Should my wife and I get re-baptized?

Neostarwcc said:

So my wife and I were both raised Catholic and both of us were baptized as infants. I think I was 6 months old when I got baptized and my wife was Two years old. Some of the Protestant churches in our area are trying to encourage us to get baptized again full immersion but we don't really want to get rebaptized unless we have to. Plus it would be like saying our first baptism didn't count and Ephesians 4:5 says that we are all baptized by one baptism. But its true when I was 6 months old it was impossible for me to have a public faith in Christ. But when I grew up I developed faith in Christ and I think that faith was partly because of my baptism. So is my baptism valid? Or should I get rebaptized to join the protestant churches we want to join?

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Infants are baptised because they believe in the Lord. Matthew 18: 6.
They are sanctified by faith. Acts 15:9.
They are holy. 1 Corinthians 7: 14. So why rebaptize?

Neostarwcc said:

So my wife and I were both raised Catholic and both of us were baptized as infants. I think I was 6 months old when I got baptized and my wife was Two years old. Some of the Protestant churches in our area are trying to encourage us to get baptized again full immersion but we don't really want to get rebaptized unless we have to. Plus it would be like saying our first baptism didn't count and Ephesians 4:5 says that we are all baptized by one baptism. But its true when I was 6 months old it was impossible for me to have a public faith in Christ. But when I grew up I developed faith in Christ and I think that faith was partly because of my baptism. So is my baptism valid? Or should I get rebaptized to join the protestant churches we want to join?

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Infants are baptised because they believe in the Lord. Matthew 18: 6.
They are sanctified by faith. Acts 15:9.
They are holy. 1 Corinthians 7: 14. So why rebaptize?

Neostarwcc said:

So my wife and I were both raised Catholic and both of us were baptized as infants. I think I was 6 months old when I got baptized and my wife was Two years old. Some of the Protestant churches in our area are trying to encourage us to get baptized again full immersion but we don't really want to get rebaptized unless we have to. Plus it would be like saying our first baptism didn't count and Ephesians 4:5 says that we are all baptized by one baptism. But its true when I was 6 months old it was impossible for me to have a public faith in Christ. But when I grew up I developed faith in Christ and I think that faith was partly because of my baptism. So is my baptism valid? Or should I get rebaptized to join the protestant churches we want to join?

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Just so you know, the Catholic Church teaches that any Baptism, by any denomination, if done in the proper form with the Trinitarian formula used: "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit", is valid and that any other Baptism would be redundant, ineffective. Converts entering the CC with such Baptisms are never rebaptized.

As is sometimes the case, Scripture is vague on this matter, with no.spevific instructions given. As others pointed out, however, the Church, in both the east and west, have practiced infant Baptism since time immemorial.

Neostarwcc said:

That's a good point. I guess the point the protestant Church is trying to make is that our infant baptism didn't count because nowhere in scripture are infants baptized. And that only baptism by full immersion is recorded in scripture. But I'm kinda scared to get baptized full immersion tbch.

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Yes, in Scripture infants are baptized by implication. When you baptize a man’s entire family, as with Cornelius and another, in an age without contraception it’s reasonable to assume that there were children among those baptized. Beyond that, Jesus admonished these people who oppose infant baptism when he told his discples (who, like these folks today, refuse to let the little children approach): suffer the little children to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of heaven. If they make you get baptized again, just remember: they don’t really know what they’re doing. All of these rules about baptism are not in the Scriptures. So, do what you think best.

AMBASSADOR HAT

Please remember that debate is off topic to this forum. Only address the OP. If you want to further debate / discuss it amongst yourselves, do so in a different forum.

Thank you!

Neostarwcc said:

So my wife and I were both raised Catholic and both of us were baptized as infants. I think I was 6 months old when I got baptized and my wife was Two years old. Some of the Protestant churches in our area are trying to encourage us to get baptized again full immersion but we don't really want to get rebaptized unless we have to. Plus it would be like saying our first baptism didn't count and Ephesians 4:5 says that we are all baptized by one baptism. But its true when I was 6 months old it was impossible for me to have a public faith in Christ. But when I grew up I developed faith in Christ and I think that faith was partly because of my baptism. So is my baptism valid? Or should I get rebaptized to join the protestant churches we want to join?

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First, determine in Christ without doubt which congregation He wants you to join yourself to.

