I was baptised...

[Tellyontellyon]

I was baptised in hospital as a baby, I was dying of meningitis, but somehow lived.

These days I'm a Buddhist...

Does that baptism have any significance now, am I somehow different than if I had never been baptised?

Would it have a significance if I ever converted?

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I was baptised in hospital as a baby, I was dying of meningitis, but somehow lived.

These days I'm a Buddhist...

Does that baptism have any significance now, am I somehow different than if I had never been baptised?

Would it have a significance if I ever converted?

Some Christians will say you need to be baptized again in a more "correct manner." Others may say that you just need to "fulfill" the baptism you had as an infant.

I don't think anyone here can truly discern this for you. And I can only speculate. On an existential level, who knows? Maybe your early baptism has something to do with why you find the need to inquire about Christianity like you do.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

I was baptised in hospital as a baby, I was dying of meningitis, but somehow lived.

These days I'm a Buddhist...

Does that baptism have any significance now, am I somehow different than if I had never been baptised?

Would it have a significance if I ever converted?

Water baptism does not save . It is His Holy Spirit Baptism that saves. This is when He makes His Home in the believer, regenerates and creates anew. Blessings.

 

[sandman]

Would it have a significance if I ever converted?

I am happy you lived …


If you ask different denominations …you’ll get different answers.

But biblically speaking … water baptism is symbolic. It would have no significance if you converted ….. However, if you converted to Christianity… it would mean you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior ….and in doing so you would be baptized (fully immersed) spiritually ….and that changes your status to a born-again son of God ....which in turn gives you access to everything Christ has accomplished for us …including eternal life.

 

[OldAbramBrown]

You don't need to be rebaptised (assuming yours at the hospital was a regular Trinitarian one; do you have details of the minister?).

In the event of anyone pressuring you to it, research and ponder their attitude to a number of things, and check with us (and evidently we'll not all give you the same answer).

In my case I got dunked as rebaptism at age 18, knowing I didn't need it but to humour my then friends (who fell apart soon after that).

The main idea is not to be swallowed up by a system of superstitions about it and anything connected with it.

God knows how different you are because of that baptism.

 

[Unqualified]

To build on the others, baptism is symbolic. We receive it as our first act of obedience after becoming saved. It symbolizes the cleansing we have of our sins and is a In public act. I think I received the Holy Spirit at that time.

you in essence were baptized into the Catholic Church and grew up non practicing. They do this so that you can go to heaven if you die. You would have done so anyway if you were young enough. But as a Christian faith is what is required and repentance for heaven. Then baptism is just a sign of a saved life.

catholics believe that all Catholics only are going to heaven. But I believe that you must believe Jesus and lead a holy life.

 

[OldAbramBrown]

... you in essence were baptized into the Catholic Church and grew up non practicing ..

No, OP was not baptised "into the Catholic Church" (referring to the Roman one) (no-one ever is).

OP was baptised in one (as location for action only) into the whole of all Trinitarian christian churches. Attempts by Romans and others to claim otherwise are not grounded in truth.

OP has already been baptised into all Trinitarian denominations and may proceed to believe, like anyone, if able to ascertain doctrines to believe, in this case without rebaptism. It's a prolonged crash course in research even for a lifelong multidenominational believer like me.

My newer friends in a variety of denominations don't query my baptism at a week old in a RC church (location). My family of origin weren't very "practising" and anyway one's degree of having been "practising" will have nothing to do with further sacramental matters (if any).

Conditional rebaptism only need be decided (at discretion) if the original ceremony wasn't a regular one.

 

[Unqualified]

No, OP was not baptised "into the Catholic Church" (referring to the Roman one) (no-one ever is).

OP was baptised in one (as location for action only) into the whole of all Trinitarian christian churches. Attempts by Romans and others to claim otherwise are not grounded in truth.

OP has already been baptised into all Trinitarian denominations and may proceed to believe, like anyone, if able to ascertain doctrines to believe, in this case without rebaptism. It's a prolonged crash course in research even for a lifelong multidenominational believer like me.

