Should you support someone who is baptised again?

  • Thread starter Thread starter af3983
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

af3983

Guest
My friend is being baptised a Baptist. She was already baptised a Catholic. I am having a hard time in deciding if i would want to support her decision by showing up to her baptism even though I do not agree with it since she has been already baptised. I believe in one baptismim for the forgiveness of sins. This wouldn’t count as a baptism in my eyes and i’m having a hard time with what I should do.

Please help me come to a decision?
af3983
 
I would have a difficult time supporting it, because I believe in one baptism. It would make me feel uncomfortable to be there.

I have a friend who is baptist who tried to convince me that you can be baptized as many times as you want…she even told me that baptisms where the water is sprinkled don’t count…and that infant baptisms in particular don’t count…she couldn’t understand why I didn’t believe that way.

This is just my opinion on it, you would have to do what you feel is right.

Jamie
 
I believe that if you do attend this, you will be also turning your back on the Catholic Church as your presence could give the impression that you are condoning it. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
 
I wouldn’t go either, although many protestants came to my son’s Baptism.

I kind of feel like I am entering enemy ground in a Baptist church, but that is probably my take since I wasn’t a very good Baptist.

The Baptists don’t like to accept any other church’s baptism. I was re-baptised by them after the first one. Although, I think I was baptized a Methodist the first time so I would probably have wondered how valid it was since they are so non-commital on what a baptism can do.

At least the Catholics acknowledge the bapitsm I had at the hands of the Baptists.
 
40.png
Mamamull:
I wouldn’t go either, although many protestants came to my son’s Baptism.

I kind of feel like I am entering enemy ground in a Baptist church, but that is probably my take since I wasn’t a very good Baptist.

The Baptists don’t like to accept any other church’s baptism. I was re-baptised by them after the first one. Although, I think I was baptized a Methodist the first time so I would probably have wondered how valid it was since they are so non-commital on what a baptism can do.

At least the Catholics acknowledge the bapitsm I had at the hands of the Baptists.
Click to expand...
I was a Baptist too…only the Church had me baptized again conditionally…It was 1963 and Vatican II was just happening…so I guess that could have been a contributing factor.
Anyway, I’m so happy to be a Roman Catholic! Annunciata:clapping:
 
This actually happened to me a few years ago. One of my closest friends was baptised (sprinkled) as an infant in a Lutheran church, but in college she went to a non-denominational church and decided that the Bible says you should be dunked as an adult.

There was an afternoon event in which several people from this church were baptised in a pool, outside of a regular church service. More than one of them publically denounced their infant baptisms as invalid and even unappreciated.

I completely disagree with that particular sentiment, an believe that one baptism is enough.

But I was there, and my friend appreciated it. I made no comments or gestures of diapproval at the event, although when she made the decision weeks before we discussed it and I said that I would not do it myself. We actually had a great discussion about baptism and closed communion recently. I think if I had not gone to her “rebaptism”, a great rift would have appeared in our relationship and we could not have further discussion about any of our differeing doctrinal views for sure. She is now a member of a Southern Baptist church, and I am in RCIA.

If I had the choice to make again, I would do it the same way.

Blessings.
 
This really is an awkward situation. On the one hand, you probably want to be a supportive friend to your friend, and on the other hand, you do not want to support her second Baptism since she was already baptized Catholic.

If I was faced with this I would let my friend know how much her friendship means to me but that as a faithful Catholic I did not feel comfortable in attending her second Baptism outside our shared faith. For me this would be very difficult to do, but I know I would have to do it because I am a faithful Catholic and she is Catholic herself and is denying our faith. Very sorrowful, but true.
 
NO, DO NOT go to a “RE”-Baptism. The Scripture says that you only need one Baptism and as long as it was performed with water and in the name of the Trinity then it was valid!

A "RE"Baptism defiles the event and is an insult and disgrace before God. When I attended Baptist churches I avoided and refused to participate in this act of defimation of the Holy Spirit.

The RE-baptisers need to read Scripture in context and follow what it says. A valid Baptism can be performed by anyone including a Baptist. A RE-Baptism is not valid. Of course many Baptists I know only think Baptism is a “symbol” of faith. They do not believe any event takes place at all. Again they need to read Scripture. Stated better, the Baptists need to have the ‘SCALES’ removed from their eyes so that they can ‘see’ what God has spoken.

Now if it was a first Baptism that would be a totally different story.

RE-Baptising Catholics proves they do not think of us as Christians! Rather we all need to be ‘saved’!

Some first baptisms like that by Mormons and others is invalid since they are baptising in the name of just one sub-god and not in the name of the Trinity.

A RE-baptism is an abomination unto God!

The ‘intent’ of a conditional Baptism on the other hand just states that if the original Baptism was valid the conditional Baptism doesn’t count. No disgrace and no RE-Baptism.

The ANA-Baptists (or RE-Baptisers) are alive and well today.
 
