I am christian by faith. Just christian.
However,
I was baptized in the catholic church by the catholic church.
I do not consider myself catholic anymore, so I would like to formally leave the catholic church. I would make known in my decision and statement that I do not renounce my christian faith nor my baptism.
however, if I make a formal decision and leave the catholic church,
1. would doing that also nullify or renounce my baptism?
2. if so, would that nullify or renounce just my catholic baptism, or my catholic and christian baptism althogether?
3. in general, isn't now baptism by the Holy Ghost the only baptism that matters?
Thank You!
When you were baptized in the Catholic Church you were baptized as a Christian. With few exceptions, all mainstream Christian churches recognize that Baptism is Baptism. It doesn't matter when you were baptized, where you were baptized, or who administered it. It's Baptism because God's word and promise is found in the Sacrament.
You can't un-baptize yourself anymore than you can un-born yourself.
Depending on what kind of church you end up being part of will definitely be a big factor in shaping how you relate to your baptism.
Some forms of Protestantism view baptism as purely a symbolic gesture that indicates that one is making a commitment to Jesus, and they insist that only converts of a certain age can be baptized--a view known as credobaptism or "believer's baptism". In some very few cases baptism is seen as a purely human work that indicates one's choice to join a congregation, rather than having to do with being a Christian at all. But this view is, even within all the diversity of various modern Protestant groups, quite rare.
The thing is that there's no such thing as "just a Christian". Even non-denominational churches are themselves a kind of denominational tradition, even if it is a denominational tradition of just a single independent congregation--there is a presupposed tradition of doctrine. Even if they say they "Just go by what the Bible says", it is still informed by tradition and doctrine on how to approach, read, and interpret the Bible.
So if you are looking for the historic, traditional Christian answer: You are baptized, and you can't ever not be baptized. What God has done for you and given you is irrevocable, the word of God endures forever (1 Peter 1:25). Jesus died, once and for all, and we can't change that--God has accomplished this for us, and it is
yours. That's what your baptism means, what Jesus has done is
yours. So regardless of where you end up going to church, you can't undo what God has done for you, His grace is stronger than us, His love is invincible.
Rather, the question will be does where you end up communing and going to church be faithfully preaching the word, faithfully administering the Sacraments, faithfully presenting Jesus Christ and His Gospel to you, a sinner; and inviting you to a life of repentance and Christian discipleship, that you might be hearing the word in truth and living a life of faith in the world.
-CryptoLutheran
