Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!caen!uwm.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: benning@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Original sin of infants Message-ID: Date: 9 Apr 91 07:53:46 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 40 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , jhpb@garage.att.com (Joseph H Buehler) writes: > In article benning@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com writes: > > An old argument. Baptism is a sign of repentance. How can an infant > repent of anything? Infant baptism is just a Gentile form of circumcision. > Today, Baptism is an empty tradition practiced by many as a ritual. > Real baptism is done by someone who is making a public confession of > becoming a Christian. Babies have no choice in the matter. > Your theology of baptism is a Reformation one. Keep in mind that there > are about 1,000,000,000 people who have another theology on the matter. > For them, Baptism is one of the primary means of grace. Through the > outward symbolism, God imparts grace into a person's soul, wiping out > the effects of the Original sin, in so far as they prevent a final > destination of Heaven. In such a theology, baptizing babies is required > by the very nature of Baptism. If I may clairify my position. I do believe in baptism. My gripe is that when I became a believer, I rejoined the Church my parents went to. It is a Methodist Church. I wanted to be baptised as a sign to everyone that I was born again, and that I was commiting my life to G-d through our Lord Jesus and the new life he gave me. But they said "Your parents baptised you when you were a child, so we can't perform the baptism again." Three times I begged them to allow me this opportunity, but each time I was lovingly denied. That is my gripe. If the infant baptism was worth all it is made out to be, I wouldn't have waited 26 years to know and obey Jesus. I do believe that if I died during my years of rebellion (14-21) I would not be saved any more by the baptism my parents gave me, than my "good works" or my lucky rabbits foot. Perhaps it is just a personal problem on my part. To our moderator, I apologize for the appearance of rejecting all forms of baptism as "empty" because I don't. This is not the case. I just believe that infant baptism is of little use and has no Biblical base. Bruce Benning -----------Religion may Inform and Reform--------------- -------But only Messiah Jesus can Transform-----------