Christian brothers and sisters..!!??

Question

Why is it that some churches only do baptisms while others only do christenings?? And if you get baptised at a church...do you have to stay at that church or can you go to another church?? Just to let you know, I haven't been baptised yet...what does it feel like to be baptised??

you know...like if you're baptised at a Baptist church...can you carry on going to, say, a Presbyterian church and not go to the other one!

Answer 1

Some churches follow different doctrines. In the Bible people were baptized by being immersed into a river. They were adults who made their own personal decision. It was a way to show others that they followed the Lord . The Bible calls Christians to be Baptized. You do not have to stay at any church just because you were Baptized there. Sometimes people who were Baptized as children ask to be Baptized as adults because they feel that when they were babies they were not able to make a personal decision. When parents Baptize their children it is often because some churches believe that if their babies are not baptized shortly after birth their child may not make it into heaven. I feel that the Lord is just and will take care of the children regardless seeing as they are not mature enough to grasp the concepts. I personally was Baptized in my teens and many people have told me about who fresh and alive they feel after being Baptized.

Answer 2

There is much misinformation and much confusion concerning baptism.

And since baptism is critically important to your personal salvation, you'll want to make every effort to do it right, the first time.

The most significant guidance we have on baptism comes directly from Jesus Christ, in the Gospels.

He tells us:

1) That all who want to be saved must be baptized by water and the Holy Spirit. (John 3:5)

2) That baptism is absolutely necessary. Jesus even seeks out baptism for himself. (Luke 3:21)

3) That we should be baptized with water, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

Another aspect of baptism is the "washing away" (forgiveness) of both inherited (original) sin and all pre-existing personal sins. (Acts 22:16)

Many fail to acknowledge this, but it is fundamental to the entire process, as well as to Christ's mission of redemption.

I don't know which Christian group you've chosen, but it's highly unlikely that anyone can be validly baptized unless all of the above conditions are met.

Accepting anything less may result in an unpleasant surprise for you on judgment day.

Find out in advance what they do, and don't go ahead with it if everything is not strictly on the up and up.

Also, conventional baptism is a universal Christian rite. Once properly done, there's never a need to be baptized again, ever, even if you're switching affiliations.

Finally, since it sounds like you're committed to becoming a true Christian, why not go all the way and become Catholic?

The Catholic church is the original church that Christ personally founded, and it still maintains 100% of the truth that God has revealed for our salvation.

The Catholic Mass is also the only place on earth where you get to experience an intimate and personal encounter with the risen Christ; body, blood, soul, and divinity.

Why wait for that blessed event until you're already dead?

Oh yeah, baptism feels ... cold, wet, and it's often spine-tingling!

Congratulations on your wonderful choice!

Answer 3

If you get baptised it doesn't mean that you have to stay at that church you can become a member to another church because you can go to a church that will make you feel comfortable because if that is not the church you want to be in then that is not the church that God has for you.... And to get baptised it is nothing different it is just the fact that you know that you got baptised just like Jesus did... Amen GOD BLESS YOU!!!!

Answer 4

Baptisms and christenings are, in general, the same; some groups use this term to differentiate it from, say, Catholic baptism. A few groups use the term christening in the same way Catholicism has the sacrament of confirmation, so it might be wise to ask the church group in question how they perform baptisms...

As a general principle, when you are baptized, you are baptized into the body of Christ. As a part of the body, you are not bound to any specific church. Thus, one baptism should be sufficient. Sadly, many church groups make baptism as a form of membership (When they say "I baptize you into [this group / denomination]," that's a dead giveaway), and that should not be the case for there is only one body of Christ.

Baptism is not just a declaration of faith or a symbol of testimony, but it is (both in symbolism and in actual practice) your partaking of Christ in His death and resurrection...

"... and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also -- not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ..." - 1 Peter 3: 21

Thus the water symbolizes the death and burial of the old man, which is your sinful man bound to its sinful nature, and as Christ was resurrected into a glorious body, in the same way you are born again into Christ. From here, there is an apparent closeness to Christ, in the sense that things you once loved of this world will no longer be your focus in life, and the desires you have will not be focused in this life, but in the eternal life to come. This can only be explained by Christ living in you, made manifest and more real through baptism into Christ.

It is good to hear that you are already interested in spiritual things, and I pray to God that you may be brought closer to Him...

Answer 5

I wouldn't get baptised there if you already know you're not gonna go there, but just because you get baptised at a certain denomination dosn't mean you have to stay there for the rest of your life. Ask God to show you where He wants you to go.

Answer 6

Different churches and different denominations have different sacred traditions when it comes to baptisms. Infants can be baptized, christened, or dedicated. Baptism for older children and adults can consist of sprinkling of water or immersion in water. Often people can get into quite heated arguments as to which is better. I personally believe that God does not care if you have been baptized or not or if you were sprinkled as an infant or immersed as an adult. God cares about the condition of your heart. I have always attended the same church. I was baptized there as an infant by sprinkling as were our 4 children. My husband was baptized there as an adult, also by sprinkling. I do not feel any less loved by God or any less of a Christian than the people all dressed in white who I watched as a child get baptized by full immersion off the dock next to ours on the lake I grew up on. Baptism is a symbol of commitment to God either on the part of the parents who have their babies baptized or on the part of the individual who chooses baptism for themselves. Your commitment (or the commitment made for you) is to God and not to the church or the denomination where the baptism occurs. In the United States, you are free to go to any church of your choice. Some countries do not have that freedom, however. My friend was baptized as a teenager by full immersion. I attended the ceremony. She said it was similar to swimming and being dunked backwards only you are wearing a white robe over your swim suit. She just held her nose and the pastor gently lowered her backwards under the water. My brother, who was baptized by sprinkling as an infant, also chose to be baptized by full immersion (in a swimming pool on a mountain retreat in Colorado) as a re-commitment to his covenant with God that was made for him as a baby. A very moving and memorable experience for him. People who have been baptized are not automatically Christians or automatically members of a church or denomination.

Answer 7

Baptism is NOT a condition of salvation. God cares, as this is a public testimony of faith, but I have a feeling that we'll see many un-baptized folks in heaven when we get there...just a thought.

Answer 8

Any Christian baptism is exceptable at any christian church. How does it feel...WET... :) Jim

Answer 9

My little brother was drowned by the priest at his baptism.

Answer 10

I was Baptized a Protestant, and when I became Catholic, did not have to be re-baptized

Peace!