2007-09-11 12:18:56 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Infant baptism is not supported by Scripture. Children clearly cannot repent and believe the Gospel, which is required for salvation.
Infant dedications are of promise by the parent. Baptism is our conscious choice, after the age of understanding and faith.
A pope's word as fallible infant baptism
is not biblical.
2007-09-13 21:22:16 · update #1
This is ridicules, it is in the bible (Father K is right).
The ones who baptize their children when they are babies do so out of love for their child, Do you know the rate of child death in the world and how many there where when this was first instituted?
Thousands upon thousands of babies and small children die every single day, and you want to belittle the parents for loving them enough to make sure they are protected in the after life...What's wrong with you? I know you don't understand, but we understand full well.
Stop Judging us, we are doing what we believe is right for our children and you have no right to belittle our personal choices for our own kids.
2007-09-11 12:29:17 · answer #1 · answered by I'm Here 4 · 3⤊ 2⤋
You've got things backward. The Catholic Church does not get its religion from the New Testament. Rather, the New Testament gets its religion from the Catholic Church.
Some people didn't just find the Bible and decide to found a Church on it. Rather, Jesus founded a Church which decided to write a Bible.
Jesus never commanded the Apostles to write down every single thing he revealed to them. However he did give them his own authority to teach, and promised the Holy Spirit would be with them to lead them into all truth. John 16:13.
So, if the Bible does contain any verses about baptism, that only reflects the fact that it was a Catholic belief. The belief came first, not the Bible.
2007-09-11 12:40:54 · answer #2 · answered by Agellius CM 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The NT notion of baptism is complex. Clearly adult baptism is recorded. But how are the passages about the head of a household converting and the whole of the household (slaves and all) being baptized? Moreover, baptized infants are known from before 110 AD. There are examples scattered across the Empire. What are we to make of that?
HTH
Charles
2007-09-11 12:29:22 · answer #3 · answered by Charles 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Well, let's see. Since fundamentalists, evangelicals, and the like do not view baptism as essential to salvation but have relegated it to a sort of initiation ceremony for the already converted ...
... then what possible difference can it make to you, other than its usefulness as yet another way to take a pot-shot (and a poorly worded one at that) at Catholicism?
Perhaps there's more repenting to be done than meets the eye.
2007-09-11 15:24:32 · answer #4 · answered by Clare † 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
When sacraments are just empty rituals with no significance, as they are in Fundamentalist and Evangelical circles, then of course there is no consequence to infants receiving or not receiving Baptism.
However, Catholic Sacraments, including Baptism, are a source of Grace established by the authority, power, and majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why do Evangelicals and Fundamentalists want to deny a source of Grace to an innocent baby?
"Let the children come to me, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
2007-09-12 08:51:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is what they believe, respect their belifes because you want to be respected right? It doesn't say directly in the bible at what age, some familys in the bible were baptized all together, which is where they get there ok for baby baptisim.
2007-09-11 12:25:26 · answer #6 · answered by Ally... 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There isn't a single bible verse about:
1. Condemning polygamy
2. Condemning slavery
3. About the "Trinity" god-head idea
4. That contains the word "Rapture"
The vast majority of Christians should not get on their high horse about what is and isn't in the bible.
2007-09-11 12:26:25 · answer #7 · answered by QED 5 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Such a huge to-do about nothing. Why would non believers care one way or another about a Christian ceremony?
I'm beginning to think atheists read the bible more than most Christians do. Maybe God invented Atheism to get them to read his word. Pretty smart of him.
2007-09-11 15:08:16 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
hmm, well, can you find a single verce that states NOT to baptise a baby?
The bible DOES say they went in and baptised the whole family. Did it say except infants? NO< it did not! Could there have been a baby in those familys? Of corse there probably was!!
2007-09-11 12:45:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I believe:
Water baptism is for believers (Acts 2:38, Eph. 4:5). That rules out the need for infant baptism. Many parents dedicate their children to God, but water is not needed.
It is what makes them Catholic, that's all.
2007-09-11 12:24:51 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 4⤋