Why infant baptism?

[Jon_S_1]

I think Pasquals wager can come into play on things like this with a situation like yours.

If Baptism of infants saves the child’s soul…

1. if we do it we’ve saved them
2. if we don’t do it they are damned

If it turns out that baptism does nothing at all

1. if we do it, their hair got wet for nothing
2. if we don’t do it it doesn’t matter anyway.

So it seems like the worst case scenario if you don’t do it is damnation.
Whereas the worst case scenario if you do it and it means nothing is that you wasted some time.

 

[TRH1292]

Okay, so the obligation is really to my wife and me to raise the child Catholic. That I have no big issue with. It was merely my original misunderstanding that we would be giving an infant obligations they world be unable to understand or choose to accept.

So is it fair to say that the obligations are really upon us, not the child? (Teach the faith and so forth)

There are obligations upon you, and one day there will be obligations upon the Child.

 

[Evan]

My issue is that I view baptism as something one chooses to do as part of one’s faith journey (for lack of a better phrase). But an infant had not reached the age of reason and has no ability to choose or even understand what is going on or what it means.

Why are infants baptized if they can neither make the choice or understand what it means? Why not wait until the age of reason?

An important concept here is the know who is acting in a sacrament. In Catholic theology, God is the actor. He gives grace, He adopts us.

For that reason, the earlier one becomes a child of God, the better. It is never too early to be heaven bound

If you believe Baptism is just an expression to the rest of the community and God does not care, it has no effect on you or your relationship with God, why do it at all? And what harm if it is given to an infant if it means nothing to God or to you?

 

[Skye_Ariel]

Do you wait until your child can “choose” to be a member of your family? Baptism incorporates the child into God’s family, the Body of Christ. The parents bring their child into their spiritual family in the same way they bring them into their natural family: from the beginning of their life.

Infants and young children are often vaccinated without their consent against diseases. If you like you can think of infant baptism as a sort of vaccination against evil spiritual influences.

I like these!

 

[ezeekl]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 57Bill
I think these ‘renewing’ Baptism’s aren’t necessary and go against NT and ECF teachings (IMHO) unless the first Baptism would be considered an invalid Baptism. OBAB, right!?

I have no idea what you are talking about when you say “renewing baptisms” because the Catholic Church does not do that. Unless you are talking about non-Catholic Christian denominations in which case, yes, they are confused. Baptism can only be received once.

An invalid baptism is one where either the form or matter (or both )are defective. A good example is baptism in a Unitarian Church where the Trinity is denied and baptism is in the name of Jesus only and not in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Such a baptism is invalid and the person would then be baptized according to the Trinitarian formula.