Do you believe that baptism is a good thing because you are free from the sin you were born with and you should be baptised because of the pain your mother felt when she was giving birth to you. Or do you believe that people should not be baptised because they couldn't have possible committed a crime so big and it isn't there choice if they wanted to become baptised and little kids are taught that they are born with sin and its just wrong. What do you think about it because my friends brought this up during a lunch thing today and i am very interested to see what you have to say about it!?!?!
2007-03-08 06:57:25 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No one has mentioned baptism as a replacement for Old Testament circumcision, so I'll throw that in as a suggestion. There are too many parallels to just dismiss it as being no longer valid and to leave baptism as a simple symbol that really doesn't do anything.
2007-03-09 07:26:00 · answer #1 · answered by ccrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible says that we are all born with the sin nature of Adam. We have to get rid of that sin nature and replace it with the righteous nature of Jesus Christ. This how the Bible says about baptism. In St. John 3:3, Jesus says that we must be born again of the water and of the spirit. I will explain in a moment. We are born with a dead spirit and a sinful nature ever since Adam sinned. St. Peter tells us how this is done in Acts 2:38. We are to repent of our sins. That means that we ask for forgiveness. We do this when we understand that our sin is bad and that we want to get rid of it. Then we are baptized by immersion to wash our sins away. When we come up out of that water, we are new creatures in Christ!! We will be clean vessels in which God will put His Spirit into giving it new life. We know when we have it when our Spirit speaks in a language that our minds won't understand. The Bible calls this tongues. Acts 2:4, 10:45-46, 19:6 and St. Mark 16:16-17. One of the things that the Holy Ghost will do is to help us overcome our sinful behavior. Then we will be more like Christ!! Baptism is essential to Salvation!! Some people have other ideas and they are wrong. This is the Plan that our Savior God designed. If we vary it in any way, our souls will be lost for eternity!!
2007-03-08 15:20:51 · answer #2 · answered by michael m 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think you have hit two extremes here and you do not consider what's in the middle.
First of all, when Jesus presented himself to John the Baptist for baptism, John tried to refuse him knowing who Jesus was and that Jesus had no need of baptism. Jesus' response was that he had to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness. If Jesus, being perfect needed baptism, how much more do we?
Now, this original sin thing is just nonsense. I would love for someone to point out the Biblical support for such a notion. You can, it doesn't exist. In fact, Jesus taught just the opposite, that unless we become like little children, we cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. The implication here is enormous. Little children automatically inherit the Kingdom of God. It is only as we grow older and have an understanding of right and wrong that we are capable of sin.
So, as we reach an age where we are capable of sin is the time that we ought to be baptized because every sin, no matter how small, is big enough to keep us out of the Kingdom of God. For all have sinned and fall short. We need baptism as that brings us closer to Jesus Christ and it is through Jesus Christ that we obtain a hope of life eternal.
Then, to remember our covenant at baptism, we partake of the sacrament and it is as if we were baptized again each time we do that.
I hope this helps.
2007-03-08 15:40:52 · answer #3 · answered by rbarc 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Baptism is symbolic of your faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that's why you go down in the water and come back up. It doesn't actually save you from sin, it's just like a public proclamation of your faith. I don't think that babies or children should be baptised because they are too young to understand it.
2007-03-08 15:03:56 · answer #4 · answered by beattyb 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I think baptism is kind of touching. Back when everyone lived in small villages, baptism was more of an introduction of your child to the local community. You had someone (the godparent) publicly offering to help guide your child through life, especially if something were to happen to you. My guess is that this is the practical reason behind baptism of babies.
2007-03-08 15:19:03 · answer #5 · answered by Let Me Think 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Where on earth did the "pain my mother went through come from"?
Forget your comments...they are way out there.
I feel that believer baptism is the best, but I have no problem with the choice of infant baptism either. Baptism is the "symbolic" action of having our sins washed away.
PROUD
2007-03-08 15:02:45 · answer #6 · answered by Cheyenne 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 1For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." Romans 6:3-12
Baptism is a symbol of the death & resurrection of Jesus - a full submersion baptism, not a sprinkling of water. As you go under the water it is dying to sin (selfishness) and as you are brought up it is a resurrection into a new heart/life with Jesus (selflessness). It is a sign that you are choosing to follow Christ and leaving your sinful life behind.
That's why infant baptism is not in the Bible, they can't choose. I think it was in the Dark Ages that infant Baptism started? Somewhere around the time when the thought of purgatory came into being. People were afraid their child would be lost for eternity if it died before being baptised so they did it to them. God isn't that cruel.
The example in the Bible to follow is infant dedication - like done to baby Jesus. The parents are publicly announcing their intent to raise the child in a Godly manner.
2007-03-08 15:25:15 · answer #7 · answered by V 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Baptism is a required component of salvation, but it is NOT to be IMPOSED on anyone for any reason! We are to wholeheartedly love God as much as he loves us, so to do something "just because" takes away from it's purity.
2007-03-08 15:15:52 · answer #8 · answered by bigvol662004 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Water is a sign of cleansing.
Baptism is simply a demonstration showing that you have washed away your old habits and have accepted Jesus.
2007-03-08 15:02:41 · answer #9 · answered by gnostic 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Jhn 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
2007-03-08 15:08:18 · answer #10 · answered by bumpy 4 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