Do you give your child the choice of Baptism?

Question

If I understand this correctly, a baptism is done when the child is too young to really understand what it means?

Is a child born religious...or Atheist?
Why do the parents get to decide what flavor of religion the child gets to be?

Answer 1

seriously the baby can't understand what he do the best let them grow and when they can understand enough what they do to take the decision by himself.

Answer 2

A baptism can be preformed at any time in ones life. It does not have to be at the time when they are too young to remember this. Many Christian churches today have a dedication service when the child is young. This is to represent that the child will be raised in a Christian type environment and will be taught Christian beliefs. It is when the child is entering approximately the 6th grade and is ready to take confirmation classes at the church that this youth may make a decision to be baptized. There are still churches that do infant baptism and this is a choice by the parents. I have seen many youth that request a reaffirmation of their baptism because they are not able to remember this and that experience is considered to be important to their relationship with Jesus. What is important to remember is that Jesus said, "Let the children come unto me." He invites the children to him, He doesn't say let the children who have been baptized come to me! So if the infant is baptized or not, the child will still have everlasting life if the child's earthly body would decease. That is the main thing!

Answer 3

You choose to baptize your child, because he or she is your child and until they are 18 you decide what he or she does, eats, wears, goes, etc. You are saying that you dedicate that child to God, because as parents that is our responsibility. Parents will have to answer to God on how they raised their children. Children are not born atheist or religious. They learn what their parents teach them. The parents have the right to raise their children how they want. Then when the child is 18 and moves out and gets a job and can survive on their own, then can they choose what they want to do and which religion they want. Of course the child may choose before they're 18 and not want to participate in their parents religion, that's up to the parent to decide what to do. You can't shove God down anyone's throat. It should be taught by example and your children will see how you act and decide for themselves what they will do. Whether follow your religion or choose another. Once you raise your child how you want, and do your best, then they will make their own decisions and you can rest easy that you have done your best. The parents only give a solid foundation and then it's up to the child to choose.

Answer 4

People get their children baptised in the denomination of church that they themselves go to because those doing this believe that baptisiong the child washes the child's original sin (of which all are born with) away. I use to be Catholic denomination, so I speak from first hand self knowledge from that church.

Having become simply a Christian, attending a non-denominational church and actually studing the Bible and God's word for myself, I have learned that this action does no good. It is actually pretty useless. Unless a person accepts Christ for themself from their own heart and mouth and gets baptised as Jesus commanded we do, of which is a public proclamation of accepting Christ's blood that washes away our sin and saves us, the baptism means nothing if someone else makes you do it or if you don't know what it is you are doing (of which a baby would not). So parents can not choose salvation for their children, the child, when it understands, must do this. Children who have not done this and have not meet the age of accountability (which would vary I imagine, based on the person's ability to understand, however many believe the age to be approx. 12) would go straight to be with Jesus in the event of death.

No one is born religious or Athiest. I actually believe children have the ability to sense the presence of God with them more so than adults. We are born children of God and are given free will to choose what we will do, follow God or follow the world. Religion, by the way, is not all that it is cut up to be. What is needed more than religion, a bunch of hand picked by man rules and rituals, is faith and belief in God the Heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit that guides us.

Answer 5

If you get right down to it, a child is agnostic. An atheist outright believes there is not a God. An agnostic is neutral. My daughter chose to be baptised at age 11. We didn't baptise her at birth because my ex husband is a member of the Church of the First Born. When we divorced, I just decided to let her make her own decision.

Answer 6

I guess you have to give your child some perspective of what to believe in, or at least some path which to follow in life.
I don't think there is anything wrong in baptizing your child too young to understand what are you doing to it because faith is something that is in your mind and hart and no religious act can place it there against your own (or child's) free will.

Answer 7

You are free to chose any religion when you are old enough to make decisions for yourself. if you don't have faith in the religion your parents baptised you in then no harm, no foul.

"Why do the parents get to decide what flavor of religion the child gets to be?" i'm sure you must be cringing of the stupidity of your own question. Let's bring our questioning up a notch, shall we?

Answer 8

purely some weeks in the past, my nephew became into baptized. in the previous that I asked him why we get baptized. He reported so we are able to repent and because Jesus did, and to grow to be a member of the church. He knew "why" and he common that. The Lord set the age of accountability at 8. He set the age to get baptized at 8. IF we are coaching our babies properly, there is no explanation why they should no longer get baptized at that age. If my newborn became into to be disenchanted approximately it or say he did no longer opt to, i might nevertheless inspire them to because of the fact i be attentive to it is maximum suitable... and that i'm the be certain. in the event that they turn 18 and don't opt to settle for it, it is their selection. yet, whilst they are little, do no longer you think of we mom and dad be attentive to what's terrific for our babies?? My 8 twelve months old ought to drink pop all day long and consume candy each meal. do no longer you think of I could help them make the main suitable selection? Or no longer holiday their bike in the line? Or no longer swim in the deep end?? The Lord set the age, and that i've got faith the Lord knows what he's conversing approximately. ***EDIT - I bear in techniques getting baptized because of the fact i had to. no longer because of the fact my mom and dad reported I had to or because of the fact of the different reason. I bear in techniques desirous to be a member of the church formally and that i knew then i became into doing what the Lord needed. i'm hoping my babies have comparable reviews. great answer Tonya.

Answer 9

Well, I'm an atheist... My kids have been dedicated in a Baptist church (because it matters to my in-laws), and they've been baptized in an Episcopalian church (because it matters to my parents). They're free to go to church with grandparents, friends, aunts & uncles if they want. If they ask me questions, I'll tell them what I think. I'm hoping they'll grow up to think for themselves, and not base their lives on an old book, but just incase they decide that's what's for them, they should be all set.

Answer 10

this is what I did asked my kids, what it means to them (what is baptism) and why they want to get baptisted if they said because they get to drink and eat the bread I would not let them that is what one of my daughters did, lol i said not that is not an good reason and then you explain why! also At what age does a person become accountable for his sins? maybe i will ask this question my self...lol