Once you have determined that Christ wants you joined to a particular congregation, do what they require of you to join them.

Go where Jesus tells you to go, do what is necessary to be there.

All the rest of this nattering means nothing.

Neostarwcc said:

But idk if I could find a protestant church that would say "Hey your infant baptism counted"

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Lutherans. Methodists. Anglicans and Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Congregationalists - they all practice infant baptism. Most Protestants do.

Neostarwcc said:

So my wife and I were both raised Catholic and both of us were baptized as infants. I think I was 6 months old when I got baptized and my wife was Two years old. Some of the Protestant churches in our area are trying to encourage us to get baptized again full immersion but we don't really want to get rebaptized unless we have to. Plus it would be like saying our first baptism didn't count and Ephesians 4:5 says that we are all baptized by one baptism. But its true when I was 6 months old it was impossible for me to have a public faith in Christ. But when I grew up I developed faith in Christ and I think that faith was partly because of my baptism. So is my baptism valid? Or should I get rebaptized to join the protestant churches we want to join?

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If you do not believe that re-baptism is a sin, Then go get baptized three or four times..... So that you can begin to refocus on the important thing:.....entering the kingdom of God, and going on to perfection.....
"not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Of the doctrine of baptisms,.........."

Neostarwcc said:

So is my baptism valid?

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Yes. Baptism is, among other things, the fulfillment of OT circumcision. This may sound flippant (and it's certainly not everything that could be said about why infant baptism is valid), but in the OT, when a boy grew up, do you think that he'd ever think that he needed to be circumcised again?

Infant Baptism | Catholic Answers

Baptism is a one time event, just like being born. A person is either born or not yet born, and likewise a person is either baptized or unbaptized. Going through the motions again cannot make you "more" baptized than you already are. A pity though, that you abandoned the one Church Jesus Christ founded, which He said was to remain one, to which He promised the fullness of God's truth, for an unauthorized manmade semi-Christian church that has broken away from His holy Church.

Neostarwcc said:

So my wife and I were both raised Catholic and both of us were baptized as infants. I think I was 6 months old when I got baptized and my wife was Two years old. Some of the Protestant churches in our area are trying to encourage us to get baptized again full immersion but we don't really want to get rebaptized unless we have to. Plus it would be like saying our first baptism didn't count and Ephesians 4:5 says that we are all baptized by one baptism. But its true when I was 6 months old it was impossible for me to have a public faith in Christ. But when I grew up I developed faith in Christ and I think that faith was partly because of my baptism. So is my baptism valid? Or should I get rebaptized to join the protestant churches we want to join?

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No need to , whatever the protestants say . All you are doing as an adult is reinforcing your connection to Jesus , which we all have to do regularly, whatever Church you belong to .

Neostarwcc said:

I only ever had my first communion. I never finished with my confirmation. My wife finished with her confirmation.

I was an atheist for most of my life so I didn't really come to Christ until I was like 27 years old. So I didn't do my confirmation because I didn't really believe in God.

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You were probably not really an athiest but non believer .There is a difference .

Neostarwcc said:

I was an atheist for most of my life so I didn't really come to Christ until I was like 27 years old.

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Your quote above is why you may want to consider baptism by submersion. In any case, the Holy Spirit will lead you to make the right decision. Pray about it.
Blessings

Neostarwcc said:

So my wife and I were both raised Catholic and both of us were baptized as infants. I think I was 6 months old when I got baptized and my wife was Two years old. Some of the Protestant churches in our area are trying to encourage us to get baptized again full immersion but we don't really want to get rebaptized unless we have to. Plus it would be like saying our first baptism didn't count and Ephesians 4:5 says that we are all baptized by one baptism. But its true when I was 6 months old it was impossible for me to have a public faith in Christ. But when I grew up I developed faith in Christ and I think that faith was partly because of my baptism. So is my baptism valid? Or should I get rebaptized to join the protestant churches we want to join?

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You were not baptized at 6 months, as you yourself admit you did not have faith at 6 months old. You only got wet. It was not a Biblical baptism.

The Bible demonstrates that baptism is for believers in Jesus Christ. There is no example of infant baptism in the Bible. Moreover, Rome does not have the gospel of Jesus Christ, so any baptism done by Rome is not a Christian baptism.

So if you get baptized now, that is your first baptism. It is not rebaptizing.





