do think it is wrong to baptize a baby?

Question

well my mom decided to baptize my little brother and her boyfriend was against it as I was. Do you people think that the child should wait to make his own decison on his relgion beliefs? i went to a catholic school until middle school and most of my beliefs have changed. and why do christians/catholics (or any other religion) baptize infants?

Answer 1

No one should be baptized until they are an age to make the choice for themselves.

Answer 2

For some it is the belief that if you are not baptize you go to hell, and being that babies had a bigger death rate in the past, so decided to baptize infants under the extreme fear for their souls.

But its more of a tradition than actually based on the bible. And that is why many also opose it, one should be allowed to choose.

Once a priest said that they do so because the infant is still "uncorrupted" and so when you get to have a decision you are too influenciated by other things that is very hard to take into the religion truthfully. So his answer was that it was better young, because when older its not the same effect spiritually, or just harder.

And on the other hand, he did say that baptize was to remove the original sin and save the infants soul. And that to actually be included into the comunity then comes the other ceremony of Confirmation, where the teenager or adult confirms his belifs and such in the church and god.

INHO Baptizing so young is more of a supersticion. Or a social gathering excuse to introduce a new child to a community.

(Im not Catholic or Christian, just from a Catholic family)

Answer 3

It depends on the church. The mainline churches (Roman Catholic, United Methodist, Anglican, Episcopal, etc.) have always baptized infants. There are several reasons for it:

1. There are some scriptures that MAY indicate that Paul baptized infants.

2. The nature of baptism has changed. John's baptism was for the repentence of sin. Paul speaks of baptism as a binding to the Body of Christ. Certainly, the one who said the children should not be turned away would want children to share in his life.

3. For some of these churches (including the Roman Catholic) baptism is necessary to enter heaven. So infant baptism is important to both the church and the family.

4. The Biblical understanding of baptism has to be examined.

a. The Bible speaks of baptism by immersion in a river. Yet we know from symbols found in the catacombs that baptism was done by pouring water from a shell. The early church found that in a world that put Christians to death, baptism needed to be practiced differently.
b. The first baptisms mentioned in the Bible were of necessity adults. They were conversions. What happened when those adults had children? The evidence is that they wanted their children baptized and the church did so.

You argue as do some others that baptizing an infant removes the choice from them. Yet you indicate that you were baptized and later changed your beliefs. This is true of any baptized child.

The baptism is a statement of the parents desire and faith. The promises made at infant baptism involve the parents not the child. They are promises that the child will be raised in the faith and the parents will play an active part.

Any church that baptizes infants has a corresponding confirmation ritual where they (grade 7-9 depending on the church) are asked to examine their faith and their own beliefs. They are asked to decide whether they want to affirm the beliefs shared by their parents at the time of their baptism.

Whether or not an infant should be baptized depends entirely on the family. I have families that choose to wait and this is fine. The important thing is that the child still has to face their faith and make their own commitment. Many do not. They choose other faiths, other denominations or they choose not to have faith.

The feelings go both ways for the record. Several have commented that they wished their parents had not baptized them as infants. My parents didn't. I made my own decision to follow Christ and later to respond to his call. However, I have always had a sadness within that my parents didn't baptize me as an infant and raise me in a Christian home.

Pastor John

Answer 4

Infant baptism as practiced in the Catholic church is the most significant demonstration of salvation with no works at all, and it is always 100% effective at sweeping sin from the soul, making one a temple of the Holy Spirit, an adopted child of God, a member of the church, and co-heir with Jesus Christ.

All this and more is freely provided by the church, simply because God desires all to be saved.

Nowhere in scripture is infant baptism prohibited, while the old testament practice of circumcision provides the most significant precedent for it.

And the reason we only see adults being baptized in the gospels is because baptism didn't even exist until John the Baptist began his ministry as an adult, shortly before Jesus did, around age 30.

John's baptism was merely symbolic, while the authentic sacrament of baptism is powerful, eternal, and grace giving, at any age, and when properly administered, to anyone.

Can't top that.

Answer 5

Yes its wrong to baptize a baby.

Christians don't baptize babies.

Jesus said to go and make disciples out of all nations and then to baptize those new disciples. Jesus never said anyting about baptizing babies.

First that child should become a disciple of Jesus and that can only happen by his own decision, not his mother's.

Then when the child has became a disciple and he is reading the Bible he should initiate the desire to be baptized.

In my opinion, infant baptism is child abuse.

Why? I'm glad you asked.

Because when a baby is baptized he's usually raised being told, "you are a Christian" and he does not, as he grows up think about the decision he needs to make about his own relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

As the result our churches are full of people who are not Christians, but they have been deceived into thinking that they ARE Christians, because they were baptized as babies.

Pastor Art

Answer 6

I agree, people need to be able to make the choice for themselves.

Really being baptized with water means nothing, it's more of symbolism. We are truly saved through baptism of the holy spirit.

I was baptized because Jesus was, and I want to be more like Him :]

Answer 7

In short Catholics baptize babies because they believe that they stand under condemnation for the sin of Adam, and that if left unbaptized will be condemned to purgatory. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

If you were to read 1Cor. 6, you would find a wonderful discourse written by Paul, which shows the purpose and symbolism of baptism. It basically says that baptism (by immersion) is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is also symbolic of our death towards sin and our resurrection in new life.

I believe that this chapter shows the necessity of repentance accompanying baptism. I don't think anyone realistically thinks that an infant is capable of repentance. In James 4:17, it states that sin is rebellion against the knowledge of what is good. I don't believe that infants are capable of the kind of knowledge, therefore they can't sin and can't repent.

And I just don't think that it would be a good idea to dunk them in water. (Yes, I know, they sprinkle them.)

Answer 8

babies are perfect. noone should be baptized until they are at the age of accountability. Psychologist say that the age of 8 is when a child is able to decide for him/herself right from wrong. Also, it is important to seek out which church has the proper authority to baptize from Christ. As Jesus did not go to just any synagogue to be baptized. He walked 40 miles to get to John the Baptist to be baptized by him as he held the authority to do so. We should not go to just [any] church, but pray and find out [which] church has the authority to do that. As a history teacher cannot teach english unless he/she has the authority to do so.

Answer 9

A baby you say? Well a baby, no, it is not wrong, it is committment from the parents to God that their intention is to rear the child in a christian home. So it is basically a committment to the Lord to bring the child up as christian. At least this is what it should represent. That child at sometime will come to accept Christ on their own.

Answer 10

If salvation is all about your decisions and you coming to God, then yes, baptism above the age of reason is logical.

However, if baptism replaces circumcision as a covenant between God and His people, then children are just as much under the covenant of baptism as they were under circumcision, with God accepting or denying that baptism as He sees fit, not as Man sees fit.

Just depends on who "runs" it, Man or God.