Can't find a church - need to get baptized

[Radagast]

But I think Catholics would accept minimalist-pouring (what you're calling sprinkling) as valid still? Even if not best liturgical practice.

From talking to Catholic priests, the water would have to at least touch the skin. Thus (what I call) sprinkling of newborns might be OK, sprinkling of older children (with more hair) would not be. Pouring with a cup or other utensil would always be OK.

AFAIK actual Catholic responses range from accepting Protestant baptisms to doing "conditional rebaptisms," with the formula, "If you have not been baptised, I baptise you..."

 

[Paidiske]

Well, yeah, if the water doesn't even touch the skin I don't see how you can call that any kind of baptism.

We're supposed to accept each other's baptisms (in water by Trinitarian formula) but you can always find someone who wants to go the extra mile in distancing their extra specially holy group from everyone else.

 

[Radagast]

but you can always find someone who wants to go the extra mile in distancing their extra specially holy group from everyone else.

I don't think that it's a question of being "especially holy;" it's the fact that different theology leads to different practice.

And the fact that some packages of ideas fit together better than others. For example, baptism by sprinkling a tiny amount of water works if you're baptising really tiny newborns -- which there are several quite different reasons for doing.

 

[Paidiske]

I don't think that it's a question of being "especially holy;" it's the fact that different theology leads to different practice.

No, I meant even when there are official agreements in place between denominations to accept one another's baptisms, you can always find some member of the clergy who thinks that's not good enough and wants to re-baptise.

 

[Radagast]

No, I meant even when there are official agreements in place between denominations to accept one another's baptisms, you can always find some member of the clergy who thinks that's not good enough and wants to re-baptise.

Oh, yes, I'm sure that's true.