Baptisim....Yay, or Nae?...

[meow_173]

I thought this might be a good topic to debate. So here are some things to consider, are you baptised? Are your children Baptised? What are your views on Baptism?


I am baptised RC, DH is Baptised RC, Luke is NOT baptised. Neither of us have attended church in a long time, and it really isn't a huge deal for either of us. I, having gone to church every sunday and gone to catholic schools all my life, and DH going to public and not going to church, we both agreed that neither of us wanted to dictate what religion or faith luke should have. When the time is right we will talk to him about religion, the true meanings of christmas, easter etc. But if he decides to choose a different religion or faith, then i have done my job by providing him with that option.

 

[Trina]

You're going to get a lot of different opinions on this. I usually stay away from religious topics, because they can be quite controversial, but I'll add my POV. I'm pretty laid back and open and respectful to different religions and opinions. I don't believe any one religion or faith is better than any other. They're just different, and all deserve respect.

All that said, my siblings and I have never been baptized. We're all 40+. Some background... My family is orignally from Canada. When we lived in Canada we belonged to a Protestant church (United?) that didn't believe in baptism until a child was older. Well, we moved to the USA when I was 4 yrs. old. My parents tried to find another church but never did find one they liked. We were homeschooled basic Christian doctrine and allowed to explore other religions. That I did, as a young adult and met a lot of hypocrits and very judgemental people. I decided organized religion wasn't for me. I believe in God, and of course HE knows who truly believes in Him, whether they attend church or not. I don't believe it's necessary to go to a certain building so many times a week to be a good person. All God really wants is for people to follow the Ten Commandments and live respectful lives.

DH was baptized and raised as a strict RC. As soon as he left home he wanted nothing more to do with it because he had it shoved down his throat as a child. He still believes in God, but not organized religion.

Our children have not been baptized. We're homeschooling basic Christian doctrine and will allow them to explore other religions. They are being taught to respect people of all different shapes, sizes, colors, religions, life styles, etc..

 

[meow_173]

You're going to get a lot of different opinions on this. I usually stay away from religious topics, because they can be quite controversial, but I'll add my POV. I'm pretty laid back and open and respectful to different religions and opinions. I don't believe any one religion or faith is better than any other. They're just different, and all deserve respect.

All that said, my siblings and I have never been baptized. We're all 40+. Some background... My family is orignally from Canada. When we lived in Canada we belonged to a Protestant church (United?) that didn't believe in baptism until a child was older. Well, we moved to the USA when I was 4 yrs. old. My parents tried to find another church but never did find one they liked. We were homeschooled basic Christian doctrine and allowed to explore other religions. That I did, as a young adult and met a lot of hypocrits and very judgemental people. I decided organized religion wasn't for me. I believe in God, and of course HE knows who truly believes in Him, whether they attend church or not. I don't believe it's necessary to go to a certain building so many times a week to be a good person. All God really wants is for people to follow the Ten Commandments and live respectful lives.

DH was baptized and raised as a strict RC. As soon as he left home he wanted nothing more to do with it because he had it shoved down his throat as a child. He still believes in God, but not organized religion.

Our children have not been baptized. We're homeschooling basic Christian doctrine and will allow them to explore other religions. They are being taught to respect people of all different shapes, sizes, colors, religions, life styles, etc..

EXCELLENT post! Thats exactly how i feel.

 

[Mindy]

Trina that sounds A LOT like my family.

My dad is baptised Roman Catholic and my mom Protestant (Anglican) same diff basically. We are Canadian too. Neither one of my parents went to church after their teens but we all believe in God and we worship in our own way. When I was born mom and dad were torn about whether to have me baptised or not. They went back in forth in their minds until the priest from the church gave her a call (really small town) to ask whether she was having me baptised or not. She said she really wasn't sure and had not made up her mind one way or another. The priest said to her, verbatim, she will never forget and oftens tells me "Well do you know if your baby dies tomorrow she cannot be buried in the cemetery because she isn't baptised yet?" Anyway that made my mom really angry and as a result neither my brother or I are baptised. She says now she thinks she made the right decision even though it was a snap one, because she doesn't believe you should be able to choose the faith for another person

 

[Trina]

"Well do you know if your baby dies tomorrow she cannot be buried in the cemetery because she isn't baptised yet?"

It's comments like this that <I>really</I> turn me off. I would have done the same as your mother.

 

[HappyMomma]

I was not baptised.

IMO, I think it should be left up to the child when they are old enough to make the choice of IF they want to be baptised.

 

[Mindy]

Ita


Tried to edit to make that all in caps, but the forum won't let me?

