When can baptism be applied if not when young?

Zundrah · #1 Feb 23, '12, 9:20 am

I was thinking about this last night, if we are not suppose to baptize children and babies, then what is the age of consent to baptism?

Also, what gives you this idea?

Nicea325 · #2 Feb 23, '12, 9:57 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zundrah

I was thinking about this last night, if we are not suppose to baptize children and babies, then what is the age of consent to baptism?

Also, what gives you this idea?

Exactly! Many non-Catholics will argue that in the NT adults were only baptized. Well duh! Because the first converts were adults and no cradle Christians had existed yet. Second,no where in the NT is there a case where a young child in the age of consent "decides" to be baptized. On the contrary, it states Paul baptized households. Many will argue the term household does not mention infants,thus it is pure conjecture by Catholics. Well Paul also does not say he did not baptize infants or young children. The burden of proof on those rejecting infant baptism is to provide evidence were Jews did not consider infants as part of a household.

anp1215 · #3 Feb 23, '12, 10:08 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zundrah

I was thinking about this last night, if we are not suppose to baptize children and babies, then what is the age of consent to baptism?

Also, what gives you this idea?

Most evangelicals, Baptists, Seventh Day Adventists, Pentecostals, etc. will say they baptize at a sort of "age of reason" (kind of like how Roman Catholics see First Confession and Communion) when the child is old enough to understand what Baptism is and express a desire for it.

For a lot, the age is around 7 or 8. My husband was baptized at 8 in the Southern Baptist Church.

Zundrah · #4 Feb 23, '12, 10:13 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicea325

Exactly! Many non-Catholics will argue that in the NT adults were only baptized. Well duh! Because the first converts were adults and no cradle Christians had existed yet. Second,no where in the NT is there a case where a young child in the age of consent "decides" to be baptized. On the contrary, it states Paul baptized households. Many will argue the term household does not mention infants,thus it is pure conjecture by Catholics. Well Paul also does not say he did not baptize infants or young children. The burden of proof on those rejecting infant baptism is to provide evidence were Jews did not consider infants as part of a household.

Nicely put.

Nicea325 · #5 Feb 23, '12, 10:30 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zundrah

Nicely put.

Likewise,did Joseph and Mary let Jesus "decide" if he wanted to be circumcised or did his parents follow the OT laws,practices,etc?

Nicea325 · #6 Feb 23, '12, 10:31 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by anp1215

Most evangelicals, Baptists, Seventh Day Adventists, Pentecostals, etc. will say they baptize at a sort of "age of reason" (kind of like how Roman Catholics see First Confession and Communion) when the child is old enough to understand what Baptism is and express a desire for it.

For a lot, the age is around 7 or 8. My husband was baptized at 8 in the Southern Baptist Church.

Wow! I have never met a Baptist being baptized as a child. I have met Baptist who were baptized as teenagers. Interesting.

Zundrah · #7 Feb 23, '12, 10:37 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicea325

Likewise,did Joseph and Mary let Jesus "decide" if he wanted to be circumcised or did his parents follow the OT laws,practices,etc?

That's a very good point.

anp1215 · #8 Feb 23, '12, 10:46 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicea325

Wow! I have never met a Baptist being baptized as a child. I have met Baptist who were baptized as teenagers. Interesting.

Really? I have never met a Baptist baptized as a teenager (unless they were a convert). All Baptists I know raised in the church are baptized around 8 years old.

Nicea325 · #9 Feb 23, '12, 10:53 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by anp1215

Really? I have never met a Baptist baptized as a teenager (unless they were a convert). All Baptists I know raised in the church are baptized around 8 years old.

Yep! I am a Director of Catechetical Ministry at a local in So.Cal I have met several Baptist converts who were baptized as young as 12 years old.

Nicea325 · #10 Feb 23, '12, 10:54 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zundrah

That's a very good point.

Problem is many people want to base it on intelligence in order to be baptized or to accept Jesus into one's life. What about the countless of people not capable of making a sound decision of being baptized? What happens to them?

anp1215 · #11 Feb 23, '12, 11:53 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicea325

Yep! I am a Director of Catechetical Ministry at a local in So.Cal I have met several Baptist converts who were baptized as young as 12 years old.

I wonder if it has to do with the Baptist denomination. There are several Baptist denominations. The largest in the United States is the Southern Baptist Convention, and it is by far the most prevalent Baptist denomination in the South (where I am). However, I think in other parts of the country, the American Baptist Churches is more dominant than the SBC.

anp1215 · #12 Feb 23, '12, 11:58 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicea325

Problem is many people want to base it on intelligence in order to be baptized or to accept Jesus into one's life. What about the countless of people not capable of making a sound decision of being baptized? What happens to them?

Exactly. My good friend and boss has three kids, the oldest of which is 5 and has special needs. I am not exactly sure what they are, but he does not walk or talk at all. They are Catholic and have had him baptized as a baby in the Catholic Church, but it made me wonder, what if they were Baptist (or another denomination)? What would happen to this precious child regarding baptism? Would he be "skipped over" once he reached the age of 8 (or whatever), but once his siblings reached that age, they would get baptized?

Doesn't make sense.

Nicea325 · #13 Feb 23, '12, 12:51 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by anp1215

Exactly. My good friend and boss has three kids, the oldest of which is 5 and has special needs. I am not exactly sure what they are, but he does not walk or talk at all. They are Catholic and have had him baptized as a baby in the Catholic Church, but it made me wonder, what if they were Baptist (or another denomination)? What would happen to this precious child regarding baptism? Would he be "skipped over" once he reached the age of 8 (or whatever), but once his siblings reached that age, they would get baptized?

Doesn't make sense.

And that is the whole point. I once had a parent of a child enrolled in our catechetical program tell me she does not believe in infant baptism,because they have no idea what is going on. I told her many people do not believe in Hell,one's lack of belief does not deny its existence. So I asked her: So Joseph and Mary were wrong for having Jesus circumcised since he was only 8 days old? Her look on her face:

hn160 · #14 Feb 23, '12, 8:09 pm

My pastor wants to have babies baptized by a week after birth and if there is a problem after birth, he'll do it in the hospital.

Calgar · #15 Feb 24, '12, 11:49 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by anp1215

what if they were Baptist (or another denomination)? What would happen to this precious child regarding baptism? Doesn't make sense.

If he was of such a state that he/she would never gain the mental ability to understand then the child most likely would not be baptised.

You may not know this, but in many baptist churches, baptism is an ordinance not a sacrament. Therefore not absolutely necessary for salvation.