[Cue the report monkeys for daring to stand up for the truth and say that a belief system (Roman Catholicism) is wrong.]

Neostarwcc said:

Because I agree with many of the Baptist theology like Eternal Security and Sola scriptura.

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What about the other Sola's? Do you believe in Sola Fide?

Neostarwcc said:

Really the only belief of mine that doesn't match with the protestant church has to do with baptism.

Meanwhile I was barely a Catholic as a kid and I don't agree with much of the Catholic theology.

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Interesting. What do you believe about the purpose of Baptism? You disagree with Baptists, but that is as far as it goes and sounds very vague. The problem, is that leaves a wide open spectrum of theologies concerning baptism. Here is a few of the theologies concerning infant Baptism....
1---- Baptismal justification ----- (Catholics) Baptism is an initial justification, and then you can increase your justification through the mass. This view of course denies sola fide. I do not see that you can consistently claim to be protestant and hold to this view of baptism as a valid view.
2---- Baptismal regeneration ------ (Many Lutheran, High Anglicans, etc). In this view, Baptism does not bestow justification or salvation, but salvation is impossible without Baptism. Baptism bestows the preceding work of regeneration that later can result in salvation.
3---- New Covenant Baptism ------ (Presbyterian) Many presbyterians have a few of infant baptism that sees Baptism as bringing an infant under the New Covenant. This is non-salvific in nature. In Covenant Theology, Presbyterians would identify the Old Covenant sign and seal of circumcision as similar in nature to the New Covenant sign and seal of Baptism. Both were to infants, and neither made one a believer, but it did bestow the grace of having the infant come into the covenant community.

So what did your infant baptism do for you?

Neostarwcc said:

we don't really want to get rebaptized

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You don't have to be baptised again. Yes some baptised churches won't accept your child baptism, if they refuse you membership or deny you communion either change churches or give in and be rebaptised in order to participate in church life.

Neostarwcc said:

So my wife and I were both raised Catholic and both of us were baptized as infants. I think I was 6 months old when I got baptized and my wife was Two years old. Some of the Protestant churches in our area are trying to encourage us to get baptized again full immersion but we don't really want to get rebaptized unless we have to. Plus it would be like saying our first baptism didn't count and Ephesians 4:5 says that we are all baptized by one baptism. But its true when I was 6 months old it was impossible for me to have a public faith in Christ. But when I grew up I developed faith in Christ and I think that faith was partly because of my baptism. So is my baptism valid? Or should I get rebaptized to join the protestant churches we want to join?

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I have by no means looked very closely at this sort of issue, but I would think that the faith you have now would make your baptism as an infant valid.

Neostarwcc said:

So my wife and I were both raised Catholic and both of us were baptized as infants. I think I was 6 months old when I got baptized and my wife was Two years old. Some of the Protestant churches in our area are trying to encourage us to get baptized again full immersion but we don't really want to get rebaptized unless we have to. Plus it would be like saying our first baptism didn't count and Ephesians 4:5 says that we are all baptized by one baptism. But its true when I was 6 months old it was impossible for me to have a public faith in Christ. But when I grew up I developed faith in Christ and I think that faith was partly because of my baptism. So is my baptism valid? Or should I get rebaptized to join the protestant churches we want to join?

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The "one baptism" of the Nicene Creed and the Bible is the inner baptism of the Holy Spirit when he gives us the new birth. I was baptized as an infant and immersed when I was confirmed at 12. In neither case was I a believer in Jesus until the age of 16. With that as a background, I believe that the outward ceremony--whether of a baby or an adult--points to the past or future new birth by the Holy Spirit.

It's for this reason that I see no objection to your re-baptism, which will be a public proclamation of your faith and God's welcome into that church.

Neostarwcc said:

So my wife and I were both raised Catholic and both of us were baptized as infants. I think I was 6 months old when I got baptized and my wife was Two years old. Some of the Protestant churches in our area are trying to encourage us to get baptized again full immersion but we don't really want to get rebaptized unless we have to. Plus it would be like saying our first baptism didn't count and Ephesians 4:5 says that we are all baptized by one baptism. But its true when I was 6 months old it was impossible for me to have a public faith in Christ. But when I grew up I developed faith in Christ and I think that faith was partly because of my baptism. So is my baptism valid? Or should I get rebaptized to join the protestant churches we want to join?

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My Lutheran Church would honor your Catholic baptism.