Baby Baptism?

[Blain1]

So I have heard that a lot of Catholics baptize babies, if this is true what is the reason and purpose for it?

 

[1ke]

All Catholics are to baptize their children as soon as possible.

Baptism is extremely important. It removes Original Sin, infuses our soul with sanctifying grace, makes us adopted sons and daughters of God, brings us into the family of God, and is the gateway to all other sacraments.

catholic.com/tracts/the-necessity-of-baptism

catholic.com/tracts/infant-baptism

catholic.com/tracts/early-teachings-on-infant-baptism

catholic.com/tracts/baptismal-grace

 

[Seraphim73]

So I have heard that a lot of Catholics baptize babies, if this is true what is the reason and purpose for it?

“But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 19:14

It’s to wash away Original Sin and make them members of the Church.

 

[Blain1]

All Catholics are to baptize their children as soon as possible.

Baptism is extremely important. It removes Original Sin, infuses our soul with sanctifying grace, makes us adopted sons and daughters of God, brings us into the family of God, and is the gateway to all other sacraments.

catholic.com/tracts/the-necessity-of-baptism

catholic.com/tracts/infant-baptism

catholic.com/tracts/early-teachings-on-infant-baptism

catholic.com/tracts/baptismal-grace

It washes away original sin? Okay before I do anything I have two questions-1 how can a baby have sin when it cant even decide whats right from wrong yet?
and 2- I thought thats what Jesus blood did?

 

[1ke]

It washes away original sin?

Yes. Thanks be to God!

Okay before I do anything I have two questions-1 how can a baby have sin when it cant even decide whats right from wrong yet?

That is actual sin which you describe, which those below the age of reason do not have.

We all have Original Sin.

and 2- I thought thats what Jesus blood did?

In baptism, we die with Christ and rise in Christ. It is how we are washed in the Blood of the Lamb.

I see you did not read the links I provided. I invite you to do so before continuing the discussion.

 

[Blain1]

Yes. Thanks be to God!

That is actual sin which you describe, which those below the age of reason do not have.

We all have Original Sin.

In baptism, we die with Christ and rise in Christ. It is how we are washed in the Blood of the Lamb.

I see you did not read the links I provided. I invite you to do so before continuing the discussion.

Ok I will read them when i get back from dinner

 

[Blain1]

Ok I read the links and I honestly cannot make much of an arguement, I am confused about some things though, like what is the difference between original sin and the sin one makes when coming into knowledge of right and wrong?
Because while baptizing babies may cleanse of original sin they still grow up sinful.

 

[MrsLLD]

We are all born with original sin and our Baptism washes that away. Once we reach the age of reason we sometimes make sinful choices and those sins may be forgiven through the sacrament of Penance (confession, reconciliation). There is only one Baptism in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but Confession is available whenever one’s soul needs it.

 

[1ke]

like what is the difference between original sin and the sin one makes when coming into knowledge of right and wrong?

Original Sin is the sin of Adam.

vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p7.htm

Because while baptizing babies may cleanse of original sin they still grow up sinful.

Which is what the Sacrament of Reconciliation is for.

 

[Blain1]

I see, ty for all your help I think I understand now. Baby baptism is a major subject that Christians like to put down and I wanted to know what baby baptism is meant for and to understand it before i make any judgment on it like everyone else does. Im guessing most who mock it and put it down dont really know a lot about it or understand it

 

[1ke]

I see, ty for all your help I think I understand now. Baby baptism is a major subject that Christians like to put down and I wanted to know what baby baptism is meant for and to understand it before i make any judgment on it like everyone else does. Im guessing most who mock it and put it down dont really know a lot about it or understand it

You’re welcome.

Welcome to CAF, by the way. If you have questions on other topics, please feel free to post new threads.

