Baptising a Child

[Sultan85]

Most people baptise their children at a very young age. By doing this, aren't you deciding what your child should believe in, instead of leaving it to be his or her choice?
When children are so young, their brain is not developed to tackle such hard issues, that we as adults cannot even come to agreement with. When you sell this story to children, they will easily believe in it (which could be a possible explanation to why anyone is religious at all). When doing this, you are by definition, indoctrinating a defenseless child; which I would argue is psychological abuse.


Question: Are Baptising and teaching religious doctrine to children morally wrong? On that grounds that it interferes with his freedom to choose.

[Ann]

AkiThePirate,

Do you believe that baptism is necessary for salvation?

The questions of other religions has no relevance whatsoever to Christian baptism of a child. Christians are told to bring up their children in the ways of the Lord. For it was Jesus Christ Himself who said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them."

Christ says in Acts 2:38-39, "...be baptized everyone one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. For the promise is unto you, and to your children..." He says that the promise is also for the children.

Ann

[LiamOS]

AkiThePirate,

Do you believe that baptism is necessary for salvation?

I do not, as I have no reason to.

Christians are told to bring up their children in the ways of the Lord. For it was Jesus Christ Himself who said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them."

Indeed, but is it right to do so? Is making a child religious before they can even contemplate what religion is not inherently incorrect?

[Ann]

Is it right to breathe and sleep and eat? Absolutely! You are misunderstanding the sacrament of baptism. Baptism cannot “make� a child religious before that child can even contemplate what religion is.

[LiamOS]

I have a funny feeling that there are very, very, very few children who were baptised and not raised religious.

[Ann]

There are many children who were baptized and not raised in a religion. There are even children who were not baptized, but who were raised in a religion. What's your point?

[LiamOS]

My point that labelling a child with a religion before they're conscious is not the right thing to do.
Even if you believe that you're saving their soul or anything, it's still not okay o impose one's religion on a child incapable of thought.

Why must one be baptised forcefully for no reason other than being born to Christian parents?

[Lux]

Is it right to breathe and sleep and eat? Absolutely! You are misunderstanding the sacrament of baptism. Baptism cannot “make� a child religious before that child can even contemplate what religion is.

Clearly. So what's the point of baptism? I could go to a church tomorrow morning, get baptized, and I'm as sure as I can be that I would still be an atheist.

More importantly, why do certain christian denominations insist that baptism be done while the child is still very young or even a baby, incapable even of understanding complex language, let alone a religion? Wouldn't it make more sense for baptism to come when the person is at an age where he/she is capable of at least knowing what's going on?

[Ann]

My point that labelling a child with a religion before they're conscious is not the right thing to do.
Even if you believe that you're saving their soul or anything, it's still not okay o impose one's religion on a child incapable of thought.

Why must one be baptised forcefully for no reason other than being born to Christian parents?

You have no idea what you're talking about. Baptism does not "label" a child with a religion, and this is proven by the many children who have been baptized, but don't grow up in any religion. So, your argument that baptism "makes" a child religious is completely ridiculous.

Is it right to breathe and sleep and eat? Absolutely! You are misunderstanding the sacrament of baptism. Baptism cannot “make� a child religious before that child can even contemplate what religion is.

Clearly. So what's the point of baptism? I could go to a church tomorrow morning, get baptized, and I'm as sure as I can be that I would still be an atheist.

I'm not doubting it. About your question, baptism is a sacrament which removes original sin from the soul and puts that person in a state of justification. Baptism regenerates and is necessary for salvation.

More importantly, why do certain christian denominations insist that baptism be done while the child is still very young or even a baby, incapable even of understanding complex language, let alone a religion? Wouldn't it make more sense for baptism to come when the person is at an age where he/she is capable of at least knowing what's going on?

Why should it make more sense to baptize a person when they reach a certain age? During many periods throughout history, it was not uncommon for children (and infants) to die due to illness, hunger, etc.. Even today there remains the danger that unbaptized children may die without ever receiving baptism, and as a result will not enter Heaven.

[LiamOS]

You have no idea what you're talking about. Baptism does not "label" a child with a religion, and this is proven by the many people who have been baptized, but don't grow up in any religion.

In almost every case I can think of, baptism made the child religious until they were old enough to consciously reflect on what it is they believed.

Your argument might make sense if every child of a Christian was simply baptised and never heard anything of religion until their teens, but this is not the case. If you've baptised your kids, you take them to church, to Sunday school, etc.

So, your argument that baptism "makes" a child religious is completely refuted.

Jumpin' the gun a little, here.
I'm not trying to infer a causal chain; I'm alluding to the correlation between children being baptised and being indoctrinated into Christianity.

Presumably you were baptised. Did your parents teach you about Christianity as a child?


Also, you ignored my question:
Is it right to baptise a child when they are not able to decide whether they want to be baptised? Is it right to make religious decisions for others?

[Ann]

I'm not trying to infer a causal chain; I'm alluding to the correlation between children being baptised and being indoctrinated into Christianity.

It's necessary that you know the following, so that you may be able to better understand the answers to your questions:

What is baptism?

Why are children (or infants) baptized?

Now, I already explained both these. Naturally, Christian parents do not wish, should their child die suddenly, for their child to be denied forever the happiness of Heaven.

Is it right to baptise a child when they are not able to decide whether they want to be baptised?

Is it right to take your ill child to the doctor when they are not able to decide whether they want to go to the doctor? Christian parents protect their children and do the very best for them by making decisions on their behalf for the very reason that they are too young to decide for themselves. This is common knowledge to all parents. Perhaps you'll understand when you have children of your own.

Is it right to make religious decisions for others?

First, these aren't just "others." They are flesh of the parents flesh, the offspring of their parents. Christian parents have a duty before God to not only look after the physical welfare of their children, but also their spiritual welfare since children are by nature to young to do either. What kind of parents would neglect the welfare their children?