Ok, let's get specific: What's the purpose of baptizing CHILDREN?

Question

"Baptism is a public profession of your inward faith In God."

Since when can infants and toddlers profess a faith that they haven't the capacity to comprehend?

No, Rae, I was definitely BAPTIZED when I was an infant. There's a BAPTISMAL record and everything.

Answer 1

Where did you get that quote? I've never heard that before. Nor do think it's true.

Jesus commaned us to "baptize all nations" ...why would this command exclude infants?

In Mark 10: 14 our Lord Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." The Greek word for children in this text is paidia, which means babes in arms. What means other than Baptism has God provided whereby little children can be brought to Jesus? Baptism is the only way we know of. If you want to obey the command of the Lord Jesus concerning your little children, have them baptized!

In addition, there are five references in the New Testament to the Baptism of entire households. Peter baptized the household of Cornelius (Acts 11: 14). In Philippi, Paul baptized the household of Lydia and the household of the jailer (Acts 16: 15, 33). He also baptized the household of Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth. In his first epistle to the Corinthians, he speaks of baptizing the household of Stephanas (1: 16). The Greek word for household is oikon and refers to all the inhabitants of the house including slaves, servants, infants and children. Can anyone seriously suggest that within the households of Cornelius, Lydia, the Jailer, Crispus and Stephanas there were no children or infants present?

As a sign of the covenant between God and the Jews, baby boys were circumcised. Why would a baby be marked with the sign of the covenant he could not attest to? In addition, if the members of households converted to Judaism, all the males would have been circumcised. This included infants who were at least eight days old. In Colossians 2: 9-12, the Apostle Paul compares the effect of circumcision with the effect of Baptism.


The opponents of infant Baptism teach that a person must first believe, confess their faith, be saved. and then baptized. From this perspective, Mark 16: 16 should read, "Whoever believes and is saved will be baptized," rather than "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved."

Answer 2

The ideas that baptism is a public profession of inward faith and that only adults may be baptized is held only by some of the Protestant denominations of Christianity. This is not the position of the majority of Christians in the world. The Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and many Protestant denominations (Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and a few others) have a very different view of baptism that makes infant baptism quite sensible. For us baptism is not merely a symbol, it is a real event, a means of grace. The purpose of baptizing children for us is the same as the purpose of baptizing adults: it's to convey God's grace to them, grace that is available to everyone and is not dependent upon people's ability to understand it.

If you follow out the logic of requiring comprehension for baptism, you have to refrain not only from baptizing infants and children but also from baptizing some mentally handicapped people who also don't have the capacity to understand and make an adult profession of faith.

Answer 3

Baptism is commanded in the bible as a public declaration that you have died with Christ and been raised again in him.
It is a voluntary action.
How is a child able to make this decision? Until a child is aware enough to understand the penalty of sin and the salvation of Christ, usually after 7 or 8 yrs old, then baptism is just a meaningless rite.
If you are a believer today, you should be baptized voluntarily.

Answer 4

The purpose of baptizing infants and toddlers is to wash away the original mark of sin that is upon us all due to the fall of Adam and Eve. Baptism is not to wash away any sins that a child may have committed because the child does not have any consciousness of sin. Baptism also gives the first infusion of grace which should enable the child to live a Christ filled life. In many places baptism is the admittance into the full membership of the church. I am a Russian Orthodox Christian and in my church a child baptized that is baptized can immediately receive communion even as an infant. Baptism is the initial step into gaining admittance into the Kingdom of God. Should a person later on in life wish to renew his baptismal vows or reaffirm his commitment to Christ and His church he or she can do so through many and various rites. Whether or not a child understands should not be asked. Why should we block God's Grace to a child that may or may not understand what is going on? Would you block baptism and receiving an initial infusion of God's Grace to a severely mentally handicapped adult just because he or she may not understand what is going on? I would not. Indeed they are in need of God's Grace more than normally functioning adults.

Answer 5

It depends on the teaching/doctrine of particular denominations. The ones that baptize infants generally believe in "original sin." The idea that because of Adam and Eve we are all born into sin. So baptism is seen as an act of grace, a rite that brings the person into God's family, which then when they are at the "age of consent" they are confirmed. For other denominations, like Baptist and Christian Church Disciples of Christ, the emphasis is on "believers' baptism," usually immersion. Which is what your statement describes, a public profession of faith. Since the major ecumenical movements of the 60's and 70's, most Protestant mainline denominations affirm and recognize one another's forms of baptism. So if a Methodist wanted to join a Disciples church, they would not need to be immersed.

Answer 6

I do not know the doctrine on Church's that do infant Baptism. But It has been explained that it is a promise from the parents to God that they will raise their child in the Church. Also Godparents are chosen and make the same promise. When the child reaches a proper age and has a full understanding can make a testament of faith and become a full member of the Church.

Answer 7

The Catholic Church has never claimed to have all the answers. There are many mysteries in Christianity.

One of these mysteries lies in the statement of Jesus Christ, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved." (Mark 16:15-16)

For centuries, people have wondered about children who died before they were baptised. It may be true that unbaptised babies go to heaven but we cannot be sure because the Bible does not reveal this answer to us.

Limbo was suggested as the place where unbaptised babies went when they died. This idea was never official Church doctrine.

The Church has pondered the suggestion of Limbo for a few hundred years and has decided that it does not fall into the entire picture of God's loving plan of salvation as depicted in the Bible.

The Church now says that it is not sure what happens to unbaptised babies when they die but she entrusts them to the mercy of God.

I would think people would appreciate that the Church does not declare umbilical things as doctrine without very serious thought and prayer.

Love your enemies

Source(s):

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church section 1261:

Answer 8

In my faith the baptism of a child signifies a commitment by the parents that the child will be raised according to the principles of God in order that the child, them self, might be better prepared to make their own decision regarding the manner when they are old enough to do so.

Answer 9

It's not rocket science. Christ said that there are at least two requirements for salvation - that you believe and that you are baptized. Early baptism gets one of those requirements out of the way as soon as possible. And the fact that you are baptized encourages belief - it certainly does not discourage it. So why play the waiting game?

Answer 10

As Baptist, we want the children to wait till they are old enough to know the meaning and understand their beliefs, and make their own decision on Baptism.