To be baptized in the Catholic Church, do you have to believe in everything the church teaches?

[AJTheMan]

Hello,

Here’s a question about being baptized. Whenever someone wishes to be baptized, do they have to believe in everything the church teaches? Even down to the minute specifics?

Why can’t someone just say “I love Jesus, I want to be saved?”

That’s how they did it in the ancient times.

Thanks,
AJ

 

[grandfather]

Hello,

Here’s a question about being baptized. Whenever someone wishes to be baptized, do they have to believe in everything the church teaches? Even down to the minute specifics?

Why can’t someone just say “I love Jesus, I want to be saved?”

That’s how they did it in the ancient times.

Thanks,
AJ

AJ,
There is only one reason to belong to any religion. That is that you believe or agree with its doctrines and what it teaches as truth about reality. There are literally thousands of Christian denominations. Each one was established over some doctrinal controversy. Truth is important. Jesus promised that He would lead us into all truth, meaning that His Church’s doctrines would all be true. So somewhere there is a Church whose doctrines are all true or Jesus’s promises are false. Logic says that since every denomination holds some doctrine different from all the rest only one can have all of its doctrines true. He also promised that He would send the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth and be with us until the end of time. It must be that doctrine is important then. All of the Protestant denominations claim the Bible is their sole authority in establishing doctrine, but they all disagree about something, so this doctrine about the Bible can not be true, or they would all agree. The Bible can not lead us into all doctrinal truth, or everyone who reads it would agree. We need the Church. Jesus makes promise to His Church and He said nothing about the Bible being with us until the end of time to lead us into all truth. The Bible says the Church is the pilar of fire and foundation (bulwark) of truth. We need the Church to teach us.

You can say you want to be saved. I say that of myself every day. But how do you know you love Jesus? THe Bible says, the love of God consists in keeping His commandments. Jesus says if a man loves me He will keep my commands. If I am sinful I do not keep His commands and therefore do not love Him. What about you?

We are on the path of holiness. We have not yet arrived. Practicing true religion is our only hope of obtaining the grace of holiness, loving God and being saved. Believing is not enough. We must love God to be saved also, and hope in Him.
God bless you.

 

[LilyM]

IF they baptised first (which they didn’t always - think of Phillip and the Ethiopian for starters, and think of the many towns in which Paul preached first, sometimes for weeks on end, and only then made converts), then they certainly required strict adherence to Apostolic teaching, which all Church teaching is, afterwards.

Doesn’t Paul urge his converts to “stand firm and hold fast to the Traditions you were taught, whether by an oral statement or by a letter from us.” 2 Thess 2:15? Such scriptural admonitions are completely incompatible with an ‘I love Jesus, I want to be saved, that’s good enough’ attitude.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Hello,

Here’s a question about being baptized. Whenever someone wishes to be baptized, do they have to believe in everything the church teaches? Even down to the minute specifics?

Why can’t someone just say “I love Jesus, I want to be saved?”

That’s how they did it in the ancient times.

Thanks,
AJ

Well that’s not how they did it in ancient times, Very soon, those who wanted to become Christian were required to “study” and learn as well as show their sponsors and the Christian community that they really meant to live as a Christain. That there was a true conversion. So yes it would make sense that any adult wishing to receive Baptism be able to state clearly that they accept the teachings of Christ, as handed down from the apostles, through the Catholic Church.

 

[FastLearner]

Hello,

Here’s a question about being baptized. Whenever someone wishes to be baptized, do they have to believe in everything the church teaches? Even down to the minute specifics?

To be Catholic, you must believe in anything divinely revealed. So, for example, you do not have to agree with the celibacy of priests, since that is not considered to not be an integral part of Church teaching, but you must believe in papal infallibility, since that has been divinely revealed. Regardless of whether or not you agree with a Church teaching, you must be obedient. So a priest that disagrees with the celibacy “rule” cannot go get married.

 

[1ke]

Hello,

Here’s a question about being baptized. Whenever someone wishes to be baptized, do they have to believe in everything the church teaches? Even down to the minute specifics?

Yes, you publically profess that you believe all the Church teaches. The Church cannot err in its teachings on faith and morals because Christ himself came to lead us into all Truth.

