For those of you who consider that an infant is "born again" when they are baptized?

Question

What do you call an athiest who has been baptized as an infant and does not believe in Jesus. "A born again athiest."

Pink Stealth. Thankyou for your answer, but I am aware of that already.

Thanks everyone for your answers, but the question was directed to those who believe in Infant Baptism.

Answer 1

Kait:

This brings us back to basic Lutheran Doctrine of free will. While faith "is a gift of god not of works" and we can not choose to believe by our own reason or strength, we are called by the Holy Spirit.

Free will however allows us to reject that salvation at any time.

Rejecting faith is "the unforgivable sin"

Mark

Answer 2

Infant baptism just washes away the Original Sin, that's it. If an Athiest does not believe in Jesus but was baptized as an infant, the Original Sin is still gone but they are still in need of Christ's salvation.

Answer 3

Baptism wasn't something NEW at the dawn of Christianity. Basically, its an old cleansing ceremony. Passing from a state of tameh (impurity) to tahor (purity) according to Torah involved bringing the prescribed sacrifices and purification through tevillah (immersion), a washing by water in a mikvah.

It was also common practice that parents would make sacrifices or have infants under go 'initiation' ceremony to include them within a particular covanent. Though it was also expected that upon becoming of age usually 13yrs, they would undergo 'initiation' ceremonies to induct themselves. Which usually involved vowing to upholding each and every tenent of a covanent between themselves and their god(s).

One should note, that even 'Jesus' said that a person could deny him. Mat 12:32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Another scripture of note is the OT idoltry law.
Deut 4:15-16 Since you saw no form on the day the the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire. beware lest you act corruptly by making a graven image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of man or female...

Technically, the concept of 'jesus' being god would be a violation of the idoltry law.

Answer 4

Just another example of how Christians can't agree on what a Christian actually is. There is not one single Christian denomination on Earth that isn't condemned as heretical by at least one other. There is not one Christian denomination on Earth who is considered as being at least somewhat reliable in doctrine by even most, if not all other faiths.

If Christians can't agree on what a Christian is, why should anyone else wish to be one ... and further, how exactly does one decide which branch of Christianity to follow?
Infant Baptism, Youth Baptism, Believer's Baptism .... Body of Christ in the Eucharist or not ... Penance, Repentance ... Works, Faith .... Predestination ... Which Canon of scripture ....

With all of these hangups, with all the different ideas regarding scripture, there is NO way to be even a Christian and to be sure that you are correct. If some God wanted people to be Christians, shouldn't there be a single definition of what a Christian is? Shouldn't Christians be able to agree on what a Christian is?

Infant Baptism is just another ripple in the disturbed pond of Christianity.

Answer 5

"I'd call them A very bad Christian".

Baptism is one of the Sacraments that conveys "character".

It is indelible. Just like "Holy Orders". I was made a Priest, marked forever by God.

I could take off my collar, steal all of the money from the church and go and chase hookers and play blackjack for the rest of my life.

I'm still a Priest. A very bad Priest....but a priest and "ontologically different" from others.

Baptism does the same thing

Answer 6

I do not believe in infant baptism. Baptism is something that should be done when you can understand what it means and after salvation.

Answer 7

you are born again when you are baptized with the holy ghost, not when you are baptized with water. so the answer to this question would be, no. I would not call him/her a born again atheist. I would call him, an atheist.

Answer 8

The first is faith and then is the baptism. God protects children under the age of accountability.

Answer 9

An infant is indeed born again in a water baptism which is connected with God's Word, specifically the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, baptized in the name of "the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit" (Matt 28:18-20). It is God who does the work in Holy Baptism through His almighty Word, not man. Look closely. Jesus does not command the person who will receive baptism to go get baptized, He commands believers to go & baptize others in the name of the Trinity. Believers because He lives in & through them by His power not their own.

Faith is a gift from God as per Ephesians 2:8-9. And if nothing is impossible for God (Luke 1:37), our Creator, He is indeed able to work or create faith in an infant, who is born just as dead spiritually as an adult was (Psalm 51).

The Bible says the wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23). A person does not in any way shape or form contribute (i.e. by confession of his lips, 'doing' the act of baptism or choosing Christ) to his/her salvation for grace is not earned--otherwise it wouldn't be grace at all would it? However, a person, even a person who has been given the gift of faith can choose to throw it away or earn the wages of sin which is spiritual death.

Think of it this way, a baby doesn't have to be a certain age in order to decide whether to be born physically. Nor does a baby have to be old enough to reason, think or decide to be adopted into a family. Why do you think Christ uses the words, "born again" & imply adoption into His family? Because you, I, a baby, an adult, none has the ability to choose whether to be born, they just are. Similarly, we are spiritually dead in our sin until Christ gives us rebirth in Holy Baptism. Why then would someone want to withold Holy Baptism from their children???

Also, faith is merely trust. A newborn doesn't have to be old enough to decide whether he/she trusts his/her caretakers--babies just trust until they're taught not to. What do you think Christ meant when He said, unless you become like one of these children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven? He could just as well have had a baby in His arms.

I have a brother-in-law who was baptized as an infant & did have faith, but chose to throw that faith away & become an outspoken athiest. This is very sad indeed & we pray for his return to his Baptismal grace, but he would not be helped by your man-made 'doctrine' that would tell him he was never saved to begin with. That would mean he would have to now earn His way back to God. (I, for one wouldn't want to tell him that because he sinned especially bad, he has to earn his way, while I recieved God's grace unconditionally because I never chose to fall away--whether I was baptized as an infant, child or adult doesn't matter?!!?!) Unfortunately, I learned that part of the reason he chose to throw it away was that he was taught the false doctrine of double-predestination, which you possibly also arrogantly hold to. No, he was chosen, but threw away the gift of faith. However, if he were to repent, that would also be God's work & God would accept that repentance unconditionally, just as He did/does for me & you.

Furthermore, I was baptized as an infant. Your so-called theology would require me to be re-baptized..every time I sinned?! What an insult that would be to God, who was the One who created faith in me Himself at that time & made me His child (I had nothing to do with it)!

Who are you to question the means by which God chooses to distribute His grace? (Matt.20:1-16) Who are you to judge God's work through His Word? Holy Baptism is a miracle of God, not a man-made ritual.

You are making God's pure Gospel into some kind of law by asserting that Baptism is something purely outward that a person does. Don't you see that you are not only judging yourself (self-righteousness--let me remind both of us that we are righteous by the covering of Christ's blood alone), but also others (either righteous or unrighteous according to your rules, not God's) in doing so?

I pray that you will someday come to recognize the arrogance of the 'theology' you are asserting & find real comfort in the true & pure Gospel of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. The Gospel that requires nothing of you, that frees you not only from God's pure & perfect Law which we are expected to keep perfectly & is the power of sin to condemn, but also man's law which falsely & unfairly condemns. In His name I pray. Amen.

Answer 10

An infant is not born again.

You are "Born Again" when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior