I grew up my whole life a Catholic and as many know Catholics baptize children at a very young age. When I've looked into books, being baptized basically means devoting your life to God, if this is true how is a child capable of devoting their lives to Jesus without consent? I became Christian about a year ago. Yet, I still don't know much about the teachings. Do Christians baptize children? Do they have Godparents? If so, how do you go about this? How does the process begin? And as for being engaged, do you have to complete any sort of marriage counseling before doing so? Please let me know any answers/advice you may have for a new Christian like myself. Thanks in advance.
Baptism?
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tampasteve
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There are essentially four camps in the Baptism debate:
1. Infant Baptism is OK or preferred
2. Only "believers Baptism" is valid
3. Either infant or believers is OK, leave it to the individual
4. Baptism is not necessary
These are generalities, there will always be people that differ:
Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Orthodox, and some others would fall into the first category.
Most Baptist, non-Denom, etc. fall into the second category.
Different groups, mainly non-denom fall into the third category.
Groups such as the Salvation Army fall into the fourth.
People have valid opinions on both sides of the infant Baptism controversy. The truth is that it cannot be proved either way with scripture, but Tradition does support infant Baptism as does Jewish tradition and beliefs. In the end I leave it to what you think is best for your family and your walk.
Most churches that believe in infant Baptism also have Confirmation when the child is old enough to make a commitment, similar to a Jewish Bar/Bat Mitzvah. So the person is still making a conscious decision to follow Jesus.
BTW, on these forums Catholics are considered Christians as well.
1. Infant Baptism is OK or preferred
2. Only "believers Baptism" is valid
3. Either infant or believers is OK, leave it to the individual
4. Baptism is not necessary
These are generalities, there will always be people that differ:
Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Orthodox, and some others would fall into the first category.
Most Baptist, non-Denom, etc. fall into the second category.
Different groups, mainly non-denom fall into the third category.
Groups such as the Salvation Army fall into the fourth.
People have valid opinions on both sides of the infant Baptism controversy. The truth is that it cannot be proved either way with scripture, but Tradition does support infant Baptism as does Jewish tradition and beliefs. In the end I leave it to what you think is best for your family and your walk.
Most churches that believe in infant Baptism also have Confirmation when the child is old enough to make a commitment, similar to a Jewish Bar/Bat Mitzvah. So the person is still making a conscious decision to follow Jesus.
BTW, on these forums Catholics are considered Christians as well.
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***
Baptism symbolizes and declares our new faith in Christ and our trust in His forgiveness. Buried in the water, we arise to a new life in Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
By baptism we confess our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and testify of our death to sin and of our purpose to walk in newness of life. Thus we acknowledge Christ as Lord and Saviour, become His people. Baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, and our reception of the Holy Spirit. It is by immersion in water and is contingent on an affirmation of faith in Jesus and evidence of repentance of sin. It follows instruction in the Holy Scriptures and acceptance of their teachings. Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:38; Acts 16:30-33; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:1-6; Galatians 3:27; Colossians. 2:12, 13.
Obviously one needs to be of an age (will vary) to understand these things.
God Bless.
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tampasteve
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MOD HAT ON
So, please give opinion and advice, but debate between members is not OK in this forum.
MOD HAT OFF
Before this turns into another Infant/Believers Baptism debate let me remind everyone of the SOP for this particular sub-forum:
"Christian Advice is a non-debate area for members to ask and receive Biblically-based, Christian advice for a struggle they are encountering."
So, please give opinion and advice, but debate between members is not OK in this forum.
MOD HAT OFF
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tampasteve
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As a courtesy to everyone in this thread: Please remember that Catholics are Christians on this forum. Please do not imply otherwise.
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PloverWing
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tampasteve has summarized the range of Christian views very well. I'll add this, in case it helps to make sense of the views:
Consider a person -- let's call her Alice -- who has grown up in the church, and who has loved God from her earliest memory. If we ask "When did Alice first become a Christian?", there are two reasonable answers you might give. 1) Alice started to be a Christian at the very beginning of her life, when she was loved by God and surrounded by family and church members who taught her about God. Or, 2) Alice became a Christian when she consciously decided to be a Christian. Churches that practice infant baptism are placing baptism at beginning-point #1, emphasizing the grace of God and the nurture given by one's parents and church; these churches often mark beginning-point #2 with Confirmation. Churches that practice believer's baptism are placing baptism at beginning-point #2, emphasizing the individual's own choice and commitment to God; these churches often mark beginning-point #1 with a Dedication ceremony.
If you are engaged to be married, then the baptism question is one to discuss with your fiance before you marry, since it's something spouses may disagree about. Will you baptize your children as infants, or will you wait until they choose baptism for themselves? (My husband and I had to talk about this and come to an agreement, because he's Baptist and I'm Episcopalian.)
To answer your last question: Most churches, I think, offer pre-marriage counselling to engaged couples. I highly recommend taking advantage of this counselling, even if it isn't mandatory in your church. It can offer good, practical advice on how two people with their different personalities, histories, interests, etc., can work together to make a harmonious decades-long relationship.
Consider a person -- let's call her Alice -- who has grown up in the church, and who has loved God from her earliest memory. If we ask "When did Alice first become a Christian?", there are two reasonable answers you might give. 1) Alice started to be a Christian at the very beginning of her life, when she was loved by God and surrounded by family and church members who taught her about God. Or, 2) Alice became a Christian when she consciously decided to be a Christian. Churches that practice infant baptism are placing baptism at beginning-point #1, emphasizing the grace of God and the nurture given by one's parents and church; these churches often mark beginning-point #2 with Confirmation. Churches that practice believer's baptism are placing baptism at beginning-point #2, emphasizing the individual's own choice and commitment to God; these churches often mark beginning-point #1 with a Dedication ceremony.
If you are engaged to be married, then the baptism question is one to discuss with your fiance before you marry, since it's something spouses may disagree about. Will you baptize your children as infants, or will you wait until they choose baptism for themselves? (My husband and I had to talk about this and come to an agreement, because he's Baptist and I'm Episcopalian.)
To answer your last question: Most churches, I think, offer pre-marriage counselling to engaged couples. I highly recommend taking advantage of this counselling, even if it isn't mandatory in your church. It can offer good, practical advice on how two people with their different personalities, histories, interests, etc., can work together to make a harmonious decades-long relationship.
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Its going to depend on your current denomination - and whether you agree with them.
I am a proponent of believers baptism, but also see it as a net positive when infant children are dedicated to Christ - so long as they engage in a believers baptism once they are old enough to decide for themselves.
But those are my beliefs.
What denomination have you been baptised in after you believed in Christ? What are their beliefs?
You might like to sit with your pastor and speak with him on these issues. An in person discussion can sometimes be helpful.
I don't know anything about what various denominations do when a couple decides to engage. You will need to ask your pastor.
I am a proponent of believers baptism, but also see it as a net positive when infant children are dedicated to Christ - so long as they engage in a believers baptism once they are old enough to decide for themselves.
But those are my beliefs.
What denomination have you been baptised in after you believed in Christ? What are their beliefs?
You might like to sit with your pastor and speak with him on these issues. An in person discussion can sometimes be helpful.
I don't know anything about what various denominations do when a couple decides to engage. You will need to ask your pastor.
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HTacianas
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There are only a small number of protestant groups who do not baptize their children. Baptism of children has been the practice of all of the original apostolic Churches since the beginning.
Origen wrote circa 200 AD that it had been handed down by the Apostles. Baptism brings a child into the Church, and it is the parents' prerogative to choose the religion of their children.
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Albion
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FWIW, that's probably not correct to say. While all the Catholic groups baptize children, quite a large number of well-known Protestant churches oppose the practice. Some of them are:
Assemblies of God and other Pentecostal churches, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Church of God (200 Church bodies by this name), all Baptist Churches, Churches of Christ, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Church of God in Christ, Church of God of Prophecy, Church of the Brethren, Mennonite and Amish, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Quakers, and most "Bible," non-denominational, and interdenominational churches.
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The Dude Jude
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Why not go to the author of your faith to ask what His thoughts are in regard to being baptized?
You can find a bread crumb trail of what was symbolic and how Jesus wants us to now baptize others. I believe this starts with John the Baptist as he made mention of the old vs the new, that is, water vs fire/Holy Spirit or mans way vs God's way in Matthew 3:11.
What is important is that we be baptized by Jesus the Christ (the founder and perfecter of our faith Hebrews 12:2) by His Holy Spirit that He would send to us as He made mention in John 14:26 and John 16:13-14.
Jesus did say that His WORDS are spirit and they are life in John 6:63 and the last command He gave us was to go into all the world baptizing people, teaching them to obey everything that He has commanded us to do in Matthew 28:19-20.
Maybe you could start by reading the 4 Gospels (Matthew 5, 6, & 7 more narrowly) and focus specifically on what Jesus commanded His disciples to do and be baptized yourself.
In peace and Love
You can find a bread crumb trail of what was symbolic and how Jesus wants us to now baptize others. I believe this starts with John the Baptist as he made mention of the old vs the new, that is, water vs fire/Holy Spirit or mans way vs God's way in Matthew 3:11.
What is important is that we be baptized by Jesus the Christ (the founder and perfecter of our faith Hebrews 12:2) by His Holy Spirit that He would send to us as He made mention in John 14:26 and John 16:13-14.
Jesus did say that His WORDS are spirit and they are life in John 6:63 and the last command He gave us was to go into all the world baptizing people, teaching them to obey everything that He has commanded us to do in Matthew 28:19-20.
Maybe you could start by reading the 4 Gospels (Matthew 5, 6, & 7 more narrowly) and focus specifically on what Jesus commanded His disciples to do and be baptized yourself.
In peace and Love
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Parents can devote their children to God. Think of Hannah devoting Samuel to God (1 Samuel 1). All Christian parents should raise their children to be followers of Christ.
Of course, when children grow up, they might walk away from God. Parents will always hope and pray that that won't happen.
Most do, except for Baptists and Pentecostals (which are both large groups, of course). In your situation, if your church baptises babies, you should have your baby baptised (when you have a baby). If your church does not baptise babies, that raises the question as to whether the baby should be baptised elsewhere. But you can think about that when the time comes.
Orthodox, Catholics, and Anglicans do. Godparents take on an obligation to help the parents raise the children as followers of Christ (Christian uncles and aunties will do that anyway, even if they are not formally godparents).
Most pastors insist on marriage counselling before the actual wedding, but not before the engagement.
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HI MARIA:
BAPTISIM is one of the topics most misunderstood and used in the scripture in my openion.
Consider what the apostle Paul said about water baptism. He said that He was happy that He baptized none, except one. He was the apostle to the Gentiles and did not teach water baptism; so why are people teaching it today? Because of the lack of the truth of the Bible scriptures.
Andy Centek
BAPTISIM is one of the topics most misunderstood and used in the scripture in my openion.
Consider what the apostle Paul said about water baptism. He said that He was happy that He baptized none, except one. He was the apostle to the Gentiles and did not teach water baptism; so why are people teaching it today? Because of the lack of the truth of the Bible scriptures.
Andy Centek
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It's worth pointing out that all Christians baptise, one way or another, in line with Jesus's command in Matthew 28:19.
It's even part of the Creed which forms CF's Statement of Faith.
It's even part of the Creed which forms CF's Statement of Faith.
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