2007-09-04 00:47:55 · 9 answers · asked by Lover of God 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
They got quite a bit of flack over that when people of other religions found out that their ancestors were being baptized in this way, as though it actually means anything.
~ "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." ~
2007-09-04 01:15:03 · answer #1 · answered by YY4Me 7 · 2⤊ 4⤋
First off, if you believe in baptism, you need to understand there are certain elements about it which are necessary to constitute a valid baptism. First of all, you need to have water. We believe in baptism by immersion, which means sufficient water for the person to go all the way under the water. We look to Jesus' baptism as the example of this, since the Bible says he went straightway up out of the water (King James version) and that John was specifically baptizing in the Jordan River because there was much water there. Baptism is a physical ordinance. That is to say, it requires a physical body. You have to have substance and weight and volume to stand in the water. The person baptizing you must also have substance and weight and volume. In other words, baptism requires two physical bodies. If the two people did not have physical bodies, it would be something like trying to make a styrofoam object - like a styrofoam kickboard - stay under the water - it is extremely difficult. Spirits, being made of a more refined matter, do not have anywhere near the weight, substance, and volume that physical bodies do. It goes to reason that a live person cannot baptize a spirit - their hand would pass through the spirit. But Jesus Christ Himself said that you must be born of water and of the Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5). So everyone over the age of accountability (8 years old) must receive baptism somehow. It is what is called a saving ordinance, and it is part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can read a little about how the apostles knew of this doctrine in 1 Corinthians 15:29. Now we also believe that the person who baptizes others must also have the same power or authority of God that Jesus Christ had. We believe that it is called the Priesthood, and it is given by the laying on of hands in a line of authority that goes back to Jesus Christ and His Apostles, Peter, James, and John. Just as Jesus Christ was the Mediator for our sins, and He stood in, so to speak, during the process of the Atonement so that we might be able to repent and return to the presence of God, the process of baptism by proxy is also a way for someone to "stand in" for someone else, and to have that ordinance count as a valid baptism. We believe baptism can thus be administered to all people who have ever lived in the world, but they still have their free agency as to whether or not they want to accept it. I think baptism by proxy, or baptism for the dead, shows God's mercy to all of His children, with no respect of persons. Babies and little children are already saved in Christ without baptism by the way, because Christ's Atonement covers them automatically. Hope this helps you out.
2007-09-04 13:15:26 · answer #2 · answered by Cookie777 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Many of the answers have been very adequate, I just wanted to take a second to address coffee-pot's answer...
read what everyone else has said and then read
1 Corinthians 15:29.
Paul, a disciple of Christ, is talking to and about the members of Christ's church, the church He created when on the Earth. The members of Christ's church were being baptized for the dead, the Bible clearly says they were. It's in the King James Version, not specific to any one faith. So it is incorrect to say that Baptism by proxy has no biblical founding.
2007-09-04 12:30:49 · answer #3 · answered by C T 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
In addition to what the other LDS have said, I just want to point out that we acknowledge that the validity of the baptism depends on the acceptance (or rejection) of the person for whom the baptism is done.
For instance, if I get baptised on behalf of my great-grandmother, and her spirit in the spirit world chooses not to accept the ordinance, then it is as if I had not been baptised for her. There is no measure of force in baptism by proxy. The Lord always respects people's free will.
We make records of who has been baptised (by proxy as well as in person), but these records only show that the ordinance was done (thereby giving the individual a choice). Unless the Spirit of the Lord reveals it to us, we do not know if the ordinance has been accepted by the person.
2007-09-04 12:08:52 · answer #4 · answered by MumOf5 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋
For those that contend there is no biblical support for vicarious baptisms for the dead I suggest read 1 Corinthians 15: 29. The verse is clear from Paul's point of view that the Corinthians were practicing this ordinance but not understanding its importance.
The Corinthians are not the only ones who did not, nor do, understand the importance and validity of vicarious baptisms for our dead.
2007-09-04 12:08:21 · answer #5 · answered by Guitarpicker 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
We believe in salvation by proxy as well.
The Savior Jesus Christ paid a sinless sacrifice for all creation and His sacrifice can stand for my sins -- I do not need to pay that price -- Jesus did that for me. I need to accept Christ by following Him.
One way to follow Christ is through baptism. Christ showed us we all need baptism because He was baptized even though He was sinless.
Not all who have lived have even heard of Jesus Christ -- let alone baptism and did not have the chance to be baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. So being Just and Loving, God prepared a way for those who could not be baptized in their life-time to receive baptism. We can be baptized for those who couldn't when they were alive.
That's part of it.
D
2007-09-04 11:31:10 · answer #6 · answered by Dionysus 5 · 7⤊ 0⤋
One of the reasons that God created this world and put us here is so that we could obtain physical bodies, similar to His, although imperfect and mortal. These bodies are necessary for our spirits to grow, learn, and to receive necessary ordinances. After we die, our spirits leave our bodies, and move on to another realm where they continue to learn. Those that did not have a chance to learn the gospel in this life, will have an opportunity to there. But, if they accept it, they no longer have bodies to receive baptism.
Baptism is requisite for all those who are accountable to enter live in God's presence. A body is needed to perform baptism. So the Lord has enabled those who have bodies, to be able to stand in the place of those who don't to receive baptism.
2007-09-04 11:53:56 · answer #7 · answered by Senator John McClain 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋
Jesus Christ stated that a man had to be born of water and the Spirit to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus without baptism its impossible to enter into the Kingdom.
However, there are billions of people who have lived and died without even hearing about Jesus Christ let alone having the opportunity to be baptized in His name. So the Lord has instructed His Saints to be baptized on behalf of our ancestors. That way when they are taught the Gospel in the Spirit world while they await the resurrection, they can receive the same blessings any of us that are living would receive when we are baptized.
You see We can be saved without them and they cant be saved without us. The Plan of Redemption is designed to save the entire human family. Not just the few who are fortunate to live on the earth after the time of Christ and the Restoration.
2007-09-04 01:00:52 · answer #8 · answered by Avatar_defender_of_the_light 6 · 11⤊ 2⤋
when Christ was baptize by John ...since Christ was without sin that baptism was for those who could not be baptized.. in the same fashion that he took on our sin he gave us his baptism....
the practice of baptism by proxy is not Biblical and has no validity or purpose....You are dead...asleep until the day of judgment.....nothing is going to change anything during that time...
2007-09-04 02:53:33 · answer #9 · answered by coffee_pot12 7 · 0⤊ 6⤋