Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!spool2.mu.edu!sdd.hp.com!ucsd!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: math1h3@jetson.uh.edu Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Baptism a Work? (Was: Re: Exposing Jew-baiting) Message-ID: Date: 22 Jan 91 07:48:51 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Houston Lines: 35 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , dragon!cms@gatech.edu writes: > Catholics are in complete agreement here. Protestants, as I > understand it, believe that the gift of salvation in Baptism must be > accepted to be considered valid; in other words, an action on the part > of the believer (acceptance) is required for the Baptism to be valid. > Catholics believe that Baptism is an absolutely free and unconditional > gift of love from God. That's sort of a twist on the faith/works > issue wherein Protestants usually take the opposite stance. Well, Lutherans certainly believe that baptism and conversion are completely God's work and not our own. However I have the distinct impression that Roman Catholics (officially) teach that conversion is a cooperative effort between the individual and God. Corrections and comments are certainly welcome! Yet I am glad to see Cindy saying something very Lutheran and Scriptural about Baptism. David H. Wagner a confessional Lutheran. "Let us also die with Jesus. His death from the second death, From our soul's destruction frees us, Quickens us with life's glad breath. Let us mortify, while living, Flesh and blood and die to sin; And the grave that shuts us in Shall but prove the gate to heaven. Jesus, here I die to Thee There to live eternally. --"Let Us Ever Walk With Jesus" v.3 --Sigismund von Birken, 1653. --from "The Lutheran Hymnal" #409. My opinions and beliefs on this matter are disclaimed by The University of Houston.