Baptising babies is pointless, Do you agree with this statement?

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

“Baptising babies is pointless,” –

Do you agree with this statement?

I agree with this statement.

The fact that so many people are baptised at a young age these days comes from the fact that people used to believe that if a child wasn’t baptised they couldn’t enter heaven and infant mortality also would have been lower in years past. Currently infant mortality has risen and the church has said that it is possible for children to enter heaven even if they are not baptised but people continue to get their children baptised young, even if they themselves sometimes have little or no faith, because of superstition or purely tradition. Many people would argue that this is very wrong and people should make their own choices about religion once they are old enough.

However if someone is not baptised they can not fully take part in their religion. Baptism opens doors to the other sacraments so without being baptised the child can’t receive communion or tell their confessions. Also, baptism is a welcoming into the community so although the parents may not have much, or any, faith it is also up to the child’s parish to bring it up religiously. Though, personally, I don’t think that is reason enough to baptise people as babies rather than adults.

I believe that people should be baptised as adults so they can make their own decision ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

I believe that people should be baptised as adults so they can make their own decision on their faith. Even if a child is not baptised they can still go to mass and go to a Christian school. They may also be more interested in religion and talking to God knowing that someday they can make a decision to be baptised or not. Children’s religions would be more personal to them so I think it would in addition be best for the child’s faith. Though in Matthew 28:19-20 it says “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” Here we can see that Jesus says that after baptism you have given control of your life to Him and He will be with you for the rest of your life so perhaps it would be better to have a child baptised early so they truly have Jesus with them.

I also think Jesus meant for people to be baptised as adults. In Matthew 20:23 Jesus says, “…and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with…” As Jesus was baptised as an adult I think here he is trying to say he wants future generations to do the same. What's more, in Acts 8:12 it says, “Both men and women were baptized.” It doesn’t mention children.

Nevertheless there are some parts of the bible that lead me to think perhaps Jesus meant for children to be baptised. In Mark 10:14 Jesus says “Let the little children come to me,” The word “let” causes me believe that Jesus wanted people to be brought up in Christianity from a young age but I still don’t think that this means they must be baptised from a young age. They can still take part in a Christian life without receiving the sacraments until an older age. In Acts 16:33 it says, “And immediately he and all his family were baptized” Here a whole family, surely including children were baptised. This shows that, just after Jesus’ time, not only adults were baptised but I still don’t believe that makes infant baptism right as it was not Jesus himself that baptised the family in this case.

In conclusion I believe it would be better to baptise people older. I think children should be brought up with preparation for the choice they get to make. This way they would feel their faith is more personal and they would also be more interested in faith knowing that is truly theirs to have or not.

By Cora Degan

12A