 

[Porknpie]

I see, ty for all your help I think I understand now. Baby baptism is a major subject that Christians like to put down and I wanted to know what baby baptism is meant for and to understand it before i make any judgment on it like everyone else does. Im guessing most who mock it and put it down dont really know a lot about it or understand it

Blain1,

You note yourself as “Christian”. Please share what denomination you belong to. This would give us a perspective of who the “most” is that you refer to that mock infant baptism…and would help a bit in answering you.

PnP

 

[andrewstx]

I see, ty for all your help I think I understand now. Baby baptism is a major subject that Christians like to put down and I wanted to know what baby baptism is meant for and to understand it before i make any judgment on it like everyone else does. Im guessing most who mock it and put it down dont really know a lot about it or understand it

Excuse me Blain. But Catholics are as much Christian as people who believe that “asking Jesus into your heart to be your personal Savior” are. Not being rude but you are new here.

What does “personal Savior” mean? That is a term used often by people who call themselves ‘just Christian’, and I have no idea what it means.

 

[eltoro89]

‘Most’ Christians? Infant baptism isn’t unique to Catholicism. Other ancient Christian (yes, Catholics are Christian) groups (such as Orthodoxy) retain it as well.

Even amongst the protestants, the Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, and Presbyterian denominations all retain the practice of infant baptism. Given that, I’d say the majority of Christians in the world do not follow the theology of credobaptism, or baptism of the believer. Of course, if you’re from the American south, it might seem that the whole world rejects infant baptism solely because of the surroundings found in that area, but that is far from the truth.

 

[Blain1]

Blain1,

You note yourself as “Christian”. Please share what denomination you belong to. This would give us a perspective of who the “most” is that you refer to that mock infant baptism…and would help a bit in answering you.

PnP

I refuse to put myself in a denomination as I hate how the many denominations seperate the body of Christ instead of uniting it. I just call myself a Christian, i will be whoever God wants me to be and I will believe whatever he wants me to believe. I choose to be love and love only. The majority of Christians I am talking about are lots of different denominations, it isnt just the baby baptism its a lot of the catholic traditions such as having a pope and calling him father to the praying to mary and such.

 

[Blain1]

Excuse me Blain. But Catholics are as much Christian as people who believe that “asking Jesus into your heart to be your personal Savior” are. Not being rude but you are new here.

What does “personal Savior” mean? That is a term used often by people who call themselves ‘just Christian’, and I have no idea what it means.

Yes I know you are, but many do not see it that way. You go by the title Catholic which is a type of Christianity but the ppl who go by Christian have some views on catholism and not many are Good.

 

[Ron_in_minden]

Yes I know you are, but many do not see it that way. You go by the title Catholic which is a type of Christianity but the ppl who go by Christian have some views on catholism and not many are Good.

Welcome. I’m glad you’re here and asking honest questions. I hope you find what you’re looking for. Peace.

 

[eltoro89]

Yes I know you are, but many do not see it that way. You go by the title Catholic which is a type of Christianity but the ppl who go by Christian have some views on catholism and not many are Good.

I hate to be brutally honest, but most Christians who harbor negativity toward the Catholic church do so out of historical reasons, rather than theologically valid ones.

Many protestants (and I include the non-denominational protestants) are taught in their churches that the Catholic church is invalid, that it is the devil, etc. They aren’t taught what the church actually stands for, what the sacraments are, what we believe, (probably because they fear their congregations might find it appealing). Their ministers simply throw in a “this is why Catholics are evil sermon” every few weeks and the laity eat it up.

Why do the ministers do this? Because, the very existence of their denominations literally RESTS on the assumption that Catholics are wrong. After all, if Catholics are right, they have to admit that the reformation was heretical and that their own teachings are invalid. They won’t risk going into deeply theological arguments, because there is clearly scriptural evidence for what the church does. So, instead, they demonize the church, its members, its clergy in an effort to make non Catholics fear us and what we stand for.

Let’s take your arguments from before. We have a Pope because Christ established a church that was meant to have a structure and he built this church on Peter (see Mt. 16:18-19, Lk 22:32, Jn 21:17). Peter was very clearly the head of the church. The Popes are all descendants of Peter in his office as head of the church through what we call “apostolic succession”.

