Why does the catholic institution baptize and confirm their young before they've a mature enough mind to make

Question

a rational decision on their own?

Answer 1

Why does religion focus on the young?

Because statistically, kids stay with that indoctrination when they grow up, and rarely imagine that the beliefs they are told to center their lives around (or face hell) are mythical in origin.

Fortunately, I was an exception. Catholic from birth, and now an atheist.

Answer 2

Baptism and confirmation are not about making a rational decision to become a Catholic.

Following are the graces received in Baptism:

Forgiveness of original sin, the human condition that separates us from God
Forgiveness of any personal sin
Reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit
Initiation into the Catholic Church and the Body of Christ
Dying and rising with Christ.

Confirmation increases the gaces received in Baptism and completes the work of Baptism.

Receiving Baptism and Confirmation does not inhibit a person's free will to reject faith later in life. It is not like a person says "Oh, I was baptized as a baby. I guess I HAVE to be a practicing Catholic all of my life, now."

Answer 3

in the event that they suspect that baptism is important then it variety of feels a smart adequate prepare to me (in line with those ideals). What approximately Jesus Camps and revivals the place 6 and seven 300 and sixty 5 days olds get 'stored' and baptized? As somebody that raised 2 sons, i don't see a distinction in a newborn and a 6 300 and sixty 5 days previous... and yet charismatic denominations of Christianity settle for that those youthful childrens have been moved via the Holy Spirit and have been 'stored'. lol i don't think of so. i don't think of a 7 300 and sixty 5 days previous "making a decision" is any further efficient than a newborn being baptized. this is only own thought - what distinction does it make? I actually do not understand why human beings get their panties in one in all those twist whilst somebody else has distinctive non secular ideals.

Answer 4

I'm Catholic because I was baptized into the religion. There in lies my problem...nobody asked me anything..not would you like to join our church or would you like to make up your own mind. This from an entity that probably had some role in the creation of these etiquette and manners books that have been written, but apparently rarely read. That would explain a few things about this country. To make it better somehow, I was confirmed at age 16, but it still didn't mean I had made up my mind about anything religious. I began to feel like the sheep. Being herded here and there. Accepting and never, never questioning. And why does the church do this..I'm guessing it's because they had such a hard time in the beginning, saving souls like mad and kidnapping Native American children and raising them without even asking the parents! It's easy to assume the church leaders felt that the parents were incapable of raising their own children properly and just weren't keeping up; living in corral pens and such, the parents just couldn't offer their own children the good things in life, so it was best to take the children away, board them, feed them, clothe them and in some cases molest them.It's this kind of bully tactic that really has my nerves firing off. It's cruel, but worse, we are not allowed to complain or even comment. The church wants numbers and back then, apparently they had no scruples about how they got them. Numbers means the best, the chosen, the most popular. It's about vanity probably. The one thing I can say about the Catholic church with a smidgen of pride or vanity, they are the oldest religion but then again, are we ignoring the Jewish religion in order to say the Catholics are the most mature? Just realized that. what's going on with that?

Answer 5

Because baptism is not limited to adults. Nowhere in the bible does it say that infants shall not be baptized. On the contrary: Peter explained what happens at baptism when he said, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). But he did not restrict this teaching to adults. He added, "For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him" (2:39).

Paul notes that baptism has replaced circumcision (Col. 2:11–12). In that passage, he refers to baptism as "the circumcision of Christ" and "the circumcision made without hands." Of course, usually only infants were circumcised under the Old Law; circumcision of adults was rare, since there were few converts to Judaism. If Paul meant to exclude infants, he would not have chosen circumcision as a parallel for baptism.

Even in the books of the New Testament that were written later in the first century, during the time when children were raised in the first Christian homes, we never—not even once—find an example of a child raised in a Christian home who is baptized only upon making a "decision for Christ."



The sacrament of confirmation occurs when the person is about 14 - that is when the person chooses on their own. Many many Protestant churchs call age 12 the age of reason. ...

The sacrament of confirmation is found in Bible passages such as Acts 8:14–17, 9:17, 19:6, and Hebrews 6:2, which speak of a laying on of hands for the purpose of bestowing the Holy Spirit.

Answer 6

Baptism imprints an indelible mark on the soul of the baptized which marks him as God's, initiates him into the life of the Church, and allows him to receive the other Sacraments. It is through Baptism that we are born again -- regenerated -- of water and Spirit and receive new life.

The primary focus of the new rite ( infant or children under 7 years of age) is initiation into the Church community rather than the remission of sins.

"Holy Communion" is the reception of the Blessed Sacrament (the Eucharist) that has been confected by a priest during the Holy Mass.

First Communion is offered at the discretion of one's priest. It may be given to a lone child after the priest has discerned that the child understands the Sacrament and is able to form proper intent, or it may be given to a group of children who've been properly prepared together, such as a first grade class.
While a child's First Communion should be memorable and very beautiful, it should, above all, be holy and with all priorities in place. On the more fundamental and profound level, First Communion is an initiation into one of the Great Mysteries. Parents should prepare the child by firmly grounding him in basic catechesis. While it's the priest's decision as to whether or not your child is adequately prepared, it is your job as a parent or godparent to do the preparing; it is the parents and godparents who are ultimately responsible for the Catholic education of the child. The child should understand what transubstantiation is. He should know that God, Who created all things -- the Sun and Moon and Stars -- is able to speak things into reality, and that at the Mass, this is what God, through His priest does. The child should understand that though the accidents of bread and wine remain, what the bread and wine truly become is Sacrament.

Confirmation seals us to the Holy Ghost, hence its name, "Sacrament of the Seal." Because this seal is indelible and leaves a permanent mark on the recipient's soul.

Answer 7

It is not just the Catholic Church that practices infant baptism; it is also the Orthodox, and mainstream Protestant communions (together, these three groups make up the bulk of Christianity). I was baptized as an infant in the Lutheran community, and confirmed as an adult in the Catholic Church.

Answer 8

The Roman Catholic Church believes, the original sin in Eden is passed down to all humans--which is true of most Protestant sects. They also believe you can not enter heaven without being shriven of that original sin. The Baptism ritual allows a Baby, even a non-viable fetus to to go to heaven if it is living at the moment of Baptism.

The children of The Catholic Church take several chosen steps while growing up and living, to become full members.

If you want the Truth.....Ask a Pagan.

Answer 9

How is age 13 not mature enough? Jews consider that the age of manhood. As to baptism, that is more a statement of faith and intent by the parents. And it's the REASON Confirmation is given when the child IS old enough.

Answer 10

Children dying unbaptized are indeed deprived of the Beatific Vision of God in heaven, but they do not incur the punishment of hell, which is due only to actual sin. Their deprivation of heaven is not unjust on God's part, for the glory of heaven is a free, supernatural gift, in no way due to human nature. "


Baptism makes us members of Christ's Church, with all a Christian's rights and duties. "As many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ." "We are all baptizeH into one Body" (Gal. iii. 27; 1 Cor. xii. 13, 27).




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