 

[Nikita]

I'm not baptized, nor are my children. As for my parents one was RC and one Protestant. They couldn't agree about Baptism, so it never happened. My parents never took us to church and religion wasn't a big thing in our house.

I'm not religious at all and plan on allowing my children choose for themselves and will stand behind them no matter what they decide. I believe religion is a choice and should not be forced onto anyone.

 

[Amber]

I'm baptized. Husband is baptized. My son is baptized. But we have all been saved so the next step was baptism. When my children get saved (again, the age of accountability) they will be baptized as well.

 

[meow_173]

i don't understand that......what do you mean by saved?

 

[Kaytee]

We are all baptised, husband self and child. To me it is an important step in being saved by Christ. I don't look down on non Christians or even Christians who do not baptize their children. Who goes to heaven is completely up to God and is no way up to me and my beliefs.

 

[Amber]

i don't understand that......what do you mean by saved?

Receiving salvation.

 

[meow_173]

Receiving salvation.

it still doesn't make sense to me......sorry

 

[Skyburning]

Correct me if I'm wrong someone but being saved is when you accept jesus as your lord and savior..you say a prayer (?) and you are baptized to wash you of your sins...right?

 

[Teresa]

I am a member of the United Methodist church. I was baptized at age 16, when I joined the church. My three children were dedicated as infants. The now 18 yr old is the only one who has been baptized, when she joined the church at age 16.

 

[Amber]

Correct me if I'm wrong someone but being saved is when you accept jesus as your lord and savior..you say a prayer (?) and you are baptized to wash you of your sins...right?

Halfway.

You ask Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Saviour. But you don't wash away your sins with the baptism. Jesus' blood does that the minute you receive salvation.

Baptism to me (and people of my belief) is just an outward symbol to the world that we've put to death the old man and arise a new creature.

 

[Trina]

it still doesn't make sense to me......sorry

Not all Christian churches/faiths do this. As a young adult, when I was exploring different religions, I attended a Baptist church for a short time that encouraged getting "Saved".

 

[meow_173]

So, does being "saved" basically mean that you were not baptised or not baptised in said faith, and you have to pronounce jesus as your "saviour" so that oyu are saved?

i completly respect that.

However, most western religions all pray and worship the same god. And if there IS a "god" and only ONE god (which would mean that in retrospect, all the other religions are worshiping the same god basically, or nothing at all) I think being "saved" is more for those who feel they need to be.
To me, i don't think (if there is a god) if you are not baptised, that he would not let you into heaven; especially if you lead a good life following all of the comandments.

This whole situation is unfortunatly skeptical until you die and even then you cannot come back to tell everyone the truth about everything.

 

[Amber]

Hmmm....how to say this.

Being saved really has nothing to do with baptism. It's a completely different step than salvation. Let me just do this. Why don't I just tell you what I did, how I believe. Maybe I can make sense of it that way.

I went to church all my life. Heard the gospel preached, heard salvation taught. I never asked Jesus into my heart until I was 20 years old. I believe had I have died before then, I would have went to hell, because I knew right from wrong, I had heard the gospel and salvation message preached and I chose not to accept it. However, when I chose to accept it, he washed my sins and I am saved, because I chose to accept Jesus as my Saviour and let him be Lord of my life. Now, when I die, I can enter Heaven.

A month after I was saved, I was baptized. Had I had died from the time I was saved until the time I was baptized, I still would have went to Heaven. In my belief, baptism is not essential to salvation. It's simply an outward manifestation of what change has occured in my life. It's kind of like a wedding ring. I can get married, but if I walk around without a wedding ring, no one knows it. I was saved, so in order to show the world that I'm a new creature, I was baptized, down with the old self (death to self) and up with a new creature. In my belief, baptism without salvation is simply just getting yourself wet. It doesn't mean or signify anything. But that's my belief. I also don't believe in infant or child baptism, unless that child has the mindset to acknowledge right from wrong and accept Jesus as their
Saviour.

I don't know if I explained that too well. If not, just ask

 

[Amber]

Not all Christian churches/faiths do this. As a young adult, when I was exploring different religions, I attended a Baptist church for a short time that encouraged getting "Saved".

This is true. Baptists don't believe everything Methodists believe, Pentecostals believe, Protestants, Lutherans, Evangelical, Church of Christ. They all have different beliefs. It'd be my advice to simply seek out what you are looking for, find which denomination God tells you is the one you should follow. No man can tell you what religion to follow. That has to come from God.

On a side note, there is a standing joke that Baptists believe they are the only ones getting into Heaven.