As for the “call no man father” verse, it is clear that that was hyperbole. This is a style of writing called Rabbinic hyperbole whereby exaggeration is used as a teaching tool to express a theological point. It wasn’t a literal ban on the word father. After all, you don’t rush to cut off your right hand when it causes you to stumble, do you? No, because that is also hyperbole. It’s just easier to harp on the calling people father thing because it’s an easy way to paint Catholics as the bad guy. If I could count all the uses of the word father in the bible, I’d be amazed at my supernatural counting ability.

As for Mary, wow. Could spend an eternity on this topic, but we ask for Mary’s intercession (much like you ask a friend to pray for you) We do not pray to Mary (at least not in the sense that we bypass God, that would be placing Mary on the same pedestal as God and that is not a Catholic teaching). We simply ask her to intercede for us to God, just as you might ask someone you know to pray for you.

Of course, the version of this that you will hear in many fundamentalist protestant churches is that we “worship Mary” “worship the Pope” “worship saints”. Those are incorrect statements designed to elicit strong reactions and discourage people from going out to seek their own clarifications on what our church actually teaches.

 

[Blain1]

I hate to be brutally honest, but most Christians who harbor negativity toward the Catholic church do so out of historical reasons, rather than theologically valid ones.

Many protestants (and I include the non-denominational protestants) are taught in their churches that the Catholic church is invalid, that it is the devil, etc. They aren’t taught what the church actually stands for, what the sacraments are, what we believe, (probably because they fear their congregations might find it appealing). Their ministers simply throw in a “this is why Catholics are evil sermon” every few weeks and the laity eat it up.

Why do the ministers do this? Because, the very existence of their denominations literally RESTS on the assumption that Catholics are wrong. After all, if Catholics are right, they have to admit that the reformation was heretical and that their own teachings are invalid. They won’t risk going into deeply theological arguments, because there is clearly scriptural evidence for what the church does. So, instead, they demonize the church, its members, its clergy in an effort to make non Catholics fear us and what we stand for.

Let’s take your arguments from before. We have a Pope because Christ established a church that was meant to have a structure and he built this church on Peter (see Mt. 16:18-19, Lk 22:32, Jn 21:17). Peter was very clearly the head of the church. The Popes are all descendants of Peter in his office as head of the church through what we call “apostolic succession”.

As for the “call no man father” verse, it is clear that that was hyperbole. This is a style of writing called Rabbinic hyperbole whereby exaggeration is used as a teaching tool to express a theological point. It wasn’t a literal ban on the word father. After all, you don’t rush to cut off your right hand when it causes you to stumble, do you? No, because that is also hyperbole. It’s just easier to harp on the calling people father thing because it’s an easy way to paint Catholics as the bad guy. If I could count all the uses of the word father in the bible, I’d be amazed at my supernatural counting ability.

As for Mary, wow. Could spend an eternity on this topic, but we ask for Mary’s intercession (much like you ask a friend to pray for you) We do not pray to Mary (at least not in the sense that we bypass God, that would be placing Mary on the same pedestal as God and that is not a Catholic teaching). We simply ask her to intercede for us to God, just as you might ask someone you know to pray for you.

Of course, the version of this that you will hear in many fundamentalist protestant churches is that we “worship Mary” “worship the Pope” “worship saints”. Those are incorrect statements designed to elicit strong reactions and discourage people from going out to seek their own clarifications on what our church actually teaches.

Yep I figured as much, I have heard all sorts of things about Catholics like worshipping mary and the pope and such but I dont believe it till I see it so I check it out. The Catholics seem to be very misunderstood

 

[eltoro89]

Yep I figured as much, I have heard all sorts of things about Catholics like worshipping mary and the pope and such but I dont believe it till I see it so I check it out. The Catholics seem to be very misunderstood

Yep, you are correct in that assumption! In fact, as Archbishop Sheen once said:

"“There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate The Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.”