Catholic question...Please only Catholics answer this?

Question

I am catholic and I have this very political, opinionated guy that works with me and he's very very controntational. He told me that he does not believe in baptising babies, and that they should wait until they are old enough to decide for themselves which I disagreed...and then he threw me this verse...Acts 8:37 "And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart,, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God"....now as us Catholics, what are your views on his response?

Answer 1

Print this out and give it to him:
http://www.catholic.com/library/Infant_Baptism.asp

Answer 2

The Catholic Church teaches, "Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in Baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called."

Infant baptism is not a new thing. There are non-biblical documented sources starting in the second century telling of infant Baptism.

There are even several passages in the Bible where whole households were baptized. This would include everyone who lived there, men, women, children, and infants.

Acts 16:15, "After she and her household had been baptized"

Acts 16:33, "then he and all his family were baptized at once."

Acts 18:8, "came to believe in the Lord along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard believed and were baptized."

1 Corinthians 1:16, "I baptized the household of Stephanas"

St. Paul wrote that baptism has replaced circumcision (Col 2:11-12), and in Judaism circumcision was performed primarily on infants.

By the way, infant baptism is also practiced by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Church of the Nazarene, Reformed Church in America, Episcopalians, United Church of Christ (UCC), Presbyterians, Continental Reformed, and others. Together, these constitute over 80% of all those who call themselves Christians.

For more information, see Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1250: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2.htm#1250

With love in Christ.

Answer 3

Well Diana, your friend sounds like he comes from a Baptist, or possibly a more fundamental background, I would first point out to him, that not only Catholics, but Orthodox, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans and other Protestants baptise their young. Ask him to show you any Christian before the Reformation that explicitly taught not to baptise infants, and it will be hard, because it doesn't exist. If he spends enough time digging, he may start thinking of converting to Catholicism. Try to do it in a loving and caring way

God Bless

Answer 4

Well, I'm rather confrontational too... so I'd start by telling him you could never believe as he does because he thinks Jesus is a liar.

When he starts blustering and getting angry, point out that where Philip told ONE person who was already old to get baptized, Jesus tells us ALL that we should have faith like a child. If anything an infant, who is a direct creation of God and has yet to be influenced by the sinful nature of mankind around him or her is the MOST deserving of the sacrament of baptism so that he or she can receive the grace of the Holy Spirit to protect him growing up.

Answer 5

Baptism is a sacrament performed by parents and priests to consecrate the child's life to God. It is a promise that the child will be raised in a home which fosters the Catholic family values and offers moral guidance in alignment with Christ's teachings.

However, his Bible verse works beautifully with our sacrament of Confirmation. So really, his argument doesn't disagree with Catholicism at all. We know where you're coming from, dear Confrontational Co-Worker.

And to that co-worker, I say: We are all but men who love God and must love one another. You're not holding up the second half of the bargain.

Answer 6

Quick answers below. For more depth, I suggest asking each question separately. 1:Why do Catholics believe it's necessary to celebrate Christmas claiming that it's Jesus' birthday when it's not mentioned in the bible? Christmas celebrates God coming to be born among us as a human being. That's in the Bible--see John 1. 2:Why do alot of Catholic priests and higher ups practice celibacy which is to stay single and never marry? Because Jesus recommended it (see Matt 19:12). It is a rule of discipline that could change. 3:What are the reasonings of having statues and images in the church? To remind us of the historical events and people who changed the world, especially Jesus dying on the cross. 4:Why are Catholics forbidden to eat meat excluding fish on Friday? It is a shared sacrifice, a small one, that we make to grow stronger and more disciplined during the season of Lent. Most of us take on other disciplines during Lent. 5:Catholics, do you or do not claim to worship the pope? We do not. 6:Why do most non-Catholics claim that you moved the Sabbath to Sunday? This was a decision of the early church to celebrate on the day of the Resurrection. As Jesus taught, the Sabbath is made for man, not vice versa. 7:What is the claim that you worship Mary, you actually claim to venerate Mary. We venerate her as our greatest saint. We don't worship Mary. 8:What is the concept of infant baptism? It is in baptism that we are born again by water and the Spirit and become children of God. We want our children to be born again in infancy. 9:What are the conclusions that St Peter was the first Pope? Jesus appointed Peter as the first leader of the Church (see Matt 16:18), a position we now call pope. Cheers, Bruce

Answer 7

I don't see how his response means that babies shouldn't be baptised. There are instances in the bible when whole households were baptised.

confirmation is when the person makes that choice for themselves, when they can decide if they want to continue in the faith. Christians who raise their children with religion wether they are baptised as babies or not are making the choice for their children by teaching them about GOd and bringing them to church or Sunday school. So if you baptize them or wait you are still instilling the same morals and values. this issue is made out by some people to be way bigger than it really has to be.

He doesn't have to believe in it, it's not his religion.

Answer 8

Diana:
Explain we do infant baptism to bond the child to God and the Church until they reach the age of understanding when confirmation and first communion takes place. Infant baptism is in keeping with the ancient law of 8th day dedication.
Fr. Benjamin

Answer 9

ok i'm catholic and i have a 2 and a half year old daughter and i don't want to get her baptised is that bad no i believe that she has the right to decide for her self, and i wan't baptised until i was 10 just because my mum and dad wanted me to go to a catholic school i think is just up to the person and what they believe in

Answer 10

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-S6YMuFYyaa9ESBoW5DFwEjL_HhqA?tag=infantbaptism

Print this out for him.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph