would you baptise your kids just to get them into a good school?

Question

im a northern irish protestant living in catholic malta and happily married to a maltese catholic, we both agreed to leave or kids to chose their own religion when theyre older but the top secondary schools need the baptism cirtificate for enterence even if theyre the top mark students. am i wrong to ask the priest to do the baptism without doing the first holy comunion etc also ?? :-(

Answer 1

Oh my gosh, you're KIDDING! A school requires baptism?! Wow. Chose a different school!!!

Top schools don't always make children better students.

If you're going in terms of better grades, then a "top school" MIGHT help them there. (It usually does NOT, though).

If you're going in terms of becoming better people altogether, then the school will not make the difference. Just because wealthier people go to "top schools" does not mean they are moral and just people.

What would you rather: a good person who was raised well and free to chose their own religious path (and become a more confident person in the end), or a student who has been forced to believe something or go through something he may not believe, but MAY have slightly better grades?

If it makes you feel wrong or uncomfortable, don't baptise them, or don't use that school.

I will not baptise my children if I have any. They are free from birth to go on their own religious path.

Answer 2

It is awful, isn't it?
I was married to a Catholic in 1975, and our 4 children were baptised and reared as Catholics. My marriage broke up in the late 80s, and I went into a new relationship with a Bhuddist man. the son we had went unbaptised; we decided, like you, to let him choose his own religion.

However, fate took a hand! The relationship fell apart when my son was 8 months old, and I raised him alone. When it came to the year he would start school, he was accepted at our local school;a very good school; but because the country's ethos is Catholic, it was presumed he had been baptised, and I was asked to produced his certificate of Baptism!

So a Baptism ceremony was quickly arranged; and at the ripe old age of four and a half, my son was baptised! So, yes, I did have him baptised so he would be accepted into the school. He went through all the ceremonies associated with Catholicism, First Communion, Confirmation, etc. I have no regrets about this - it was enough that he looked different - his father was Chinese - without him having to cope with questions about his religion or lack of it in a Catholic school!

He is nearly 16 now, and this is a totally changed country from that time(It's Ireland). To my delight, we live in a multi-cultural, multi denominational town - faces from the four corners of the world now mingle in the same classroom, and the Baptism certificate thing has lost it's huge significance.

Look, you do what you have to do to get the best for your children; as I said, I know I did the right thing by my son.

Best wishes.

Answer 3

Most people do.
A test of morality is to ask "If everybody acted in this way, would the world be a better place."
Children catch values from their parents. It seems to me the values you are following is that religion is optional. Your child may ask you what was my baptism about. You can tell them it was just a lie to get you into school. I am sorry if that's hurtful but the questions in the baptism of an infant is to the parents, really to the catholic parent, that they will do all in their power to bring the child up in the practice of the faith. You clearly do not intend to practice the faith - QED.

As I said most people baptise their children with out a firm intention to practice the faith so if doing what most people do is you moral gauge, then go ahead. I have no idea what baptism means to most people. My fear it that there will be no church for the child to choose to go to when/if they decide to follow a religion.

Answer 4

Difficult choice. I suppose if you veiw baptism as being nothing but a splash of water so your kids get into a good school, you could live with it.

Difficult moral desicion to make, I think I wouldn't get them baptised and send them to another school. For two reasons, firstly I think indoctrination without choice is wrong, and because I didn't go to any particularly good schools and yet I still managed to get excellent grades and a place in a good university.

Answer 5

If I knew for a fact that baptism would be as far as it would go, I would probably agree to it. In my opinion, religious practices only have as much meaning as you put in it. However, I would be more worried about the attitudes that would be taught in a school that requires baptism for entrance. In the end, I would opt to look for another school, more because I would want my children to learn tolerance and be exposed to diversity than because of the baptism itself.

Answer 6

I had a splash of water on my forehead as a child, called baptism, had God parents I never really saw much, it was unimportant. Then at 40yrs I had a real baptism, full imersion, after finding real relationship with Jesus, the first really meant nothing, just a ritual I suppose, so the answer is yes.

Answer 7

The ONLY reason to baptize anyone is so that person has publicly acknowledge there relationship with Jesus Christ, in The Holy Bible in Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. A child can not reason together if they know nothing about what they are doing, so NO i do not agree with being baptized in order to enter anything except like i said a saving relationship between that person and Christ, learn more free bible lessons www.amazingfacts.org talk to me also [e-mail] God bless

Answer 8

Christian baptism, according to the Bible, is an outward testimony of what has occurred inwardly in a believer’s life. Christian baptism illustrates a believer’s identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. The Bible declares, “Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:3-4 NIV). In Christian baptism, the action of being immersed in the water pictures being buried with Christ. The action of coming out of the water pictures Christ’s resurrection.



In Christian baptism, there should be two requirements before a person is baptized: (1) the person being baptized must have trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior, and (2) the person must understand what baptism signifies. If a person knows the Lord Jesus as Savior, understands that Christian baptism is a step of obedience in publicly proclaiming his faith in Christ, and desires to be baptized – then there is no reason to prevent the believer from being baptized. According to the Bible, Christian baptism is simply a step of obedience, a public proclamation of one’s faith in Christ alone for salvation. Christian baptism is important because it is a step of obedience – publicly declaring faith in Christ and commitment to Him, and identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

Recommended Resource: Baptism: The Believer's First Obedience by Larry Dyer.

Answer 9

some people above are just anti-religion.

don't you think that if you baptise your children now they can STILL choose their own religion when they are older?

Else, find a non-catholic school. You can't force your opinions on them and ask them to change their ways, you have to respect their way of life.

Do you think the muslims would change 1 small thing for you?

Answer 10

The baptism being made by the priest to the young kids are not true baptism because the child has not yet committed a sin and they are still righteous according to the bible. The purpose of baptism is to take way of the sins committed by an adult person inorder to enter the kingdom of heaven but not for a child or kid.
For your informtion here is your correct guide on baptism according to the bible.

Mat 3:6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Mat 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
Mat 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
jtm