The Central Features of Infant and Believers' Baptism

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The Central Features of Infant and Believers' Baptism

Introduction

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Baptism is celebrated as a sacrament or a 'mystery' throughout the

Christian community all across the world. Within the Orthodox and the

Roman Catholic Churches all-together, there are seven sacraments

including the baptism which is one of the sacraments of initiation the

other sacraments are; marriage, Holy Communion, Holy orders, holy

unction (anointing of the sick with oil), conformation and confession.

A sacrament is an outward, physical sign of an inward, spiritual

blessing; also, a service which communicates this blessing to

worshippers.

By taking part in baptism, you become a member of the church you are

being welcomed into. As Saint, Paul wrote to the early Christians:

By our Baptism, then, we were buried with him and shared his death; in

order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power

of the Father so also we might live a new life.

(Romans 6:4)

You can celebrate baptism either as an adult or a child. Many

Christians want there babies baptised as young infants yet many

Christians believe that because Jesus was baptised as an adult they

should be baptised as adults this is called believers baptism. It is

on the subject of these two different ceremonies both from the same

Religion - Christianity, which I am going to try to describe and

explain.

Infant Baptism

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Infant baptism celebrated by many different religious within the

Christian community including the Methodist Church, Orthodox, Roman

Catholic, United Reformed and the Church of England. Baptism in these

churches...

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ministers and priests can refuse to baptise children, whose parents

have no intention of attending church or bringing them up as

practising Christians.

When the child is baptised the godparents make vows to help bring the

child up into the Christian faith, when the child is old enough to

make their own decision then they can take these vows in the sacrament

of Conformation. The child may not be old enough to understand what

important ceremony it is going through and how this sacrament may or

may not be a part of them forever. At least the child has had the

opportunity to become a member of the Christian community whether or

not it remains with the faith, I think is a matter of their upbringing

and their surroundings.

I do not think that baptising babies is pointless as it can mean a lot

to many parents.

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