+194 Babies shouldn't be baptized, amirite?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Why not O: It's like a free swimming lesson.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

lawl

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Ahaha xD

by Anonymous 14 years ago

They should be! It's giving them a chance at eternal life.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

hahahahahahahahhahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhaahah thats funny no offense

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Baptism doesn't save you, especially if you're a baby. Only consciously accepting what Jesus did, the love and forgiveness.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

according to whom? your imaginary friend Hesus?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Babies can't make the decision of whether or not they want to follow God, so they shouldn't be. Maybe they should be presented to a priest and prayed over, but otherwise...yeah..

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Yeah. It means so much more if you do it for the first time of your own will too, fully understanding what it means.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

it's not like you're going to ask the baby "jesus or no jesus?" how can we give them a choice. even if we wait like ten years they aren't going to understand the religion since no one taught them what to believe in. besides if you aren't happy with your religion switch religions no big deal.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Oooh contraversial.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

In the Catholic church at least, we have two similar sacraments. Baptism is often performed on infants who have guardians chosen by the parents to help guide them on their spiritual journey. Through the years the child continues to receive religious education until Confirmation. In Confirmation, they renew the promises that were made for them at Baptism and become full members of the church. They can also choose not to be Confirmed and break away from the church. I think it's a good system.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

That's Roman Catholic. I'm unsure about the eastern rights.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Eastern Catholics are Confirmed right after Baptism.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I get what you're saying, but it's hard to choose not to be Confirmed, even if you don't believe what you're being taught, just because of the age at which kids get Confirmed. My parents would have been super pissed if I had told them I didn't want to get confirmed and that I don't know yet if I believe in God and religion, so I got Confirmed even though I wasn't ready.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

If you read the Catholic Bible though, it still says Baptism is what you do when you decide to follow God. It doesn't say anywhere that you should do it your child or that it gives you eternal life. Believing in Jesus does... not Baptism

by Anonymous 14 years ago

This.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

They should have a choice. -UrLilNinjaStalkerUnicornButterflyNub

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Er, how exactly do you ask a baby whether it wants to be baptized or not?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

That's quite the point.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

You rebel against everything else why would it matter if you were baptised or not. When you grow up, if you do, then you can decide to go another way. If not then that is one thing you don't have to worry about. Geez!

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I agree, babies can't make up their own minds about whether they want to believe in/worship god, so they shouldn't be

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Maybe we shouldn't teach them how to talk either. They may want to speak a different language when they are older too. Maybe we shouldn't teach them to use the toilet as they may want to use "Depends" the rest of their lives. How cynical to blame something on the parents when they are just trying to guide you. Remember when you are 18 you can do whatever it is that trips your bippy.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Are you directing this at me? You totally misunderstood. I didn't say parents shouldn't guide their children, raising them in the Christian faith if they want to. But baptizing them is a whole 'nother ballgame. Baptism is a decision that should be made only by the person getting baptised; it's like saying, "This is what I believe and I want to show the world."

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I don't see what the big deal is. Of course a baby can't decide for itself. Now if you don't have the baby baptized then your are denying someone their right to religion. Nothing is set in stone. How many people don't like their birth names? They change that also. I have known a few people who have changed religions when they got older. Not a problem. I think that most people that change religions pick a religion that suits their wants more than picking one for its faith. The Moslem religion seems to be popular for some reason. Now admit that this is more about you than anything or anyone else. Am I right?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Not really. I wasn't baptized as a child.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I was. I am not a fanatic in the religion but I don't care to join any other either for my own reasons. I do respect the religion and others religions as long as they don't pressure me to join or tell me I'm going to hell for not. ;-) I won't join just because a friend is in it either because I am my own person.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Nice. All I was saying is being raised a Christian doesn't necessarily have to include being baptized, as that's a separate decision to be made later. I wasn't baptized as a child, but I'm at the point where I'm so immersed in my beliefs that I'll gladly be baptized every day.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Yes it does. Some believe that baptizing gives the child to the lord for protection or whatever from the devil. It also allows them to name people they trust to watch their kids in the event of the parents death. I don't know how much is legal but..... It all boils down to the parents protecting their baby BECAUSE they can't say anything. Again you would be denying someone their right to religion. Many people get rebaptised later in life. My cousin did it in his 20's when he proclaimed the jehovah's witness faith. People do it every day.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Admittedly, as a Jew I know very little about baptism, but how can you deny someone the right to a religion? Religion is a choice, not a right. At least to me.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

