More than 100 students baptized without parents’ permission at North Carolina school

[Muffled]

How could a second baptism undo the first?

I believe it may have something to do with the baptism of babies. That is not a cognizant baptism on the child's part and even a child's decision may be negated later in life as the child matures. Baptists generally view age 13 as the age a child can make a decision.

 

[Muffled]

Christians do change things and make up a lot of stuff, and are known for believing things that aren't even in the Bible (like the Trinity or a pre-Tribulation rapture).

I believe the Trinity is in the Bible and so is the Rapture although not the exact timing of it. Rules about baptism are often made up though.

 

[Muffled]

Yes, caveat being it can't be done at or on school.

I believe a Christian school is not a public school so it doesn't run into the problem of a government making a rule about religion.

 

[The Hammer]

I believe a Christian school is not a public school so it doesn't run into the problem of a government making a rule about religion.

Still shouldn't be done without parental consent. Christian School or not.

 

[F1fan]

If a child joins the “Star Wars Group “ Community of the school nobody would call it “child abuse” so why would baptism be any different (from the point of view of an atheist)

Well if adult Christians were admitting that Jesus is as fictional as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader then children wouldn't grow up believing in the irrational and implausible concept that they do. Theists who tell children that untrue ideas are factual is not good for their development. Many children and adults get confused when they find out religious ideas are beliefs, not facts. This causes harm to their well-being.

If anything some Christian parents should be unhappy because in some families baptism is an important event (sometimes it involves a party) and the school simply ruined the “opportunity” of having joy and fun

Far beyond ruining fun and joy. Do you really think kids enjoy going to church, and getting all wet, and not understanding why the hell they are all wet? Kids are too young to understand these complex and implausible rituals and ideas. These rituals should be left to people of mature age, not parents, not schools, forcing them to get wet to perpetuate religious rituals and beliefs.

 

[The Hammer]

If a child joins the “Star Wars Group “ Community of the school nobody would call it “child abuse” so why would baptism be any different (from the point of view of an atheist)

If anything some Christian parents should be unhappy because in some families baptism is an important event (sometimes it involves a party) and the school simply ruined the “opportunity” of having joy and fun

If they were baptized into Jediism, I would say the same thing.

Jediism - Wikipedia

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I believe the Trinity is in the Bible and so is the Rapture although not the exact timing of it. Rules about baptism are often made up though.

The Bible states god is god and only god is god and there are no other gods but god. Jesus himself didn't call himself god, so why do Christians?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

If a child joins the “Star Wars Group “ Community of the school nobody would call it “child abuse” so why would baptism be any different (from the point of view of an atheist)

There's a big difference between joining a club and participating in a religious ritual to declare adherence to it.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Still shouldn't be done without parental consent. Christian School or not.

To play devil's advocate, lets say a hypothetical family who are atheist send their child to such a school for an advanced academic curriculum, a good teacher, or whatever.
The child converts to Christianity, we'll assume free of pressure for this thought, but the parents are angered and refuse to consent to their child being baptized.
Is it still something that shouldn't happen even though it's what the child wants?
In my view the parents have no right or claim over such a thing regarding their children.

 

[The Hammer]

To play devil's advocate, lets say a hypothetical family who are atheist send their child to such a school for an advanced academic curriculum, a good teacher, or whatever.
The child converts to Christianity, we'll assume free of pressure for this thought, but the parents are angered and refuse to consent to their child being baptized.
Is it still something that shouldn't happen even though it's what the child wants?
In my view the parents have no right or claim over such a thing regarding their children.

Legally, (until it changes and it should) if you live under your parents roof, you're subject to their whims and rules. I was in a situation like this in regards to deconversion from Christianity in my Christian household. I waited until I was 18 to publically do anything resembling I wasn't Christian anymore. They can't change your thoughts, but they can control your actions to an extent.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Legally, (until it changes and it should) if you live under your parents roof, you're subject to their whims and rules. I was in a situation like this in regards to deconversion from Christianity in my Christian household. I waited until I was 18 to publically do anything resembling I wasn't Christian anymore. They can't change your thoughts, but they can control your actions to an extent.

I just let my mom add one other thing to her list of stuff she was constantly complaining to me about. I couldn't do anything right so what was one more thing to do wrong, especially when it was of such a benefit to me? At least one of her spies even saw me go into the neo-Pagan/Native American store I used to go to. It was just another argument.

 

[syo]

Kids have free will. Ask them.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Kids have free will. Ask them.

Of course you believe in free will; you don't have a choice.

 

[leroy]

Well if adult Christians were admitting that Jesus is as fictional as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader then children wouldn't grow up believing in the irrational and implausible concept that they do. Theists who tell children that untrue ideas are factual is not good for their development. Many children and adults get confused when they find out religious ideas are beliefs, not facts. This causes harm to their well-being.

If you say so…

All I am saying is that from an atheist point of view, one shouldn’t care if anyone “baptizes” you or your children.

Far beyond ruining fun and joy. Do you really think kids enjoy going to church, and getting all wet, and not understanding why the hell they are all wet? Kids are too young to understand these complex and implausible rituals and ideas. These rituals should be left to people of mature age, not parents, not schools, forcing them to get wet to perpetuate religious rituals and beliefs.

I AGREE that baptizing children is nonsense (at least form a theological point of view) but I wouldn’t call it “child abuse”

 

[leroy]

There's a big difference between joining a club and participating in a religious ritual to declare adherence to it.

what woudl be the difference?

 

[Twilight Hue]

I guess they will have to get a Satanist to unbaptize them now.

 

[F1fan]

If you say so…

All I am saying is that from an atheist point of view, one shouldn’t care if anyone “baptizes” you or your children.

Sure, if some Christian put a gun to my head and forced me and my kids to get baptized I'd comply. The kids will ask why they got wet and I would explain it all factually and without religious assumptions, that some Christians get wet at church because it reinforces a set of beliefs that have no basis in reality. .

I AGREE that baptizing children is nonsense (at least form a theological point of view) but I wouldn’t call it “child abuse”

The abuse is telling children untrue things that later in life they may realize are not true, and this may cause serious emotional and intellectual distress.

 

[Heyo]

I guess they will have to get a Satanist to unbaptize them now.

Or Bill Maher, he's good at it:

 

[Shadow Wolf]

what woudl be the difference?

Ones a club and might play chess or put on the school plays, the other is a religious ritual that socially affirms adherence to that religion.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

All I am saying is that from an atheist point of view, one shouldn’t care if anyone “baptizes” you or your children.

That's just a mischaracterization of atheists as they tend to put bodily autonomy pretty high as a value.