Describe and explain the central features of infant and believers' baptism.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

R.S Coursework

Baptism

Skill AO1

Describe and explain the central features of infant and believers’ baptism.

Both infant and believers’ baptism is when new life is celebrated. Baptism is a sacrament and a sign of the welcome into the Christian community and of God’s welcome. Baptism is believed to wash away sins and give new spiritual birth as a child of God. In the time of John the Baptist, being baptised symbolised the sorrow.

During infant baptism, the godparents (chosen by the infant’s parents) who agree to act as substitutes parents for the infant is the parents are unable or reluctant to bring up their child, admit their belief by reciting the creed (statement of belief) on behalf of the baby.

An essential part of baptism is the vows, which express the Christian faith in Jesus Christ. It also represents a Christian’s total rejection to Satan, who represents evil. The vows express the Christian’s rejection of all his work and empty promises. A candidate can only be baptised once the vows are made. In the case of Infant’s baptism, the vows are made by the infant’s parents or godparents to bring the child up in a Christian way. This is because the child is too young to understand what is happening. The godparents also help with the child’s spiritual and religious upbringing.

During baptism, anointing oils are used. Oil was traditionally a sign of strength and royalty as Kings were anointed. Therefore the baptised is being strengthened for good against evil and is being marked out as a special person to God. In the Old Testament, oil was used when alters were being blessed and not only were Kings anointed, it was also used for anointing priests and prophets as well as dead bodies. In the New Testament, when the sinner woman washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, she then poured oil over them. This was a sign of respect. This can also be seen when the two women went to visit Jesus’ tomb to anoint his body. In the baptism ceremony today, there are two occasions when the child is anointed. The first occasion is before baptism. It accompanies the prayer of exorcism. The oil used is the oil of Catechumens. This is a sign of strength to refuse temptation, sin and evil. The other is the oil of Chrism, which like the oil of Catechumens, is a sign of strength against temptation but it is also a symbol of blessing for special serviced in the Family of God.

After the anointing, the child is then dressed in a white garment, which is a sign of new life and faith. Adults might also be dressed in a white robe depending on the Church in which they are being baptised. The colour white symbolises purity and signifies the cleansing of the soul and the baptised independence from sin. The baby is held in the front facing east as a sign of the resurrection.

When a person is baptised the water is either poured over the head of the baptised or the baptised is put under total immersion. ...

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When a person is baptised the water is either poured over the head of the baptised or the baptised is put under total immersion. This symbolises dying to the old life and rising to a new life with Jesus. People believe in baptism because they believe that a person who has been cleansed by the water is also cleansed spiritually by God’s grace or power. They believe that water is a sign or sacrament of spiritual cleansing, depending upon the Church into which the baptismal is entering, while the priest says, “I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Sun and the Holy Spirit.” Water is used to free the soul of the baptised from any sins. This is because baptism is a source of God’s grace. This also includes original sins and any un-intended acts that we may have committed. Water brings life, and we would not be able to live without it. Water is powerful, and as well as life giving, it can also be destructive. Floods, torrential rain and tidal waves represent the destructive forces of water. In the Old Testament, water was seen as a hostile element and it meant both destruction and life for a Jew. In baptism today, the importance water is seen clearly in full immersion, where a person dies to sin and rises again to share new life with Christ.

The final important feature of baptism is fire. It is used for giving light, cooking and like water, it can also be destructive or used as a signal. In Jesus’ baptism, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world, anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark, he will have the light of life” and John the Baptist said of Jesus: “I Baptise you with water for repentance, but the one who follows me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” The fire of a candle reminds Christians to let the light of Christ shine through. The fire of the candle symbolises Christ’s love. It is lit from the Easter candle, which symbolises the risen Christ. It is then given to a godparent on behalf of the infant, as When the Baptismal candle is lit from the Paschal, the godparents are asked to keep the flame burning in the child’s heart by praying with them and by taking them to mass so that when the child grows up he can be an example to others by living a life of generosity and mercy like Jesus, as a symbol of sharing the new life of Christ.

The parents and (or the person being baptised) have to make three declarations.

That they turn to Christ
That they repent of their sins
That they renounce evil

They must answer each of these "I turn to Christ / repent of my sins / renounce evil"

They are then asked three questions

Do you believe and trust in God the Father who made Heaven and Earth?
Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ who redeemed mankind?
Do you believe and trust in his Holy Spirit who gives life to the people of God?

