• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

infant baptism

syo

Well-Known Member
should infants of believers be baptised? I think, yes, because believers want the best for their children, and religion is important in their beliefs. what do you think?
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
My mother was of the staunch opinion that religion was far too important to allow children to form and hold firm opinions about it. She believed that only an emotionally and intellectually mature individual could make such decisions -- and only for themselves. She got a lot of flak for that, but stuck to her beliefs -- which wasn't always easy, but she took religion very seriously.
 

Sanzbir

Well-Known Member
should infants of believers be baptised? I think, yes, because believers want the best for their children, and religion is important in their beliefs. what do you think?

I think no, because the benefits one can have from a ceremony like baptism will be lost if the person can't remember their ceremony.
 
  • Like
Reactions: syo

SabahTheLoner

Master of the Art of Couch Potato Cuddles
A baptism should be done when someone is old enough to make that choice for themselves. I was baptized when I was an infant but I have moved far from the belief system of which I was baptized. I have no recollection of religion being important to me and I don't believe in the miracles or worldview of a biblical nature. From a Christian view it was a baptism that turned out to be rather disappointing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: syo

leibowde84

Veteran Member
should infants of believers be baptised? I think, yes, because believers want the best for their children, and religion is important in their beliefs. what do you think?
Personally, I think they should hold off on any religious initiation until they are mature enough to make an informed decision. I don't see any rational reason why waiting would cause any harm.
 
  • Like
Reactions: syo

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Is it in keeping with your traditions? Then do it.
If it isn't in keeping with your traditions? Then don't do it.

Not really my affair either way.
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
should infants of believers be baptised? I think, yes, because believers want the best for their children, and religion is important in their beliefs. what do you think?
When my (Catholic) ex and I were trying to have kids, the issue of baptism came up.

Based on my reading of the Catechism, my take on the Catholic position on the necessity of baptism was basically "newborn babies are so evil that a wise, loving god could very well be perfectly justified in torturing them forever, so we need to sprinkle them with water in a special way to erase this evil."

The water-sprinkling part struck me as more silly than anything else, but I had major misgivings about standing in front of my friends and family, nodding along that yes, a child of mine was born so evil he might be worthy of eternal torment.

Short version: do it if you want, but I find the Catholic take on it so offensive that I would never take part in the ritual for a child of mine. For other denominations, it depends on what they believe baptism represents.
 

URAVIP2ME

Veteran Member
should infants of believers be baptised? I think, yes, because believers want the best for their children, and religion is important in their beliefs. what do you think?

Since I find a person needs to make a personal dedication to God before baptism, then how could an infant make that dedication. People need to repent before making a dedication that leads to baptism.
 
  • Like
Reactions: syo

Jesster

Friendly skeptic
Premium Member
I guess it doesn't hurt anyone. It's just kind of dumb, to be quite honest. What do you honestly think it will accomplish? What's far more infuriating is watching people indoctrinate their children into their religion when those children are first able to start understanding what's going on around them. Let them make up their own minds.

I may be injecting some of my own frustrations with my parents into this, so excuse me if I'm I'm sounding flustered.
 
  • Like
Reactions: syo

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Is it in keeping with your traditions? Then do it.
If it isn't in keeping with your traditions? Then don't do it.

Not really my affair either way.
For countries where churches get subsidies based on the size of their membership rolls, or where churches claim real authority over all baptized people, it's everyone's affair the same was that general governance is everyone's affair.
 

Erebus

Well-Known Member
I was Christened as a child because my mum believed it would help protect me. Her religious views are kind of unorthodox, the best way I can describe them would be sort of Christian/Neo-Pagan syncretism. She's also suffered on and off with OCD for quite some time and not Christening me could have been a real source of stress for her. I don't begrudge her that decision despite eventually settling on Paganism.

Now in general, I find baptism of children a little distasteful. Not massively, it just doesn't quite sit right with me considering how much importance I place on individual choice and responsibility. I would say though that allowing a child freedom of religion in later life is far more important than whether or not you baptize them.

So I guess ultimately I'd say do it if you really feel you must. Otherwise, I feel it's better to let your kid choose whether to be baptized or not when they're old enough to make a reasonably informed decision.
 
