should I be re-baptised?

[DawnTillery]

Sorry, but you have a double standard? U say you must know what your doing but you also say baptising babies are ok? The baby doesnt know what it is doing?
I feel this way. I feel if you there wanting to be baptised and you have prayed for salvation, then you apparently know what your doing. Who gave anyone the right to say your not ready. God knocked on your heart and you heard him and let him in. If your there, your ready, I could see the preacher having a conversation with the individual but 6 mths worth of classes?
Matthew 28:19-20
Mark 16:15-16

Do you believe they would baptize someone that had no idea what it meant and what was going on? Should someone get married completely clueless about what they were getting into, or would it be better for them to understand it?

If a person it at risk of dying, I'm pretty sure any church would be willing to baptize them before being confirmed into the Church or denomination.

The reason one is not baptized immediately is to allow them to understand what they are getting into and fully appreciate the gift they were receiving.



I disagree, as that seems to imply it is wrong for parents to baptize their children. Yet, Jesus was circumcised as a baby, like all the other jewish children.

 

[Monica02]

Sorry, but you have a double standard? U say you must know what your doing but you also say baptising babies are ok? The baby doesnt know what it is doing?
I feel this way. I feel if you there wanting to be baptised and you have prayed for salvation, then you apparently know what your doing. Who gave anyone the right to say your not ready. God knocked on your heart and you heard him and let him in. If your there, your ready, I could see the preacher having a conversation with the individual but 6 mths worth of classes?
Matthew 28:19-20
Mark 16:15-16

Stray Bullet's post was confusing. I am thinking that she/he is saying that if an adult is asking for baptism then instruction would make sense. Baptism does impart Grace and is a free gift from God so baptising babies is valid.

 

[RJHarmony84]

hehe, okay, okay.
Actually, I personally don't agree with infant baptism--just a little remnant of my old Mennonite faith. I'm from a church of re-baptizers--we believe that it doesn't hurt anything to baptise when they're babies; we just think that everyone should be old enough to know what they're doing and why. And please, don't try to change what another member said--even with good intentions, that's a good way to start a fight, and then the mods would come shut us down.

By the way, Monica02,
What do you mean by "baptism does impart Grace"? And why would its being a free gift from God have anything to do with whether or not it is valid to baptise babies?
I'm confused, please explain! *leans forward*

 

[Monica02]

Baptism helps to sanctify. It erases the stain of original sin. Since it is a free gift from God, a baby, who can't request the sacrament, may still receive it. Anyhow, the Church baptises infants. Who am I to argue with the Church? I can't see what the controversy is all about. Who would not the stain of original sin removed?

 

[RJHarmony84]

I see. According to my old church, children don't have a part in the Original sin until they actually commit a sin. Which I guess for most kids is at about two maybe. Old eough to remember when something's "bad" and still do it anyway. So to us, babies are innocents--and if they die without a baptism, we beleive God takes them anyway, because they have not committed any sin yet. Besides...Eve and Adam were adults when they committed the "original" sin, and thought the punishment of death carried over to Cain & Abel, it never says in the Bible that God didn't receive Abel when he died!
Anyway, I didn't start this to be a discussion on infant baptism, but it's as good a topic as any I guess--especially as I've already decided that I won't be getting a second baptism anytime soon. In fact, I don't think I'll be trying any new churches anytime soon either.

 

[InnerPhyre]

2 baptisms? Is that even Biblical?

 

[stray bullet]

Sorry, but you have a double standard? U say you must know what your doing but you also say baptising babies are ok? The baby doesnt know what it is doing?
I feel this way. I feel if you there wanting to be baptised and you have prayed for salvation, then you apparently know what your doing. Who gave anyone the right to say your not ready. God knocked on your heart and you heard him and let him in. If your there, your ready, I could see the preacher having a conversation with the individual but 6 mths worth of classes?

This is sort of hard to explain or understand in the context of America's church-switching culture. I was raised protestant and we considered it no big deal to switch churches and even denominations from time to time. Basically, one would start out their faith by being baptized and then go to differing churches if they wanted to.

Most churches in the world, however, require classes in order to join. Near the end of the process when they are ready to join, they then get baptized. It would not make sense to do it from the beginning because they would be getting baptized into the church, before they knew all about it and before they were ready to decide they wanted to be part of it.

With children, however, they will be born and raised in this church. You can baptize them into the church because they are about to spend the next 16-18 years in it under their parents. I hope that cleared up the question of why some wait to baptize

 

[WhiteFeather]

I was baptized in 1994, but I fell away from the church, as my husband at the time was not christian, and lived for himself and the world, I was not strong enough to know that by trying to be a "good wife" and devoted to him first, rather than serving the Lord first, thinking I would save my marraige.

So when we divorce 10 yrs later, and also struggling with cancer, and no hope, I gave myself back to the Lord, found a wonderful spirit filled Church, and rededicated my life, with a wonderful Scripture the Holy Spirit gave to me.

Ephesians 1
Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18the eyes of your understanding[3] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

 

[Bain_Adaneth]

InnerPhyre,


I don't know is two baptisms biblical?

 

[Bradford]

InnerPhyre,


I don't know is two baptisms biblical?

Nope

Eph 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call,

Eph 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

Eph 4:6 one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.

AS long as the baptism was Trinitarian, (I baptise you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost), it is valid, and should never again be done on the same person. Baptisms that are only done in the name of Christ, however, should be considered invalid, and said persons should be given the TRUE baptism.

 

[findingneo]

Hi Harmony,

Just dropped by to see how you were doing and read any new posts. Can I just say that no matter what happens don't let the unloving actions of any 'christians' take your eyes away from the love that the Father has for you. I know how easy it is to see other's faults (and my own!) but that is why He sent His Son. Relating to others can be hard work but relationships are what life is about - relating to God and relating to others, both believers and non-believers. In the end love will remain. If you don't want to go to a particular denomination do you have some christians that you would want to meet with in a more informal way to relate together to the Father? Hope that your heart is encouraged and lifted in Him.

Neo

 

[Bain_Adaneth]

what if you don't remember if they said the Trinity????

 

[UberLutheran]

I was baptised in the church that I used to go to, and it really meant nothing to me...When I asked my church elders if I could be baptised, I thought it would be that week, or maybe the next week...I was really serious in wanting to, and i'd been thinking about it for weeks before, but they insisted that I take a 6-month long therepy mentorship with an elder to prepare me. By the time it was over, I was so sick of the whole thing that the only reason I did it was to get them off my back. It really hurt, and I left the church partly because i couldn't get over the feeling of being cheated. Now I just feel sad, 'cause I hear people talk about how wonderful their baptisms were and mine was a total flop. I heard that you can be baptised more than once, and that lots of people do that...Should I be re-baptised?

One time does it.

If you really WANT to be re-baptized, you can always choose to do that: but as far as God is concerned, it's already done.

Incidentally, I left the church where I was baptized -- it was an ultra-fundamentalist church with all the earmarks of a cult; and I've belonged to a couple of other denominations on my journey over to Lutheran-land -- but re-baptism was never necessary, not was it an issue. I may not have liked my ultra-fundamentalist church, and I certainly didn't agree with their teachings (and especially the harsh and occasionally cruel application of those teachings) -- but once we're baptized, we're baptized (period).

 

[RJHarmony84]

Ok people
Thanks for all your advice. I'm not going ot be checking this thread anymore, so unless you want to IM me about it, I won't see any new stuff.
take care all!