infant baptism

TakeDown247

First things first, I'm not agaist Christianity

But I'm not sure about infant baptism
In the Bibile it doesn't say anything about babys being baptised
but says repent and belive in Christ and be Baptised but how can an Baby belive in Christ? some churches do not belive in it and think noone can be baptised unless
they belive in Christ and God before hand he's a link http://www.biblequestions.org/archives/BQAR105.htm

I don't belive anything can be done without consent whats your views on this?
BTW do Bornagain Christians belive if you where baptised as a baby your not baptised?

OfflerCrocGod

TakeDown247 wrote:

I don't belive anything can be done without consent whats your views on this?

Couldn't agree more with you tbh. If it's done with no consent then it's simply not true.

Asiaprod

I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, it was many years ago when I studied this stuff as a Catholic so I can only address the Catholic side of the coin.

My understanding is that baptism`s main purpose is two fold.
1. It is a sacrament at which a mature person, who does consent, is accepted into the Catholic faith, and at which the mark of original sin, which all people are born with thanks to the talking snake and the apple, is removed from the soul, allowing that person, if they die in a state of grace, to enter heaven.

2, In the case of newborns that cannot give their consent, since the mortality rate was very high in ancient times, infant baptism was see as a preventative measure to counteract the possibility of a newborn dieing in a state of original sin and being sent to limbo to await the final days of judgment when their soul could be released to enter heaven. Since newborns are still at high-risk, there would appear to be no reason to change the process.

In all fairness, in the case of newborns, infant Baptism is (or should be) concerned with guaranteeing that the newborn`s soul has a path to enter heaven. Now this is not to say that there might not be other less savory reasons, but if I was a Catholic, and that means accepting the teachings and the sacraments, I think I would be happy to know that my child was protected from such a terrrible fate.

Excelsior

The tradition I am involved in (presbyterianism) believes in baptising babies. Technically, its called paedobaptism.

You are totally right when you say that there is nothing in the Bible that supports randomly dabbing water on the foreheads of every baby born in the locale. But the New Testament clearly shows the baptism of the babies of believers. Look at any of the converts in Acts and you'll see that "they and their whole household" were baptised.

The reason for this is that the reformed churches see baptism, contrary to what Peter has laid out as the Roman Catholic (in Ireland) understanding of baptism (which owes more to Augustine than to the Bible), as something that God does for us. Not something that we do for him. In the Old Testament, circumcision was the mark of membership in the family of God. Many Jewish contemporaries of Jesus thought that by being circumcised you were made part of the "Covenant" (the promise from God to redeem all of Creation). But the Bible is clear that circumcision doesn't get you "in", God's love does. Circumcision is the mark that you are already in.

The same is true for Baptism in the New Covenant. It does not wash your sins away. But your sins are paid for by Jesus and out of this (not to prompt it) we get Baptised to indentify ourselves with what God is doing in our life.

So when a member of my church has a new baby they bring it to be baptised. That kid is not then considered a part of God's family but already was a member and this was the celebration of God adopting him or her in. Now that baby may grow up to reject God's gift but that in no way invalidates the baptism since the baptism didn't drastically change the child's life and soul-orientation but declared instead that God had changed His orientation towards the child, welcoming him or her as His child. If that child-turned-adult rejects it, then that is the glory of free will.

"Born again Christians" are any Christians who are more than just nominal in their belief. Devout Catholics are born again. There is a denomination called "Baptists" who believe you should be baptised when you are an adult mature enough to understand the commitment to faith but they would increasingly be open to flexibility in Ireland about being content with infant baptised believers.

Both adult and paedobaptism have Biblical warrant. The only practice that is completely ungrounded is the baptism of babies whose families are not believers simply because that is the done thing. Sadly, that is the majority of baptisms in Ireland.

Cronus333

thats right, but didn't church get rid of limbo and said that all children automatically enter heaven?

Fallschirmjager

Cronus333 wrote:

thats right, but didn't church get rid of limbo and said that all children automatically enter heaven?

yes they did.

regarding the baptism:
also as i recall that was the responsibility of God parents and the childs parents. they accept on the babys behalf and they accept that responsibility to bring the baby up as a Christain. The confirmation ceremonies later in life is when you decide yourself..

robindch

Baptism can be lethal too --

http://tinyurl.com/aj9bx

Poor chap

Asiaprod

robindch wrote:

Baptism can be lethal too --

http://tinyurl.com/aj9bx

Poor chap

Yes, I read that and resisted pointing it out on the board.
What a horrible way to go. I wonder what the 800 odd people present made of it all. That was one lucky lady not to have also stepped into the water. I wonder did she go on to get Baptized later.