They must answer each of these "I believe and trust in Him"

Believer’s Baptism is the baptism of those who are old enough to understand the meaning of baptism and what they are about to do. This is usually done in their late teens. However, there is no minimum age. Believer’s baptism is practised in the Baptist church, Evangelical and Pentecostal churches. It is believed that those who are baptised must be able to understand what they are doing.

During believer’s baptism, the candidate is put under total immersion. The baptised goes down into a pool leaving their old sinful life behind them. When the person is in the water, it represents the person dying and buried with Christ. The person then comes out of the water to share a new life with Christ (in the life he had after resurrection).

Skill AO2

Explain the meaning and significance of baptism for Christians today.

Baptism is being made part of the Christian family. It is an initiation rite. This means that that it is a ceremony in which a person officially becomes a Christian. Baptism is one of the seven sacraments in the Catholic churches. It is a visible sign of something spiritual. The word ‘baptism’ is a Greek word which means ‘immersion’, which is why some churches believe that the baptised child or adult should be totally immersed in water. Baptism is a sign of God’s grace or power and salvation given to a person.

Jesus was baptised in the river Jordan at the start of his ministry, and ever since, Christians have baptised new believers as the sign of their own commitment to personal Christian discipleship.

Baptism means death to the old life. The water suggests the washing away of sins. Going down into the water expresses dying to the old sinful way of living. Coming up out of the water suggests a new life with new ways.

Christians today believe that baptism marks the beginning of a life-long relationship with God. They believe that it is an initiation ceremony of becoming a member of the Christian Community. Christians believe that until they have not been baptised they are not a member of the Christian Community.

Christians believe that baptism is the cleansing of original sin and it is a public sign of turning away old ways and to start a new life away from sin. This happens both when adults and infants are baptised.

Baptism is an important act of commitment from the earliest days of Christianity. They also believe that baptism should follow repentance.

Baptism means the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through his Spirit God comes to live with his people, after his "death". A Christian is a new person. It also means a new covenant (agreement) with God.

The symbolism of baptism is powerful. The person being baptised passes through the water of death; he or she dies to her old life lived apart from God, and is raised to a new life, to be lived in prayerful obedience to God. In response to this, and through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God forgives the person of all past wrong, and treats him or her as is he or she had never sinned.

In Mark 16: 15-16, Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptised shall be saved and he that disbelieves shall be condemned.”

Jesus is saying that in order for a person to go to heaven, it is crucial to be baptised. This is important for Christians today as it a message that baptism is an essential top enter heaven, whether infant or believers baptism.

Skill AO3

“Baptising babies is pointless”

Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have considered more than one point of view.

I do not believe that baptising babies is pointless because I think that it is important for a child to feel accepted in to the Christian church from as early as possible.

During baptism, the child is introduced to the community of God’s people. The ceremony, welcomed the child into the Christian faith. Parents want to give thanks to God for the gift if a child. The bible says that Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the temple at the age of eight. Christians should follow this example. I believe that by presenting the child before God in God’s House in the presence of God’s people, the child is in a place where they can receive God’s blessing.

However, others might say that Pentecostals and Baptists only baptise adults and that in the New Testament, Jesus was baptised as an adult and therefore, Christians should follow his example. They believe that the earliest Christians that were baptised were adults, therefore Christians today should do the same and be baptised as an adult. They also believe that a person should wait until he or she is older, so that they can make their own decision about their religion. People believe that baptising babies is wrong as baptism demands things that a baby is unable to give such as: turning away from sin, a mature commitment and a sustained effort. They believe in believer’s baptism, where the person who is about to be baptised makes a statement on his or her faith. They believe that the baptised should be old enough to understand the meaning and significance of baptism. They think that it is unfair to baptise babies because they are unable to make their own response to Jesus. This seems to undervalue repentance (regret) and commitment which without, a person is not a Christian. Fundamentalists believe that baptism is for adults and older children, because it is administered only after one has ‘accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour’.

However, I believe Confirmation allows a person to make a decision about their religion and that parents have to make a lot of decisions on behalf of their children. If God welcomes a person into the church by baptism, then why should a child be denied this privilege.

By baptising a baby, the child will have support of the Christian community right form thee start of their life. If Baptism is a sign of an inward grace, why should this gift from God be withheld until later. When a child is baptised, you know that because of the promises made by the parents to bring up their child to believe in Jesus and to pray to him and to follow him, they will live their life in the way God wanted.

St. Augustine expressed some strong views in favour of infant baptism. He believed that a Christian needed God’s grace to gain salvation and come face to face with God, so unbaptised children were unable to meet God in their after life.