I am unclear whether you understand the difference between doctrine-- which are truths that Church teaches-- and disciplines-- which are regulatory items the Church has authority to promulgate through the power of binding and loosing.

Why can’t someone just say “I love Jesus, I want to be saved?”

That’s how they did it in the ancient times.

Thanks,
AJ

Um, no, that is not how they did it in “acient times.” It seems you have not studied much history. In the early Church the catechumenate was a period of at about 3 years of study and testing before baptism.

The initial converts in the first years of the Church were Jews who were already catechized in the Hebrew faith and were given the grace to recognize Christ as the Messiah and receive baptism. Outside of those Jews who converted immediately, the catechumenate process applied. The catechumenate dates to the end of the first century and it was quite well organized and thouht out right from the beginning.

 

[Qoheleth]

Hello,

Here’s a question about being baptized. Whenever someone wishes to be baptized, do they have to believe in everything the church teaches? Even down to the minute specifics?

Why can’t someone just say “I love Jesus, I want to be saved?”

That’s how they did it in the ancient times.

Thanks,
AJ

Seems like you actually have multiple questions here. The Catholic Church accepts any baptism from any Christian denomination as valid with exceptions. By valid the baptism has to be in the Name of the Father and The Son and The Holy Spirit. The implication of that is that it doesn’t matter what you knew or know or didn’t know at the time of baptism for it to be effective. Hence infant baptism, or as in the new Testament entire households were baptized. That’s how they did it in the ancient times.

 

[grandfather]

Seems like you actually have multiple questions here. The Catholic Church accepts any baptism from any Christian denomination as valid with exceptions. By valid the baptism has to be in the Name of the Father and The Son and The Holy Spirit. The implication of that is that it doesn’t matter what you knew or know or didn’t know at the time of baptism for it to be effective. Hence infant baptism, or as in the new Testament entire households were baptized. That’s how they did it in the ancient times.

The main question the OP seems to be asking here on a Catholic forum is if he as an adult wishes to be baptized into a religion, and perhaps the Catholic religion, is it necessary for him to embrace all of its doctrines. The answer is yes. You should not be inititiated into a religion if you do not agree with what it teaches as dogmatic truth. You can not pick and choose what you want to believe if you want to belong to a religion that teaches something different from what you personally believe. That is being a heretic, one who picks and chooses.

 

[AJTheMan]

Let me explain a bit.

I just think the church makes it hard on converts. I could really see myself being baptized and becoming a disciple. It just bothers me that if someone says that they love Jesus with all of their heart…but they don’t love him the way the church teaches to, they cannot be baptized. And we all know that if you aren’t baptized, according to Christianity, you go to hell.

I think my problem here is that if someone loves Jesus with their whole heart and wants to do as Jesus did but disagrees with the church on the tiny details…you cannot become baptized. Why can’t your love for Jesus be enough for Baptism? Sure…you should agree with the church but what really matters is that you love Jesus enough to be baptized.

I suppose I am destined to hell for God has made me a heretic towards the church. I welcome the fire.

 

[rcedillos]

Hope I don’t add to the confusion, but let me give some thoughts.

A year ago, a friend of mine was moving to another state. He was raised as a Christian, but had never been baptized and wanted to do so prior to his trip. He admired my apparent love for Catholicism and was interested in the Church, but was only prepared to be baptized at that time.

We searched for a Catholic Church that would baptize my friend, but most of the administrative personnel we encountered thought he wanted to become Catholic. They told him it would take months.

We finally found a Catholic priest who understood what my friend wanted: To be a member of the Body of Christ.

My friend was baptized in the presence of the Holy Tabernacle. It was just our Lord, my friend, me, and the very friendly and understanding priest. It took less than an hour from start to finish. Of course, my presence made me his godfather. (He jokingly calls me godfather.)

My friend loves Christ and has great respect for the Church, but he is still learning what Roman Catholicism is. Although I can see he is on the road to Rome, he is not Catholic—yet. But he is happily a member of the Body of Christ.

Peace of Christ

 

[AJTheMan]

Hope I don’t add to the confusion, but let me give some thoughts.