  • Like
Reactions: syo

Tina57

Member
should infants of believers be baptised? I think, yes, because believers want the best for their children, and religion is important in their beliefs. what do you think?
If one is speaking of a Christian faith - its interesting to note that infant baptism were not practiced by the early Christians or apostles. Nowhere is it mentioned in the Bible.*
True baptism of ones children would be ideal and we do want the best for our children - but when they get older and they ask questions about doctrine or beliefs maybe they become disillusioned or are unwilling to search for answers. (Or no response from clerics as my mother found out from her priest about the questions on Trinity and hellfire.) Does one get to the stage of its my parents religion its good enough for me." Do many feel trapped that they are born and baptised into their parents faith and are not allowed to question anything? Rhetorical question.
From early in the Bible - in fact when they Hebrew slaves came out of Egypt - months into their journey God gave this command - Listen O Israel, Jehovah your God is one Jehovah. You must love Jehovah your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your strength. These words that I am commanding you today must be on your heart and you must inculcate (teach, sound down, instruct) in your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up. Deut 6:4-7
The educational structure for the pre Christians was that parents taught their children first, (even trades which is how Jesus became known first as a carpenter - the apostles mostly were fishermen) the priests took the lead in further instruction for the entire nation - doing so at the temple or synagogues that came in later. Individuals could ask the priests questions who were familiar with the Scriptures and organised the annual events to do with worship of God three times they were commanded to assemble together. If any wrongs or sins were committed they were to approach the priest themselves with whatever sacrifice they could afford on a more regular basis. From cattle if they were rich to pigeons and doves if they were of little means down to fine flour if they had nothing else to give.
Why is all of this relevant - because it gave a basis for the inculcation of their children the way they were taught. Even the events that shaped the history of the nation like Exodus - that was celebrated every year the same way generations of parents were commanded to remind their sons and daughters of these events. In many ways God had them celebrate events as a reminder of the goodness of God and how he favoured them at that time. If they were obedient to his ways. (Jesus said something profound in John 4:22 to the Samaritan woman - You worship what you do not know we worship what we know because salvation begins with the Jews.)
Children were included in their parents routine of worship. They would stand as their parents did while the priest or others read from the scrolls. Ezra mentions men, women and who could listen with understanding when the Law was being read out. Ezra 8:2, 3 It was a common feature for children to be included. Remember Jesus went missing the better parts of 2 or 3 days as a 12 year old when Joseph and Mary lost track of him.
Why is anyone baptised? Acts 2:37, 38 Persons were stabbed to the heart at things Peter spoke of and he said "Repent, and let each one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ in forgiveness of your sins." It is belief in Jesus ransom that allows forgiveness of sins. I put it this way baptism gets you a clean slate so one has a clear conscience from past dead fleshly works (Hebrews 6:1) and the ability to have a freeness of speech when one talks of Gods goodness.
... Why if babies have committed no sin are they baptised then?
Which raises another question if infant baptism are not found in the Bible what kind are?
Those of adults. The Acts of the Apostles spoke of 3,000 baptised (Acts 2:41) and 5,000 men believed what they heard (Acts 4:4) Other adults who were baptised is found at Acts 6:7 a large number of priests, Acts 8:34 - 36, Acts 10:12, 35, 43. Any intelligent thinking adult makes their mind up to be baptised first in forgiveness of sins on the basis of believing on Jesus name and to do Gods will. It is making an informed choice about ones own life course.
Then they can follow Jesus last command he gave to all his professed followers:
Matthew 28:19, 20 Go therefore and make disciples (taught ones) of people of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit teaching them all the things I have commanded you. And look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.
References
*Augustus Neander History of the Planting and Training of the Christian Church by the Apostles (N.Y. 1864) page 162
Origen - Selections from the Commentaries and Homilies of Origen (Madras, India 1929) page 211.
Council of Carthage c. 252 CE Infant baptism. (no reference point but may find information on the subject.)
 

syo

Well-Known Member
If one is speaking of a Christian faith - its interesting to note that infant baptism were not practiced by the early Christians or apostles. Nowhere is it mentioned in the Bible.*
infant baptism is not in the bible, that's correct.
 

pearl

Well-Known Member
infant baptism is not in the bible, that's correct.

However it does state the baptism of entire households which would include children and infants. And by the 3rd cent according to the baptismal regulations of Hippolytus, "And at the hour when the cock crows they shall pray over the water. When they come to the water let the water be pure and flowing. And they shall put of their clothes. And they shall baptize the little children first. And if they can answer for themselves let them answer. But if they cannot, let their parents answer or someone from their family. "

When the powers that be within the Catholic church attempted to determine that the souls of the unbaptized were not 'saved', they were at a loss with what to do with infants who died before baptism, therefore 'limbo', because they did not know! Limbo was initially nothing but a 'marginal' note.

Let them make up their own minds.

Within the Church infant baptism does not require a commitment from the child, this is later after ten years of instruction, at Confirmation which would be the equivalent of adult baptism in some denominations.
 
  • Like
Reactions: syo

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Within the Church infant baptism does not require a commitment from the child, this is later after ten years of instruction, at Confirmation which would be the equivalent of adult baptism in some denominations.
Baptism is certainly taken as a commitment. The Catholic Church considers any baptized person a Christian, regardless of whether they get confirmed later.

... or regardless of whether they even set foot in a church. Only Christians were subject to the Inquisition, but it was often the case that a housekeeper or whatnot would come forward to claim that she secretly baptized some prominent member of the local Jewish community, which would put him under the authority of the Inquisition and guilty of the "sin" of "Judaizing."
 
Top