Does the baptising of babies and young people belittle the concept of free will?

1. 52

   Joe Cookposted 14 years ago

   Does the baptising of babies and young people belittle the concept of free will?
   
   If we are all born with god given free will, surely it demeans that god given gift if we impose baptism on those who are too young to choose for themselves...
   
   

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2. 60

   HattieMattieMaeposted 14 years ago

   I always seen as a celebration of life, welcoming them into the world!

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3. 82

   ptosisposted 14 years ago

   
   
   I belive in free will - I have too!
   
   http://hubpages.com/hub/ChaosFreeWill

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4. 61

   squeakykposted 14 years ago

   Although I see no real harm in baptizing babies and infants, I also see no benefit. It is simply a religious rite that parents practice. I believe that most parents recognize that,ultimately, a child's faith must be his own.
   
   In our church, we do not baptize infants, but we do practice infant dedication.This is a time when we bring our children in front of the church and commit to raising them according to Scriptural principles.We also believe that our children are a gift from God on loan to us. So the act of dedication is really , for us, a time to thank God for His gift and to recognize His ownership, not only of our child, but of us.As stated earlier, we believe that the child's relationship with God is, in the end, between him or her and God.
   
   As far as free will is concerned, I do not believe that these practices have any real effect on the child's free will. The child will ultimately make his or her own choices. Our hope is that they will be guided by the principles by which they have been raised as they make those choices.

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5. 73

   Faceless39posted 14 years ago

   As far as I'm concerned, it's brainwashing kids to a certain way of seeing the world from a very young age.  Kids may then fall into the trap of never seeking the truth for themselves, and always following what they've been raised to be.

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6. 60

   duffsmomposted 14 years ago

   No, baptism isn't a tattoo--they are free to reject it when they are grown.
   
   From a Christian perspective, we believe that baptism saves, so as a parent we are trying to give our children what we believe they need for a start in life.  When they are grown they may or may not reject it, but have the free will to do so.
   
   Is it demeaning God if we restrict our children from doing something dangerous their free will urges them to do before they are adults?  No, as parents we are charged with doing what we think is best for them until they can make an educated decision on their own.

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7. 58

   SpiritPhilosopherposted 14 years ago

   There are many teachings and many traditions regarding the subject of baptism.
   This has long been one of the most controversial points of doctrine since the church began.
   
   Baptism is always accompanied by true faith and false faith.
   
   Baptism is “accepting” Spiritual Philosophy as the foundation of the true faith in God.

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