced by many people and cultures. Baptism is a…

When my mother was forced to leave the United States and go live in Poland I became forlorn. She was deported to Poland because she was missing some necessary documents that were required in order to live in the U.S. Many contrasting thoughts began to evolve and collide in my head. I had a feeling bothering me that my mom moved because of me. I didn’t understand anything because I was only in third grade. My father began to play the role of my mother during my childhood. He would cook, do the…

The essay “Our Secret” written by Susan Griffin was taken from a chapter in her book A Chorus of Stones: The Private Life of War. In “Our Secret,” Susan Griffin explains the repercussions of bottling up our emotions and the harm it can have on our mind and body in the long run. In this essay Susan is talking about the life of Heinrich Himmler through his childhood diary, as well as, explaining the controlling behavior of his father throughout his life. The essay “Our Secret” is largely…

For all intents and purposes this congregational study completely unfamiliar from the tradition which I currently worship. I decided it would be interesting, and challenging as well as unfamiliar to my own tradition a Jewish Synagogue. My choice was Rodef Shalom Synagogue in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh, not far from my home. My intention was to attended a Saturday morning worship service, however, due to my unfamiliarity of Jewish services I consequently found myself attending a Bar Mitzvah.…

On November 11th, 1922, Edith Vonnegut gave birth to Kurt Vonnegut Junior in Indianapolis, Indiana (“Vonnegut, Kurt, An Introduction” 1). This location would remain integrated into Kurt’s life despite his incredible life journeys; he often referred to this city as a symbol of American values in many of his novels. Before the Great Depression, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. had grown up wealthy. Kurt’s mother was the daughter of a wealthy brewer and his father became a famed architect; however, during the…

inherently known that men were the source of my desire. Comparable to Stephen, I spent most of my juvenile years demonstrating tomboyish qualities; ecstatically participating in all forms of athletics, happily exploring the woods surrounding my godparents’ farm, emphatically loathing dresses, enthusiastically reading and expanding my education, and preferring boys as my playmates. Forced to pinpoint the one moment I knew the sex targeted by my attractions, it would probably be at ten-years-old…

She stayed like this for two weeks until her body had fully matured (2). She spent her childhood in the Dresden Court of Augustus, Elector of Saxony because her parents came from minor nobility. Zieglerin also had princes and other nobles as her godparents (3).…

by how deeply I was moved by this experience. The majesty, rituals and traditions of The Catholic Church have always held me in awe. My brothers and sisters from my Dad’s first marriage were all raised Catholic- had rosaries, first communions and Godparents, went to catechism, Catholic schools and midnight masses...it all looked so much richer than my seventies era post hippy , stripped down post pomp and circumstance, non-denominational church life at the Woodland Drive In Church. We had a…