The Baptist Church practises believer’s baptism, where it is an adult of over fourteen years old who is baptised and only if they wish to do so. The Baptist Church believes that Baptism is a way of expressing your faith in Jesus, and also is the beginning of a new life, as once Baptised you are required to follow Jesus in every way of life. Being a Christian is essential before you are baptised. The baptism itself is very symbolic. The person to be baptised enters a baptismal tank, where a pastor asks him “Do you promise to follow Christ, to serve him forever in the followers of his Church?” When the person agrees, the pastor slowly leans him backwards into the water, so he is fully submerged. This is publicly declaring an end to sinful ways, and when they exit the tank, they so via a different set of steps which symbolises the beginning of a new life with Christ.
Skill AO2
Explain how being baptised might affect the behaviour, lifestyle and decision making of Christians today.
I believe that how baptism affects the lives of those baptised in the Catholic Church and those baptised in the Baptist Church is very different. I think this as most people who were baptised into Catholicism were done so as babies, and therefore they might have very little faith later in life. However those baptised in the Baptist church wished to do so to show their faith. Therefore I would say a larger percentage of Baptists act on their faith than Catholics, that isn’t to say most Catholics aren’t influenced by their faith.
The Catholic Church in my opinion has stricter teachings than the Baptist Church, for instance the Catholic Church teaches abortion totally wrong and it is sinful to get an abortion. However the Baptist Church does not forbid abortions, but they do ask that the woman thinks about what Jesus would want her to do, and should a woman get an abortion when she believes Jesus wouldn’t her to, she would be aware that she failed the promise she made to Jesus at her Baptism. I would say in this situation that Baptists would probably act more on their faith in this situation that Catholics mainly because their faith allows them to go either way based on their own judgement, yet a Catholics faith simply tells them no, so matter how a Catholic feels on the issue of abortion it is a sin.
However, I am sure that in most cases in everyday life, like if someone asks for a donation to charity, a Catholic and a Baptist would do they same thing, and donate on a mixture of their faith, (which tells them to help others) and their compassion for other humans. All Christians have the task of helping others in need, as we are all Gods children. This task of course cannot be asked in all Catholics since most are baptised into the Catholic faith when they are babies. As a child Baptised in the Catholic Church gets older however, he should take more responsibility in his actions. It is normally after sacrament of Confirmation when a child is old enough to start to take responsibility for his or her actions, and to do as the Catholic Church asks. However, someone baptised in the Baptist church is immediately old enough to take responsibility for their actions as they have to be at least fourteen. From that moment onwards they are expected to follow the teachings of Jesus in every aspect of life.
Skills AO3
“Only those who want to be Christians or their Children should be baptised, because Churches should not be used for purely social occasions.” So you agree? Give reasons for your answer and show you have considered more than one point of view.
Some people who agree with this statement would argue it is sinful as well as disrespectful to have a child baptised as a social occasion to bring family together as the child will probably grow up without support for his/her faith and will most likely end up as being agnostic or an atheist. In the Catholic Church it would be seen as disrespecting a very important sacrament, whereas it would demean the whole point of baptism in the Baptist Church as baptism is for Christians who believe strongly in God and who want to publicly show they are willing to start a new life with God. So by using baptism to simply gather family together without caring for the child’s faith it is disrespectful to the church, as well as an insult to God.
However those who disagree with this statement might argue how you would fairly judge whether the parents of a child want that child to be baptised because they want him to grow up a Christian, or because they want a social event. If people were judged wouldn’t that be a sin in itself as in the bible it says “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7). It also says “ Therefore you have no excuse, O man, whoever you are, when you judge another; for in passing judgment upon him you condemn yourself because, you the judge, are doing the very same things” (Romans 2:1). So no one truly has the right to judge whether someone is worthy of baptism.
Also even if the baptism is for a social occasion, the Catholic Church teaches the Holy Spirit is given to the child, so that child still could find strength in the Holy Spirit. Also in the bible it says “Let the little children come to me. Do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). Which sounds to me like no matter what the reason, let a child be baptised.
I have mixed views with this statement, I do think judging someone whether they should be allowed to be baptised is wrong, but I also think baptism shouldn’t be used for a social occasion. All in all I would say I disagree with this statement because I don’t think someone has the right to determine if a child should be baptised. Also I interpret the following passage as any child, no matter what circumstances are involved should be allowed to be baptised. “Let the little children come to me. Do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14).