I think you can support them as a friend, but I think I’d also let them know that their original baptism is valid and let them know where in the NT it says so. I was raised in the Baptist denomination (currently RCIA 😃 ), so familiar with the way of thinking. To some Protestant denoms, especially Baptists, you can only be baptised if you are at the age of reason. (If they would read the NT more closely, they might see the error of their reasoning, but oh well… ) Also, from what I’ve seen growing up in the environment, is that folks who felt that they had “fallen away”, also got re-baptised.
I have a nephew and dear friend who were raised and baptised as infants in the Methodist Church and got re-baptised as adults. If I were still thinking as a Baptist, I’d see nothing wrong with it. As someone who is studying the Church, I see it differently - re-baptism is wrong. But jmho. 😃
 
You should ask your friend WHY she wants to be re baptized in the first place? Do you know Baptists do NOT believe baptism is for the remission of sins? Ask her WHY she would want to be baptized by someone who doesn’t believe that is what baptism is for? See what she says.
Code: 
                                 If she says, "well I wasn't a believer when I was baptized",  ask her who told you you HAD to be? Show her from scripture where whole "households" were baptized from the book of Acts. Print out a section from the Catholic Answers web page section on "The Fathers know best" under the subject "infant baptism" This will re assure her, that she has NO NEED to be re baptized at all, but her baptism as a child or when she was an infant is acceptable to God.Let me know what developes.God bless.
                                       Ron from Ohio
 
My advise for you is: DON’T. There is no such thing as “re-baptism.” These Baptist ministers (shame on them for they carry the word baptist) doesn’t understand what baptism really is, that’s why they do this mocking of God. May God have mercy on their souls.

Pio
 
I was raised in a large Anabaptist church, and just wanted to clarify something for Catholics unfamiliar with Anabaptist beliefs (I admit I don’t know exactly where and how Baptists differ from Anabaptists, so take what’s appropriate…)

Anabaptists do not expressly believe in “re-baptism,” even though their name means “rebaptized.” They believe in a once-and-for-all baptism that entails the adult consent of a Christian believer who has repented and is through baptism forgiven of the sins he or she has committed. All these conditions must be fulfilled. Infant baptism, for them, is not only NOT valid, it is evil. The rationale is that infants cannot be guilty of sin (no, original sin does not come into the equation) and furthermore, that infants have no say in the matter. The crucial assent to faith in Jesus Christ that an Anabaptist baptism demands is therefore missing at an infant baptism. That is why people who have been baptized as infants MUST be baptized as adults if they want to be followers of Christ (for Anabaptists).

In their eyes, your friend is being baptized truly for the first time, her infant baptism signifying nothing more than a showy and misguided ceremony.

Just to clarify: I am a Catholic convert, and do not mean to imply that Anabaptism theology is true. Perhaps, as some have suggested, you should really engage your friend in a dialogue about what baptism it, so that she understands clearly why the Catholic church baptizes infants, and why adult re-baptism is not necessary. If she better understands your beliefs as a Catholic she may be less resentful if you choose not to attend her ceremony.
 
Very good responses so far.

My response to those who believe that full immersion is the only baptism that is valid…take it a step further…go to the scriptures…than go to the Jordan River, as that is where our Lord was baptised.

I have a dear friend who was baptized catholic as an infant, re-baptized as an adult as a baptist and is now joining a methodist church and is going to get re-baptized again! The only good I see coming out of this is she is having her children baptized (they are not, they are only dedicated).

I know many baptists and in our discussions, none of them have a problem with re-baptisms…it is interesting, to say the least.
 
What are you thinking?

For you to show up at a Baptist Baptism would be to take part in that Protestant sacrament. You would be giving honor to a non-Catholic Church.

My Priest would tell you not to go there!
 
I’m a member of a predominantly Black Baptist Church and I’m in RCIA. I still go to some Baptist services, but I do not want to partake of their communion service any more. I might go to a Baptism of a relative. But I generally never went to Baptisms anyway. I would not attend a baptism if the baptismal candidate was originally baptized as a Catholic.

af3983: For your friend to get baptized as a Baptist, they are saying that they now have found Jesus Christ. And since they were baptized and grew up in the Catholic Church, they are now really turning their back on the Catholic Church. Only God can judge your friend, so I think you should not condemn or criticize. Instead be patient and pray. We cannot do God’s work for Him. God must work in human hearts. We can work with the people who want to be worked with.

Since you are Catholic, don’t go to the Baptismal service. It won’t be a big deal that you didn’t go.

I’ve been baptized twice – once as an infant in the Methodist Church. And once as an adult in college – Christian and Missionary Alliance Church (immersion). I’m somewhat disappointed that I probably won’t be baptized again as a Catholic.

I’m surprised to hear that Methodists would not count a Baptist’s baptism. I think many Methodists would also count a Catholic water Baptism. I’d like to know why not if they don’t.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top