I'm trying to figure out baptism, any help?

Question

I'm trying to find similarities in overlapping religious practices.
Is baptism like an initiate ritual or ceremony.
Reminds me of shapeshifters also.
I wonder if it is meant to be taken more seriously, as it seems like a New Year's Day.
A day for change, even reminds me of the symbolic phoenix.
If I could wake up tomorrow and decide to be a more cuirous determined adventurer, would things like baptism help instill certain levels of trust and a shared experience that my peers have also experienced.
Any help? Or goof references to check out. Where did it originate pre-christianity?

curious - good typos

Answer 1

Baptism is to signify to the world at large that you are a changed person, to symbolize being buried and reborn. The word "baptism" is from Greek word "baptizo" which means "to submerge, to dunk". When the printing press was invented and King James wanted his own version of the bible translated into English, they couldn't very well call him John the Dunker since the church's practice at that time was to sprinkle (that way, they could roll through town on a wagon, spray as many people as possible in order to get as much money as possible). So they transliterated the word to BAPTIZE and applied their own definition of it.

My feeling is that it is an OUTWARD expression of an INWARD belief. It is a result of a conversion, not a requirement for conversion.

Answer 2

Hi Corey,

From what I have gathered in my studies, we treat baptism a lot more lightly now, than we did in antiquity. Now, all you have to do, is join a church, express a desire to make Jesus your Lord, take a short bath, or get sprinkled, and you're done. It was not always so. The ritual of baptism, as many have pointed out, represents a cleansing of one's sins, similar to the laver in the temple. After one left the Alter of Sacrifice, you went to the laver, to wash the blood from your hands. Although it has been largely forgotten, it also used to symbolize death, burial and rebirth. You put your old mortal nature to death on the cross of your heart, buried the flesh in the water, and rose, a spiritually oriented being. In times of old, this ritual was reserved for only the most committed and serious people. Those who were truly sorry for their rebellion against God's will. They had learned, that the ways of the flesh, lead only to death. The path of Life, is only through the Spirit, and baptism represented a commitment to the Life of the Sprirt. A marraige between the mortal, and the Immortal. As Jesus so rightly pointed out, John, baptised with water, but Jesus, will baptise you with the Spirit. I see very few spiritual baptisms taking place these days. Now that most churches are mostly interested in membership numbers, you can get baptized relatively easy, and with no commitment to changing your life and becoming spiritual in nature, or even receiving the Spirit of God into your heart.

Answer 3

When you're born, you are in amniotic fluid and come out, get your lungs cleared of the fluid, and take you're first breath. Baptism is like that. Don't swollow the water though LOL The water has a spiritual meaning. You drain out the old nature you had and resurrect with a new one. Baptism comes from greek and it means to emerse, dip, dive, etc. After baprism, you're supposed to deprive the old attitude you once had and nourish the new one everyday. That attitude is love. A good attitude of value towards life. Baptism is like getting adopted as a son and Jesus not only becomes your best froend, but a big brother too. other christian practices such as the washing of the feet and the Lord's supper are done periodically after baptism. Kosher is also kept by some like Adventists.

Answer 4

The first recorded Baptism is when John the Baptist asked those who wanted to repent to be baptised. It is symbolic of washing away the old. Does a person necessarily need to be baptised? Nope. Romans 10:9 tells of the basic way to be saved. Even the thief on the cross with Jesus was met in Paradise without the baptism.

Answer 5

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Baptism is an outward confession of your repentance for your sins. Today it is also a confession of your faith that you accept Jesus Christ as your savior. The actual submerssion in what water is symbolic of a ressurection. When submersed, your old heart dies and is buried. When you come up out of the water, you arrise as in a ressurection. You are a new creation in the eyes of God. All your sins are forgotten and you become an adopted son of God. Jesus himself was baptised by John. It is more like a Birthday than a New Years Day as it only need happen once. Although some people repeat it as a rededication to thier original repentance.

This practice did not predate Jesus for Gods people. Offerings and sacrifice were the usual act of repentance. You, at that time, had to repent with offerings and prayer often. Jesus came with the message that you could repent and be baptised forgiving you for all sin as long as you accept the Holy Spirit to guide you. It is a spiritual act of worship to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. It is a living sacrifice because He is God of the living.

This act's similarities to any other religious ceremony, with the exception to Catholicism, or beliefs are unknown to me.

Anyways, I hope this helps some. I'm not sure it is the answer you were looking for or not. good luck in your search.

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Answer 6

Baptism originated with Christianity

Answer 7

Baptism is the washing away of your sinful nature, and becoming pure for the new life you have chosen in following Jesus

Answer 8

The Baptism that we know in the western world has jewish roots.

Wikipedia has a nice article on Baptism in general:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptism

Answer 9

It comes from Judaism where it was a clensing ceremony preformed in a mikvah.

In Christianity it carries the same idea. That you have accepted Jesus cleansing your body and soul from sin. And they you have made a commitment to God.

Answer 10

If you join the religion of Donism, I am fully authorized and licensed to baptize you. The way that we do it in Donism, is that I send you some holy water that has been blessed, by me Don, and you sprinkle it upon yourself.

But you can only get the authorized holy water from me, Don. And before you can get that you must pass a pop quiz on the words and wisdom of me, Don.

Okay, any questions?