A year ago, a friend of mine was moving to another state. He was raised as a Christian, but had never been baptized and wanted to do so prior to his trip. He admired my apparent love for Catholicism and was interested in the Church, but was only prepared to be baptized at that time.

We searched for a Catholic Church that would baptize my friend, but most of the administrative personnel we encountered thought he wanted to become Catholic. They told him it would take months.

We finally found a Catholic priest who understood what my friend wanted: To be a member of the Body of Christ.

My friend was baptized in the presence of the Holy Tabernacle. It was just our Lord, my friend, me, and the very friendly and understanding priest. It took less than an hour from start to finish. Of course, my presence made me his godfather. (He jokingly calls me godfather.)

My friend loves Christ and has great respect for the Church, but he is still learning what Roman Catholicism is. Although I can see he is on the road to Rome, he is not Catholic—yet. But he is happily a member of the Body of Christ.

Peace of Christ

So you can become a disciple of Christ without having to become Catholic?

 

[JoeJPurnell]

It just bothers me that if someone says that they love Jesus with all of their heart…but they don’t love him the way the church teaches to, they cannot be baptized.

Think of it this way. The Church is a family. Jesus is the head of the family. If you wanted to be adopted into a family, you wouldn’t mind that you’d have to agree to obey the head of the family right? If you love the head of the family so much, you’d insist upon it, wouldn’t you?

 

[grandfather]

Let me explain a bit.

I just think the church makes it hard on converts. I could really see myself being baptized and becoming a disciple. It just bothers me that if someone says that they love Jesus with all of their heart…but they don’t love him the way the church teaches to, they cannot be baptized. And we all know that if you aren’t baptized, according to Christianity, you go to hell.

I think my problem here is that if someone loves Jesus with their whole heart and wants to do as Jesus did but disagrees with the church on the tiny details…you cannot become baptized. Why can’t your love for Jesus be enough for Baptism? Sure…you should agree with the church but what really matters is that you love Jesus enough to be baptized.

I suppose I am destined to hell for God has made me a heretic towards the church. I welcome the fire.

 

[grandfather]

Let me explain a bit.

I just think the church makes it hard on converts. I could really see myself being baptized and becoming a disciple. It just bothers me that if someone says that they love Jesus with all of their heart…but they don’t love him the way the church teaches to, they cannot be baptized. And we all know that if you aren’t baptized, according to Christianity, you go to hell.

I think my problem here is that if someone loves Jesus with their whole heart and wants to do as Jesus did but disagrees with the church on the tiny details…you cannot become baptized. Why can’t your love for Jesus be enough for Baptism? Sure…you should agree with the church but what really matters is that you love Jesus enough to be baptized.

I suppose I am destined to hell for God has made me a heretic towards the church. I welcome the fire.

AJ,
This is a sincere question. How do we know if someone including onesself loves Jesus with their whole heart?

You can not be a heretic unless you are first a Catholic.

You can not judge yourself, or anyone else. I can not judge me or you. Jesus judges us.

You are right. If you love God you will be saved. Anyone who loves God will be saved. How do you know if you do? How do I know if I do?

 

[grandfather]

Hope I don’t add to the confusion, but let me give some thoughts.

A year ago, a friend of mine was moving to another state. He was raised as a Christian, but had never been baptized and wanted to do so prior to his trip. He admired my apparent love for Catholicism and was interested in the Church, but was only prepared to be baptized at that time.

We searched for a Catholic Church that would baptize my friend, but most of the administrative personnel we encountered thought he wanted to become Catholic. They told him it would take months.

We finally found a Catholic priest who understood what my friend wanted: To be a member of the Body of Christ.

My friend was baptized in the presence of the Holy Tabernacle. It was just our Lord, my friend, me, and the very friendly and understanding priest. It took less than an hour from start to finish. Of course, my presence made me his godfather. (He jokingly calls me godfather.)

My friend loves Christ and has great respect for the Church, but he is still learning what Roman Catholicism is. Although I can see he is on the road to Rome, he is not Catholic—yet. But he is happily a member of the Body of Christ.

