what is baptism and what is it for, and why do people do it?

Answer 1

It is a ritual, like a marriage ceremony. It is a public declaration of one being identified with and united to Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection.
When one puts their faith in Jesus Christ, who declared He was sent from heaven by God the Father to die for the sins of the world, they are saying that they believe when Jesus died, their old sinful "self" died with Him by faith in work of God. They also declare by faith they have received a new kind of life, resurrection life, by which they will now live out their life in loving service to the One who died for them.
The reality is an inner experience, received by faith. Baptism is a seal of the work of God having been done in the heart.

Answer 2

If it's nothing more than a symbol, then there is no reason to participate in this ceremony other than somehow being a commandment of Christ that has to be followed, even though it has nothing to do with accepting Christ. The two are largely unrelated except for it being a symbol and perhaps a statement of faith that would have to involve an audience. And now you're into works-based religion, which doesn't really match with the faith-based belief that is normally claimed.

If it washes away original sin, then for those under the age of reason who do not receive it, the child would have to be left in their sins and therefore condemned -- although the Catholic Church contradicts itself by now saying that the kids are innocent.

If it's a covenant between God and man where man retains original sin before and after the baptism, then for both adults and children it must replace circumcision and have parallels (which it does) that would mean exactly the same thing, with the only difference being the administration of the rite.

So, I'll go with covenant beliefs so closely intertwined with salvation that they are mentioned together in the New Testament, the same way that circumcision was intertwined with believe in the Old Testament. This puts the thief on the cross as a "new Jew" with an address in the kingdom, but without the mark of being God's property, an exception to the rule, but since God owns the rite anyway, he can accept or not accept anyone's baptism just as he could accept or not accept anyone's circumcision as in the case of Jacob and Esau.

Answer 3

Baptism is a ritual of purifaction for a person usually symbolizing the birth of a new life of purity for a person. Christians do it because it is a symbol of rebirth through Christ, the starting of a new life with Christ. It also is supposed to wash away all sins mortal, venial and original sin during your first and only baptism in the Christian faith. It originated as a Pagan custom for people to be purified and enter the ritual area cleanly, if a person was unclean when they entered the ritual area it was seen as an offense to the deities. Now it is largely used by Christians to show that someone has begun their path on the road to Christ and that they have accepted Christ as their one true Lord and Savior.

Answer 4

Baptism is a sacrament, it is a means for salvation.

1 Peter 3
18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Answer 5

Baptism is to 'wash away your sins' ... it's done in some religion when people are 'babies' and others when they are 'adults' ... and in some religions it's done for 'all ages' ... but people 'can and do sin' after they are baptised ... and it is usually 'required' to become a 'full member' of most churches ...
Both my husband and I are now Catholics. I was baptized in a Methodist church at age 16, so I was 'confirmed' into the church. My husband had been 'non-denominational' and had never been baptized, so he got both baptized and confirmed ... and there were 'other ritual' he had to do that I didn't ... I was sort of 'jealous' of him, but I was also 'glad' that I didn't have to 'do all that stuff' ...
Is 'baptism' NECESSARY if you want to go to Heaven ... I doubt it ... it's basically a 'religious ritual' to help us to become 'better at being good' as humans ... so it may be 'important' but it's not 'required' by God.

Answer 6

Baptism is for after you have been saved, and accepted Christ as your savior. It is to show those around you, and to show the Lord that your faith is real, to show those that you Love the Lord, and will not deny him. Baptism is a cleansing of your sins before God.

Answer 7

Personally I think baptism is a symbolic act of cleansing by the Holy Spirit - Christ died for our sins and promises to forgive those who repent and believe in him. Baptism is also a public demonstration of your faith in Christ. Christ Jesus was baptized and so should we.

Answer 8

Baptism is a religious act of purification by water usually associated with admission to membership or fullness of membership of Christianity.

By analogy, the word is used of any ceremony, trial, or experience by which one is initiated, purified, or given a name. It is thus used also of the Amrit (holy water) ceremony of Sikhism.

Because of the word's association with Christianity, the Jewish purification rite of Mikvah is not normally spoken of as baptism.

Answer 9

Baptism is a ceremony where a person is sumbmerged in water that symbolizes a spiritual regeneration that is supposed to have occurred in a person who has trusted in Christ Jesus for their salvation and received God's Holy Spirit.

Romans 6:3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

1 Corinthians 12:13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

It is done because it was commanded by Lord Jesus.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Answer 10

GREAT QUESTION

The original content of baptism is probably missing