That's the one part that confuses me about what they're saying, too, but otherwise I agree with BigBlurt. And it's not totally about the baby's decision, either, it's partly about the commitment the parents make to raise they're child in faith--it's like sealing the deal. Plus some babies are circumcised without they're "permission," which is sometimes a religious act, so why is baptism such a big deal? It's not like you had a cross branded on your forehead or something.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

(Anonymous): "how can you deny someone the right to a religion?" Yes, almost everything is a choice. But telling someone they shouldn't or can't do something that involves their religion would be denying them of their religious rituals. It's like you can go to church but you can't pray. If you have a right to do something then tell you how you can to practice it would be denying their rights.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

How is not bringing someone into a religion without giving them the choice, denying their right to religion? Isn't it sort of denying freedom of choice and religion to baptize someone who can't make that choice?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I wasn't baptized till i was 16.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Post o' the Day!

by Anonymous 14 years ago

It's the parent's decision to have their children baptized. I think the real problem comes when parents force their children into their own religion... making them go to church and religion classes instead of letting them choose their own beliefs.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Being baptized doesn't really affect the child's choice of religion once he/she grows up. :/

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Haha yes it does. Most often people follow the religion they were brought up in.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

In most cases that's true but even if a child isn't baptized they will still probably be raised in the parents religion so that doesnt really affect the baptis argument

by Anonymous 12 years ago

what exactly is wrong with baptizing your child? i was taught that baptism erases original sin that we're all born with(thanks to adam and eve) and agreed with anonymous. it is the parents' choice. but about the parents forcing their religion on their children, they do that because it's what they understand and they think that that's one of the right paths. they aren't familiar with anything else so they just want their children to follow their footsteps to make sure they're doing it right. i thought that with my mother who forced catholocism on us but i totally get it now. besides, if said child doesn't agree with their parents' beliefs most likely they won't follow, they'll find what's right for them and what they understand most. the parents do that just to look out for their children. either way even if they don't like the religious education at least they have a valid reason to dislike w/e religion since they know about it now.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Original sin? How can a NEWBORN baby have committed a sin?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

a NEWBORN baby didn't COMMIT sin. they were BORN with it. it's because of adam and eve. because of what they did we are all BORN with original sin.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

What did Adam and Eve do? And why do the repurcussions apply to us..?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

they were told by god not to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree. they were tricked by the devil and ate the fruit. before they ate the fruit they were shameless i guess? idk how to explain that. they walked around naked, they didn't care didn't judge or w/e. then they disobeyed god and ate the fruit which gave them this 'knowledge'. they became ashamed of their bodies and other things. god found out and punished all of mankind thrust them out of the garden and said their children will be born of original sin. i can't fully explain because it's been a while since i've read it but if you read the book of genesis it explains how it all went down.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Because they ate fruit... Wow. God is pretty harsh.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

lmao. like i said it's been a while i don't exactly remember so don't precisely quote me on anything. the fruit gave them a knowledge. if they hadn't eaten the fruit they would have gone through life peaceful without any concept of sin or guilt whatsoever. it pretty much would have been a perfect world. because of them childbirth is a bitch and there was something else but i don't remember... "with adam and eve's sin came the fall of man" i remember that line i just don't know where i got it. but yea if you want to say it like that adam and eve ate a fruit so now we're all screwed :)

by Anonymous 14 years ago

But wheres the fun in that, eh?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

where's the fun in what? living in a perfect world? ha well everywhere would be like a nude beach i guess

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Course it would be no fun living in a perfect world, you wouldn't have to do anything of any importance and there'd be no wrongs to right. Bo-oring.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

how can you say that when you haven't fully experienced it? you wouldn't be aware of anything wrong. which yea means that you wouldn't be aware of right. there'd be no war. we'd all get along. we could do whatever we wanted and it would be okay. there'd be no suffering. i'm all for going through mistakes and doing right in this world but wouldn't that be amazing to see? actual world peace?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

The thing is, Adam and Eve's original sin not only brought sin into the world, made childbirth painful, and made us have to work for our food and provisions, but it also made it so we couldn't live with God. Before that, God was actually with them in the garden; he wasn't chilling somewhere up in heaven. But then God no longer lived with them. We are no longer godly creatures. We are shameful. If Adam and Eve had never sinned, it'd be similar to Heaven on Earth because we'd have no concept of sin and God would be literally with us. The good news is now God can live within us again; we can be reunited and have a relationship because of what Jesus did. And through that newfound life we can get a taste of what having a "perfect" world would be, if only because of our outlook on life. I believe baptism is just an extension of this decision, this acceptance of life. A baby can't accept Jesus no more than it can profess to the world through baptism that it has done so.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

i go to a nude beach, it is awsome

by Anonymous 11 years ago

The Adam and Eve story is fake. No baby is born with sin. The reason Catholics baptize, I believe, is because unbaptized babies supposedly go to purgatory because of "original sin." Do you really believe that God would not allow innocent babies to go to Heaven?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

