Wrong to have non-Christians baby dedicated?

FoundInGrace · Apr 13, 2015

I dont think dedicating a baby to God is wrong, the fact that these two parents want the best for their child is something God can honor. Who knows what this is the start of.. maybe they will send their child to Sunday school and the child will be able to teach them more about God. I have heard of people getting married because their child asked them why they werent.

I think the pastor did a beautiful thing to dedicate the child to God, instead of criticising perhaps we could pray God blesses the child's life and is used greatly in God's kingdom. Presumably some of the other family members were there who do not know the Lord and may have heard the gospel in that service for the first time, how wonderful - God using that child already to bring Him glory.

The pastor did the right thing, imo.

FoundInGrace · Apr 13, 2015

RDKirk said:
From the OP: "...couple who conceived her through fornication, are unmarried (with no intention of marrying anytime soon) and who are not in Christ."

Doesnt disqualify the child from being dedicated to God though. Many a strong believer has come from such a background. God chooses His own. What a wonderful start in life to be dedicated to the Lord in spite of such a background. Sounds to me like God has great plans for this little one that He has orchestrates events so that she can even be in a church full of believers who are given the great opportunity to pray for this little one that her life be one where God is honored and glorified. So many from such a home are not brought into a church to get that amazing opportunity to be prayed for and brought before Gods throne of grace. Surely a baby born into a family where this is the situation needs this opportunity more perhaps than a baby in a believing family to be brought before the Lord and given to Him.

How sad for believers to want to deny a baby that opportunity for prayers of intercession over her life from a church community when it obviously needs it more than the babies who are born into supposedly believing families who over their lives will hear the gospel and about Gods love many times more than one born into a non believing situation.

FoundInGrace · Apr 13, 2015

'Bring the children to me'
Jesus said this when His disciples tried to send them away.

SpiritPsalmist · Apr 13, 2015

FerventDisciple said:
Is it wrong for a Pastor to dedicate the baby of a couple who conceived her through fornication, are unmarried (with no intention of marrying anytime soon) and who are not in Christ (mom grew up in the Church but went to the world. Dad some guy met in the world.)?

It is absolutely, not wrong. If the couple want to commit their relationship to God and have their baby dedicated to God, they should be allowed to do so.

Presbyterian Continuist · Apr 13, 2015

Showing compassion and kindness when it may be undeserved is a very powerful way of convincing unconverted people that the Gospel is worth believing. It's a pity that many religious people who think they are holier than others don't know that.

South Bound · Apr 13, 2015

FerventDisciple said:
Is it wrong for a Pastor to dedicate the baby of a couple who conceived her through fornication, are unmarried (with no intention of marrying anytime soon) and who are not in Christ (mom grew up in the Church but went to the world. Dad some guy met in the world.)?

Fornication is a forgivable sin.

I'm not sure why non-Christians would want to have their baby dedicated in a Christian church, as, traditionally, a baby dedication is more about the church agreeing to support family in raising the child in the Christian faith, than anything.

I wouldn't do it, but I wouldn't fault someone else for doing it, as long as they were not putting any salvific meaning into it.

RDKirk · Apr 13, 2015

SpiritPsalmist said:
It is absolutely, not wrong. If the couple want to commit their relationship to God and have their baby dedicated to God, they should be allowed to do so.

The point is that as described by the OP, the couple will not commit their relationship to God.

FoundInGrace · Apr 13, 2015

RDKirk said:
The point is that as described by the OP, the couple will not commit their relationship to God.

yet

SpiritPsalmist · Apr 14, 2015

RDKirk said:
The point is that as described by the OP, the couple will not commit their relationship to God.

I guess I could have worded my reply differently, however, I know what the point is and it does not matter whether the parents commit or not. The tongue has the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21) So let the preacher "speak life". It is not required that the parents do anything spiritual for that little seed of LIFE to take root at somewhere, sometime turning that child into a powerhouse for God.

Bob Carabbio · Apr 14, 2015

FerventDisciple said:
Is it wrong for a Pastor to dedicate the baby of a couple who conceived her through fornication, are unmarried (with no intention of marrying anytime soon) and who are not in Christ (mom grew up in the Church but went to the world. Dad some guy met in the world.)?

People have a "Visceral need" to do something "Religious" about a baby, it seems. But in the final analysis, it's "Just another ritual" (and an opportunity to play "Dressup", take pictures, and get together with family and friends).

BUT HEY!!! it hurts nothing, and the Holy Spirit may well use it in his redemptive calling.

Since the "Wedding" isn't really a "Marriage" (that Ideally, but not generally, happens AFTER the party in private). OBVIOUSLY the gal and her husband are already married - just not in the "Contractual" legal sense. IF they show commitment to each other, then they've fulfilled the BIBLICAL requirements.

The "wedding" is really just the execution before witnesses of a "Civil contract" establishing a legal entity called a "Marriage" defining certain rights, constraints, and tax rates - AND in about half the cases, the subsequent dissemination of real property - if/when the contract is dissolved through additional legal action.

FerventDisciple · Apr 15, 2015

I should just add that the couple live in another state and that was the last Sunday they'd be here. The mom used to live here and was a part of the church youth but ran away to her dad in another state and thus why she lives in another state now (where she met the guy). The mother of her is a somewhat on and off regular attender of our church and I think it was her who was really behind the dedication and I guess she convinced her daughter to go through with it. She's not without her own problems, for some reason she married an unbeliever and whenever she goes through a trial she stops going to Church and blames God.

But I suppose we all have our own problems and issues, I just hope the dedication achieved something and wasn't a meaningless event to get dressed up for.

SpiritPsalmist · Apr 16, 2015

FerventDisciple said:
I should just add that the couple live in another state and that was the last Sunday they'd be here. The mom used to live here and was a part of the church youth but ran away to her dad in another state and thus why she lives in another state now (where she met the guy). The mother of her is a somewhat on and off regular attender of our church and I think it was her who was really behind the dedication and I guess she convinced her daughter to go through with it. She's not without her own problems, for some reason she married an unbeliever and whenever she goes through a trial she stops going to Church and blames God.

But I suppose we all have our own problems and issues, I just hope the dedication achieved something and wasn't a meaningless event to get dressed up for.

It's meaningful for the baby. They may not remember it but God does and He is faithful even when we are not. He breathed life into the baby (no matter how it was conceived) and the call He has on her/his life is not dependent on any human.

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Wrong to have non-Christians baby dedicated?

FoundInGrace

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FoundInGrace

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FoundInGrace

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SpiritPsalmist

Heavy lean toward Messianic

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South Bound

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RDKirk

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FoundInGrace

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Bob Carabbio

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