Catholic Vs. Babtist, regarding babtism...?

Question

I am a Catholic, my wife a Babtist. I want to get my son babtized in my church and she is fine with it, but she also says she wants to get him "dedicated" in hers, from my understanding its the same thing? Im trying to tell her that there is no use in doing it twice. But maybe I am wrong?

Geeze, the religious difference is gonna be the end of things I swear!

But...

If we get him dedicated in her church as well, the people will believe that I am making a choice to raise him in her church.

We cant agree on which to raise him, I want my way and I think I can slowly get it. But I dunno.

Answer 1

As a Catholic, we do have a duty to raise our children in Christ's Church. You're 100% correct in wanting to baptize your son there.

No, there is no way to baptize someone twice. As Catholics, we recognize only one baptizm; a person cannot be baptized twice.

My other advice would be that your have a healthy, dedicated devotion to prayer and the Holy Mass. Living the faith is the strongest witness you can have, as well as the best thing you can do for yourself and your family. Fathers are the spiritual leaders. Children learn by what we do, and if they see their father's dedicated to the faith, it grows the faith in them. There is no better gift that can be given to them.

Pray on this and ask God for the grace to grow stronger in your faith. Baptise your son Catholic. It's the best thing for him. As a former protestant who is now Catholic, I know this without a doubt.

God bless and take care.

Answer 2

The dedication in the Baptist church is wholly different than a Catholic baptism, so please don't worry about that. In a dedication, usually the parents bring the child up and the pastor prays over the child and the parents, and the parents make a public commitment to raise the child to know and love Jesus.

In the Baptist religion, you aren't a member of the church until you are baptized in the church. So I don't think you'll have to say anything about raising the child Baptist - just that you'll raise him to know and love Jesus. Which is true, right?

The Catholic sacrament of baptism is really different. There will be an actual baptism, for one thing, and you & the godparent(s) will state vows renouncing the devil and committing yourselves to Christ.

I'm sorry that you and your wife cannot agree. You should really strive for agreement. Perhaps the two of you can take RCIA at your parish together so she can learn more about Catholicism? Then maybe she won't have so many disagreements with you. Baptists are often taught many lies about Catholic theology, and that might be what is keeping her in opposition. If she knew the truth, maybe everything could be smoothed over. Also, get her a copy of "What Catholics REALLY Believe." That might help her, too.

Congratulations on the birth and baptism of your son!

Answer 3

Infant baptism is not taught in scripture. Baptism is for believers. I had all three of our children dedicated but in the end they have to want to be baptized. Baptism in itself has no value. it is an outward declaration of the inner change of the heart of a man or woman. My middle son age 11 has just been confirmed and baptized by his own wishes. In the sense of your son's salvation neither ceremony has any effect whatever. It is for him to decide if he becomes a believer to be baptized. I was "Christened" (no such word in Scrpiture) when a baby. I was baptized (by choice) as an adult. You are both from different branches of Christianity. I am surprised that you married each other but it tends to indicate that you loved each other and still do but your theology is fuzzy to say the least. As long as you realize that baptizing your son in the Catholic Church has no effect whatever on his salvation, that is fine. If you think it will help him get to heaven it won't. However you could both agree on a dedication service where you both dedicate you lives to teaching your son about Christ.
If your priest thinks the Baptism of your son will save him he is wrong - it won't. If he does think this you should reconsider your decision. Bless you, you both obviously love God - learn from this and grow closer through this learning.

Answer 4

Pastor Billy says: initially I don't believe there is a problem however later on when your wife encourages your son to study the Baptist faith and be "re-baptized" (because that is what they do if a person received an infant baptism) this will be encouraging a sacrilege in the eyes of the Church.

A dedication is a Baptist blessing of sorts however isn't it contradictory they deny infant baptism and yet insist the child be blessed? Sounds like schizophrenic to me.

Brother I really feel for you, don't know your wife's family background but many Baptists are extremely close-minded to Catholicism and even hostile. I do know numerous Baptists who in their zeal to know Christ and study Christian history have come into the Catholic Church but they always have stories of rejection by their family of origin and Baptist friends who leave them forever.

addendum: Jack above has totally misrepresented what Catholic baptism is please see my sources below. The Catholic baptism of infants is extremely important as is the baptism of adult Christians who convert later on.
A Catholic baptism has a deeper spiritual nature and the ceremony is not merely ritual with symbolism as is the case with the Baptist ceremony. Catholicism teaches baptism has an effectual nature what is known as regeneration. You are agreeing as the guardian of the child to raise them in the faith does the Baptist dedication counter this? if so than you cannot possibly have the child dedicated in the Baptist community.

I strongly suggest you baptize your son Catholic and begin to educate your wife he will be raised a Catholic be the head of your household and know what the Baptist sect teaches of Catholicism. Sounds like your wife has already expressed something that is causing tension.

Answer 5

Not the same.
Infant baptism in the Catholic is for salvation only.

Infant dedication in the Baptist church is for parents. The parents present their child before God and publicly vow to raise the child in a Christian environment.

Incidentally, the first split in the church was in 251 a.d. and one of the major issues was that of infant baptism and baptismal regeneration. The larger remainder of that split eventually became the Roman Catholic church. The smaller group, which eventually vanished, was called the anna-Baptist.

Since you was raised Roman Catholic, this will not be important to you, as it is already apparent. If you baptize your infant in the Catholic church, you place the responsibility for the child's future on your church. If you dedicate your child in a Baptist, or any other church, you place the responsibility on yourself-where it should be.
I would think it through-

Answer 6

It's not the same. Baptism in the Catholic church states that the child is saved and is going to heaven if it dies before the age of moral comprehension. Dedication in a Baptist church is a committment made to God that you will bring the child up in the way of the Lord. The baptism in a Catholic church is not necessary because a baby goes to heaven regardless of baptism because it is not able to sin and comprehend sin.

Answer 7

Catholics regard infant baptism as a valid baptism; in general, Baptists do not, reasoning that a child too young to consent to the baptism has not repented of anything, and cannot affirm belief in anything. Even if it IS the same thing, what harm can be done by having your son baptized twice? If for no other reason, it may help keep the peace in your family.

Answer 8

Say thanks that she is letting you baptize the kid by your catholic religion. By the Baptist doctrine it is understood that people get baptized as adults because that way they understand that they are separating themselves from a life of reckless sinfulness to a life separated from sin (as much as possible) and that is a decision every individual to be baptized has to make for himself. By Baptists' understanding, there is no sense in baptizing a baby that still don't understand sins and cannot make that kind of decision for himself.
I would advise you to keep quiet, apologize to your wife, and dedicate the baby.
Dedicating a baby is different than catholic baptism.
Infant dedication is a decision parents make to raise the child in awareness of the spiritual world and it is a way of letting people and God know that as parents, you would see that the child learns about God and the Bible, and by your good example as Christians

Answer 9

Baby dedication means you as parents dedicate yourselves to raising the child up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Baptists do not baptize people (infants) without their consent.
Your catholic sprinkling can't save your son's soul, only Jesus Christ can do that.

Answer 10

A "dedication" is really more for the parents--it's to affirm that the parents will raise their child in the Christian faith. In a Catholic baptism, in simple terms, you are cleansing it of original sin thus beginning his life with Christ pure.

You can do it twice--it won't hurt. You two may want to talk about how you want to raise your child religiously, because it may become a bigger conflict in the future.