Protestants are critical of infant Baptism, and yet...

[kalt]

a few non-Catholic Christians on another board are talking about how they accepted Jesus into their hearts (and other such sayings) as young as 3 yrs old.

They believe that Baptism is merely an outward sin of an inner acceptance, so Baptism doesn’t actually do anything. They must sincerely believe that the 3-yr-old is wise enough to do this on his own.

C’mon. If it’s wrong to Baptize an infant because he’s incapable of deciding for himself, to do it at the age of 3?

They also don’t like that Catholic children are considered mature enough to be responsible for the actual sins they commit–they seem to think that people don’t know they’re sinning until adulthood???–and yet they believe that 3-yr-olds are old enough to know enough about Jesus, sin, and redemption to accept Him into their hearts.

This is just ridiculous.

BTW, the people are talking about themselves.

I’ll choose Baptism that actually does something, and Baptize infants, over thinking that Baptism does nothing and that 3-yr-olds are capable of that kind of understanding.

 

[savienu]

Well, I’ve not heard a Protestant say that a child is not capable of sinning. On the contrary, my Protestant friend told me my infant son was capable of committing actual sin. Regarding the “getting saved” at the ripe old age of 3, 4, 5? Yeah, I don’t buy it. Kids that age are developmentally extremely imaginative and influenced by the power of suggestion. I have a friend who was “saved” at 4 years old, and he’s not even a Christian anymore now. Frankly, I think kids who “accept Jesus into their hearts” at that age are just doing it to please their parents.

 

[O.S.Luke]

Many Protestants baptize infants, as well as embrace the doctrine of original sin. So this thread title is very misleading, besides being incorrect.

O+

 

[kalt]

Many Protestants baptize infants, as well as embrace the doctrine of original sin. So this thread title is very misleading, besides being incorrect.

O+

Didn’t mean to be “misleading”. Add “Some” to the front of the title.

 

[O.S.Luke]

Thanks.

 

[LutheranDK]

a few non-Catholic Christians on another board are talking about how they accepted Jesus into their hearts (and other such sayings) as young as 3 yrs old.

They believe that Baptism is merely an outward sin of an inner acceptance, so Baptism doesn’t actually do anything. They must sincerely believe that the 3-yr-old is wise enough to do this on his own.

C’mon. If it’s wrong to Baptize an infant because he’s incapable of deciding for himself, to do it at the age of 3?

They also don’t like that Catholic children are considered mature enough to be responsible for the actual sins they commit–they seem to think that people don’t know they’re sinning until adulthood???–and yet they believe that 3-yr-olds are old enough to know enough about Jesus, sin, and redemption to accept Him into their hearts.

This is just ridiculous.

BTW, the people are talking about themselves.

I’ll choose Baptism that actually does something, and Baptize infants, over thinking that Baptism does nothing and that 3-yr-olds are capable of that kind of understanding.

Please moderate your statement to:

“Some Protestants are critical of infant baptism”
Many, many protestants (myself included) defend infant baptism every bit as vigorously as the RCC does…

 

[DJgang]

I must be honest…I have never heard the theology as mentioned in the OP. Some Protestants baptize infants…those that do not, I have never heard of them baptizing children less than 7 years old.

I am curious as to the denomination outlined in the OP.

God bless. Dana

 

[Zooey]

Please moderate your statement to:

“Some Protestants are critical of infant baptism”
Many, many protestants (myself included) defend infant baptism every bit as vigorously as the RCC does…

Sign me on here, with O.S. Luke & LutheranDK.

 

[Robbinson]

In the AOG Church were I fellowship with my family, they preach baptism by immersion and only when the individual or child is of the age of reason and can make a decision for Christ. In the Anglican Church I fellowship in on my own, they baptise without immersion.

There are Protestant denominations that support infant baptism.

There are some Protestants who believe Baptism is necessary for salvation - some that believe it is just a symbol of the baptism of the Holy Spirit which actually saves. I’ll confess to having been of the latter mindset, though I"ve been rethinking that viewpoint after study and prayer.

I was intrigued by the analogy of infant baptism to circumcism of infants at 8 days old and by the commands of Jesus to baptize you and your “household”.

If you view Baptism as a sacrament of grace, the I can understand its potential necessity for salvation and the efficacy of infant baptism with decisions for Christ being, of course, an additional requisite in our walk with the Lord and fullfillment of the remaining sacraments over our liftimes. Interesting stuff.

Blessings,

Brian

 

[Feedmysheep]

It was my understanding (limited and flawed as it is) that “first wave” Protestants don’t necessarily have issues with infant baptism. That would include the Lutherans, the Presbyterians, and the Methodists. Those offspring from the Anabaptist movement and all subsequent Protestant groups tend to be anti-infant baptism. Non-denominational Protestants vary on a pastor-by-pastor basis.

So to say in a blanket statement that Protestants don’t baptize infants is wrong.

To say that Protestants who don’t allow infant baptism yet accept the expressed desire of a three year old to be baptized are treading in very strange theological waters is fair.

My three year old consistently petitions Jesus to make him a robot who eats hot air balloons, so I’m skeptical about the grasp on the spiritual that very young children have.