Any atheist on line today that have been baptized into a Church or denomination and left the faith?

Question

This question is for Christians also. I am trying to wrap my mind around this idea that Baptism without any repentance or change of person saves. Some Christian denominations (Catholics, Episcopal and Lutheran I think for example) believe in Baptising infants and once the infant is baptised they are good to go. Well what if that "Baptized infant" later grows up and decides that they don't believe in God or Christianity. Does that Baptism save a person? It is a circular logic conversation. There are some that say the Baptism saves no matter what. There are some that say the Baptism only saves if the person latter on in life believes in Christ. Athiest and non-believers have you been in this situation and what are your thoughts on this.

Answer 1

I've been baptised in four different Christian denominations, starting at eight years of age. Am I covered? ;0)

Answer 2

Well I can only speakk from my personal experiences here:

I was baptized as a child into the United Church (Protestant) and through out my youth I practiced as any other christian child. I went to church, volunteered, went to youth groups etc. I even got to a point where I taught sunday school on sundays and was an active part of the ministry at the small church I attended.

At a certain age, I beleive I was 15, we as youth of the church are expected to be confirmed. Basically this ritual is a 'confirmation' of our wishes to join the church, and fulfill the promise our parents made to god when we were baptized. It consisted of a fair amount of individual study and introspection both alone and with a mentor. I completed this and was confirmed into the church in a ceremony with several others.

After that, I began to doubt the faith and in time, as more answers became aparent to me, I began to seek out other methods of expressing my beliefs. In the end I have settled on my personal sentiments that there is no God, no divine, no omnipresence. I am an atheist, and I have found comfort in that.

As for becoming saved. That it is all relative. In my opinion as an athiest (since you asked for our opinion) being saved is nothing more than finding solace and peace within yourself, a sense that maybe all the amoral things you have done in life really weren't that bad and that you forgive yourself for them. Because really if you are in theory asking God for forgiveness, and if God (in theory again) is in each of us, then techincally you would be just asking forgiveness from yourself in a way. Thats an irrelevant arguement though right now. I think what I am getting at is that becoming saved by a relegious stand point is purely within the mind of the beleiver. If you believe you are being saved by taking a dip in a basin of water then so be it, you are now saved. If you think you are saved by sacrificing a goat to your God, then so be it, you are saved.

If you baptized me, I would not be saved. Why? Because I don't beleive that would save me from a God that I don't believe in.

Baptizing a beleiver would in turn be an act of saving because they see it as just that.


Hope that helps.

Answer 3

I was baptized as a baby. Even though I'm an atheist I can the see the logic of those who say you need to get baptized, or rebaptized, as an adult in order for it to "count". Baptism as an infant would be a demonstration of the parents commitment to God. If an adult gets baptized, they are the ones making the commitment.

Answer 4

I was baptized and later confirmed in a Lutheran church.

I don't regret having had the experience, though of course it was time that could have been better spent elsewhere (for example, out in nature). It does mean that I'm not clueless with respect to Christianity, and that's worth something, obviously.

Needless to say, I don't think that having been baptized "saves" me from anything in the religious sense.

Answer 5

Yup! I was baptized as a baby, took communion at 7, confirmed at 15 and married (in the church) at 23. I was fed the religion bull and followed it until I reached the age of reason. Then I started thinking for myself.
To me, anything I have done in the past with religion doesn't matter, there is no saving.

Answer 6

I was christened as an infant at a Congregational Church. I attended the same church for ten years until my mid teens.

Plus, one part of my family has a lineage of 10 consecutive Lutheran ministers.

I may not be "saved", but I got a few ins.

Answer 7

I was baptized into the church at age 13 and again at 24 to a different church. I am an Atheist now

Answer 8

I was baptised twice, once into the Catholic church as an infant and once into the Protestant church after my mother died and my father remarried.
Twice I was 'brainwashed'. Once I decided my own future.

I am now atheist/agnostic and don't believe in myths.
I most certainly do not want to be 'saved' ... give me a break.

Answer 9

Before the age of thirteen children in old times were not thought of as having a self, so they could not make a choice, baptisim before that time is just a symbol of the protection of God on the child's life, after the age of thirteen the choices that an individual makes are his/her own.

I was an agnostic knowing that there was a God but believing that man could not have a personal relationship with him, My life changed I saw miracles that I could clearly link to the Father in Heaven, knowing that I was a sinner and one of the worst at that time in my life, I changed, then became baptized and the Lord is working on me everyday, It took time for me to make the decision to change it wasn't an overnight transformation.

Answer 10

I was baptised catholic as a baby, and undertook First Communion as a child, but I never really believed and am now an atheist.
I am of the opinion that nobody should be baptised or indoctrinated into any religion unless they are old enough to speak for themselves.