But what if the child dies before they get the chance to be baptized? Then they have no chance at all to get to heaven (based on the Christan faith); that's the way I see it, especially since I had an infant brother who died only a few days after baptism.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

we don't believe that a baby's gonna go to hell because they weren't baptized. we believe that if you have the chance to baptize your child then you should. parent's are responsible for teaching their children right. baptism is the beginning of doing so. as for your brother and for any other baby who died early i'm sorry.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I know that babies who die befor baptism aren't going to hell, to my understanding they go to limbo; which isn't bad but isn't as good as heaven.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

idk about limbo. i mean i'm still trying to figure out what happens. to me i think god gives everyone a chance. even petit cha bebes. as for limbo, that's still being debated by theologians.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I'm assuming that by "limbo" you mean purgatory? Referred to in the Old Testament as "Abraham's Bosom"? Everyone who is in purgatory will get to heaven. Purgatory is just where they go to be purified of their venial sins, and the sins for which they have been forgiven.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

You act like once you're baptized, that's it. Game over. It's official and can't be broken. I mean come on, you can change your mind later. Might as well humor your parents for a while.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I only got christened so we'd get presents from our family.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I say you should wait until the child can make decisions, then he can choose if he wants to be baptized.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I agree with this post so very much. The child should be able to choose. Baptism is a public statement of your beliefs not something that you should do if you can't even talk yet. I was "dedicated" or something of the sort when I was a baby. I honestly wish I wasn't because I don't have religious beliefs. And I believe other people may have those regrets.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

isent getting baptised just like taking a bath? im sure the baby wont be that bothered, its nothing more than a bath to it, and thats all that it remains amirite?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

No, it's what it represents religiously that matters. The child's religion is all but being chosen for it before it has any say in the matter.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Its better people be born into Christ then to find a path out.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Gotta love indoctrination over an informed decision! Make the choice for them so they can't make the wrong one.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

This post is full of win. I was baptized as a baby and, now, wish I hadn't. It will always just be a mini-bath to me (apparently I peed during the process too), but it's still something I had no decision-making in. Someone said that maybe parent's shouldn't teach their kids to talk -- but that's just being ridiculously hypersensitive. There's a difference between teaching someone a basic skill, and forcing a religion down on them.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Agreed. Baptism is publicly telling people that you believe and will follow God. You can't make that decision as an infant. I don't even understand why Catholics do it. It says nothing about it in the Bible... it's just a stupid made-up ritual.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Well, baptism is in the Bible, but presented more as a way to become clothed in the Holy Spirit. John says, "I baptize people in water, but Jesus will baptize them with the Holy Spirit." I don't think he literally meant we should be baptized now, but rather that when we accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit falls on us, quite apart from any act of being in water.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

No... baptism is in the Bible, but not baptizing infants to protect them or whatever these people are saying. I do believe getting baptized when you're at an age where you can understand it though.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Yeah. Sorry, I misunderstood what you said. I thought you were saying baptism as a whole was made up by the Church lol. But yeah, the whole baptizing infants is, if I'm not mistaken, a human-established thing.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Yes, the bible doesn't specifically mention baptizing infants. It does however talk about whole households being baptized. This wasn't modern times, every household had infants. So even though it doesn't specifically mention it, infants were baptized.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

untill youre 18 your parents make decisions for you because your not old enough and when youve turned 18 you can decide to either follow up on those decisions or not for example if you were baptised you can make the decision to keep on being religious or to notr be religious.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

why do you think they shouldn't?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

only religious freaks and fanatics think that all babies should be baptized

by Anonymous 14 years ago

ahahahah for the longest time i thought this said barbies...

by Anonymous 14 years ago

i think babies should because then it gets the child off on the right start in there life......its more of a promise that the parents will raise their child in the lords name and bring them to church and when they are old enough they can make the choice to be a beliver and live a eternal life or not.... :)

by Anonymous 14 years ago

In protestant churches, we "dedicate." I'm sure its still not perfect but I like the idea a little more-the concept being the parents will guide the child in faith without choosing for them. Baptisms can inly be done to someone old enough to understand their choice, which varies by person.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

babies are atheists, they don't believe in god because no one has told them to believe in god yet. It's just water, but i still think they should decide when they're older and have (hopefully) been exposed to other ideas then just their parents'.

by Anonymous 12 years ago