Peace of Christ

You did indeed add to the confusion. It would have been impossible for your friend to have made baptismal promises and received the sacrament of initiation in the Catholic Church and not become Catholic. If he did not do this the baptism was illicit and quite probably invalid. The priest acted improperly.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Hello,

Here’s a question about being baptized. Whenever someone wishes to be baptized, do they have to believe in everything the church teaches? Even down to the minute specifics?

Why can’t someone just say “I love Jesus, I want to be saved?”

That’s how they did it in the ancient times.

Thanks,
AJ

When someone loves Jesus and understands He established a church that He promised the Holy Spirit would guide, that person should trust Jesus’ word and trust that the Church teaches God’s truth.

 

[FastLearner]

So you can become a disciple of Christ without having to become Catholic?

To be a Christian, you just need to be validly baptized as a Christian (and the vast majority of protestants do baptize validly). To be a Catholic, you must be in Communion with Rome. You can be a Christian not in Communion with Rome (such as a protestant, which is why protestants are not baptized again when joining the Church).

The Church’s view on protestant denominations (“ecclesial Communities”) can be seen here (vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_responsa-quaestiones_en.html#_ftn12):

“According to Catholic doctrine, these Communities do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church. These ecclesial Communities which, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery[19] cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called “Churches” in the proper sense[20].”

So they are not “Churches” in the same way as the Latin Church or Coptic Catholic Church, however:

“It is possible, according to Catholic doctrine, to affirm correctly that the Church of Christ is present and operative in the churches and ecclesial Communities not yet fully in communion with the Catholic Church, on account of the elements of sanctification and truth that are present in them.”[9]

Further,

“It follows that these separated churches and Communities, though we believe they suffer from defects, are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation. In fact the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as instruments of salvation, whose value derives from that fullness of grace and of truth which has been entrusted to the Catholic Church”[12].

 

[japhy]

AJTheMan, we are told by Christ to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. What do you mean when you say “love Jesus with all your heart”? Does it mean you know WHO Jesus is? Does it mean you follow his commandments? Does it mean you believe he founded a Church and gives certain people charge over it?

 

[1ke]

And we all know that if you aren’t baptized, according to Christianity, you go to hell.

No, we don’t know that at all. The Church doesn’t teach that if you aren’t baptized you go to hell.

I think my problem here is that if someone loves Jesus with their whole heart and wants to do as Jesus did but disagrees with the church on the tiny details…you cannot become baptized. Why can’t your love for Jesus be enough for Baptism? Sure…you should agree with the church but what really matters is that you love Jesus enough to be baptized.

Christ and his Church are one. You are viewing them as two different things. They are not. The doctrines of the Church are the doctrines of Christ. So, if you “disagree” with what the Church teaches, you have a problem because the Church’s teachings are from Christ-- “he who hears you, hears me… he who rejects you, rejects me.”

That is why study, prayer, and formation are required to take on both the graces of baptism and the **responsibilities **of baptism.

I suppose I am destined to hell for God has made me a heretic towards the church. I welcome the fire.

You should not be so flip about Hell. It’s an offense against God.

Only a Catholic can be a heretic. So, you are not a heretic.

I’m not sure why you are unwilling to go through the process necessary to learn what it is you are committing to in baptism. The Church doesn’t want people to be baptized without understanding what they are committing to. Baptism carries with it responsibility.

 

[grandfather]

No, we don’t know that at all. The Church doesn’t teach that if you aren’t baptized you go to hell.

Christ and his Church are one. You are viewing them as two different things. They are not. The doctrines of the Church are the doctrines of Christ. So, if you “disagree” with what the Church teaches, you have a problem because the Church’s teachings are from Christ-- “he who hears you, hears me… he who rejects you, rejects me.”

That is why study, prayer, and formation are required to take on both the graces of baptism and the **responsibilities **of baptism.

You should not be so flip about Hell. It’s an offense against God.

Only a Catholic can be a heretic. So, you are not a heretic.

I’m not sure why you are unwilling to go through the process necessary to learn what it is you are committing to in baptism. The Church doesn’t want people to be baptized without understanding what they are committing to. Baptism carries with it responsibility.

1ke,
That was an excellent explanation. Thank you. It should be helpful.