# What does the atheist give for a first communion gift? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 27, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565 "2010-04-27T21:39:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/1 "2010-04-27T21:39:49Z")
So, little nephew is having his First Communion on Sunday. I’ll not be going to Mass, but will go to the party after. I’d like to get him a little somethin’, but I am an atheist. Not that I’m a hardliner, or anything. It’s his belief, it’s his parents’ belief. I respect that. I don’t think it’s hugely hypocritical, therefore, to get him something more traditionally religious. But, if there were an idea of what an atheist could give for a First Communion gift, I’d love to hear it. I’m not opposed to cash, but am hoping someone out there has a more bettah creative idea? Something that acknowledges the meaning behind the event (the newly recognized maturity, the welcoming into the fold aspect, the solemnity of the event, stuff like that). ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/2 "2010-04-27T21:41:35Z")
I dunno, but I’m very eagerly awaiting the joke answers. It’s just a perfect setup. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/3 "2010-04-27T21:42:35Z")
How old is he? ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/4 "2010-04-27T21:42:50Z")
(There is the Holy Ghost toast maker. But I’m saving that for Confirmation.) @BigT ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/5 "2010-04-27T21:43:52Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > How old is he? Third grade? Hell, I should know that. Let’s assume third grade. Eight years old. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/6 "2010-04-27T21:47:03Z")
If the church uses The Book of Common Prayer in their services, a personalized copy would be a great gift. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/7 "2010-04-27T21:49:21Z")
He’s Catholic. (That makes a difference, right? Hell, even when I was a Catholic I didn’t know nuthin’ bout no Catholicism.) ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/8 "2010-04-27T21:50:44Z")
It occurs to me that it’s not that I’m unaware of the tradition because I’m an atheist, but that I’m trying to avoid the hypocrisy of an atheist giving a religious gift. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/9 "2010-04-27T21:57:17Z")
Just give him something his parents would approve of and don’t worry about sending a “message” - it’s a gift for an _eight year-old_, which means it’ll likely be forgotten by Monday morning. So… a rosary. Or a Bible. Or a $25 iTunes gift card. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/10 "2010-04-27T22:24:27Z")
If you’re happy to give your nephew a religious gift, then have a look at the suggestions in this other current thread: [What’s a decent First Communion gift?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=560941) ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/11 "2010-04-27T22:31:57Z")
How about a medal of one of the saints? ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/12 "2010-04-27T22:42:41Z")
Man, my First Communion was 32 years ago, and all I remember was counting the money! Oh, and that we had a sleepover of all my cousins, and when we woke up the next day we found that one of the cousins had chicken pox, and we all wound up with it! ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/13 "2010-04-27T22:46:16Z")
You can just give something that would be a tasteful birthday gift. I got the set of Little House books. on preview: Money works great too. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/14 "2010-04-27T22:52:25Z")
A book by Richard Dawkins 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/15 "2010-04-28T00:47:52Z")
I like the way you think, **Yog**. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/16 "2010-04-28T00:49:24Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > If you’re happy to give your nephew a religious gift, then have a look at the suggestions in this other current thread: [What’s a decent First Communion gift?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=560941) :smack: ---
**Author:** ![footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footballisplayedwithyourfeet)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/17 "2010-04-28T09:08:40Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > A book by Richard Dawkins 😃 As long as it is The God Delusion:p ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/18 "2010-04-28T09:49:12Z")
A book on the myths of Ancient Greece? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/19 "2010-04-28T09:59:36Z")
I was in the same situation as you two years ago and gave my nephew cash, which was perfectly ok and accepted. But then, there is some kind of tradition in my neck of the woods to give the kid his first watch for first communion, which might also be an option for you. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565/20 "2010-04-28T11:33:54Z")
I’d get him a book or a Barnes and Noble gift certificate. An eight year old kid is unlikely to need or want a rosary or wear a medal of a Saint. Those become the sorts of things that Mom has to track. A Bible is often the responsibility of the Godparents. I would not buy Modern Warfare 2… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-atheist-give-for-a-first-communion-gift/537565.md?page=2)