My newer friends in a variety of denominations don't query my baptism at a week old in a RC church (location). My family of origin weren't very "practising" and anyway one's degree of having been "practising" will have nothing to do with further sacramental matters (if any).

Conditional rebaptism only need be decided (at discretion) if the original ceremony wasn't a regular one.

Were you there At the time. So now what the trinitarians say he is going to heaven.

 

[Tellyontellyon]

Not unless someone thinks so, and then maybe only to those who think so, fwiw..

Converted to what ?

To Christianity? If I converted, would I need to be baptized with water again?

 

[sandman]

To Christianity? If I converted, would I need to be baptized with water again?

No ...water baptism is a feel good symbolic gesture ..... formally, it was a baptism unto repentance.... but in this age of grace it is a spirit baptism (accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior)

Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

 

[ViaCrucis]

I was baptised in hospital as a baby, I was dying of meningitis, but somehow lived.

These days I'm a Buddhist...

Does that baptism have any significance now, am I somehow different than if I had never been baptised?

Would it have a significance if I ever converted?

Baptism is indelible. From a traditional Christian perspective that baptism meant something--it means everything--you were washed clean of your sins and granted new life from God as a pure gift of His love and grace.

From that vantage point, a conversion to Christianity now as an adult would be understood as you returning to your baptism.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

To Christianity? If I converted, would I need to be baptized with water again?

There are some denominations which would require you to.

The historic churches would say no. Once baptized always baptized. Instead conversion to Christianity would be about a return to your baptism. In my church we have an Affirmation of Baptism, which is a way to publicly affirm as a member of the congregation that you affirm what God has given us in our baptism, and our personal faith in Christ.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[OldAbramBrown]

To Christianity? If I converted, would I need to be baptized with water again?

Categorically no. Any organisation that says you do is a superstitious one.

 

[OldAbramBrown]

Were you there At the time. So now what the trinitarians say he is going to heaven.

Is this reasoning?

Tellyontellyon was not baptised into the foibles of that denomination.

 

[Unqualified]

Is this reasoning?

Tellyontellyon was not baptised into the foibles of that denomination.

you said he was. Catholics do baptize the dying it’s part of extreme unction. They give him 2 sacraments to go to the lord with. Catholic priests are often chaplains in hospitals often when this probably took place. If you ask me it’s meaningless now.

a lot of people have a lot of views on baptism. I said mine and I’m sticking to them and I’m not debating. Protestants like the Church of England are so like Catholics except for a couple points. Maybe they baptized him as a misguided act of compassion, believing deeply in the fires of hell. This is no place for a dying kid who hasn’t had a chance to prove himself. Kids automaticly go to heaven, it’s in the lords hands. But grownups would go on the strength of their faith and works.

Being baptized does get you into churches, to become members. Some of them think their members are going to heaven. That’s how Catholics can do that, send someone to heaven without their own volition. Baptism doesn’t forgive sins. Repentance does. Baptism is only a sign of what’s already been done when we become Christians.
But it has no meaning for this man now IMO.

 

[Beslowtoanger]

I’m getting an adult Baptism, simply to cement my Union with Jesus, a public declaration I am with him and he with me for the rest of my life……although I have already received the Holy Spirit.

 

[OldAbramBrown]

you said he ... man now IMO.

I thought you meant he was stuck with being a RC. Also, the church "membership" question is very fraught nowadays. Things were better in my young day when "membership" only mattered if we were about to become a senior volunteer or officer of a church. Otherwise there were a great many things one could join in with anyway.

 

[DragonFox91]

Clearly there’s more to it than baptism since you’re a Buddhist now & the thousands upon thousands of others who walk away even tho they were baptized.

There’d be a significance only if you converted genuinely: that you recognize God made the first move & were grateful to have been born as his elect.

But now since you walked away, it’s no different than any other thing God might do to woo people, assuming you don't someday answer his calling you.

 

[Tellyontellyon]

Is this reasoning?

Tellyontellyon was not baptised into the foibles of that denomination.

I have no idea who Baptised me, but it was probably an Anglican..