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

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Baptism has been an important part of Christianity since the earliest days of the church. Baptism is the first of 7 sacraments in the Catholic Church. It is the 1st of the 3 sacraments of initiation. Someone who is baptized becomes a member of the Christian community and baptism is also a sacrament in many protestant churches. Many Christian traditions baptise infants. In the Roman Catholic Church baptism usually takes place within 6 weeks of the child’s birth. The ceremony takes place in the church and the priest baptises the infant.

It begins with the reception, which takes place at the entrance of the church. The priest waits at the door and welcomes the baptismal party. It takes place at the back of the church as it signifies a journey in faith. The entrance to the church is also the entrance to the faith. The priest asks three questions to the baptismal party. He asks what name they give their child and what they want of the church for their child, they reply “Baptism”. He asks the god- parents if they agree to help the parents in their duty as Christian parents. And then traces the sign of the cross on the child’s forehead: the parents and god- parents do the same. This is a sign of ownership and that the child now belongs to God and it is also a sign of the saving power of the crucifixion of Jesus.

The celebration of the word of God includes a number of readings that stress the importance of this sacrament. One of the following readings may be read out to highlight the significance and meaning of this sacrament.

The Baptism of Jesus
Jesus’ Conversation with Nicodemus
Paul’s letter to the Romans.

After the readings the ‘prayers of the faithful’ are said.

These prayers will be for the child, the parents and godparents. There should be a prayer; for the new life given in baptism and asking the saints after whom the child is called to pray for the child. Our name identifies who we are; it makes it clear that each one of us is a unique and special individual, and that is how God sees us. God knows each one of us by our name and he loves each one of us in a special and unique way.

“ I have called you by your name, you are mine!”

The name may not be the name of a saint in the church, but great care must be taken that the name will not take away the respect due to, and the holiness of, the occasion.

The child is now exorcised which means that all evil is expelled from the child’s body through the prayer of exorcism. After this has taken place the first anointing is administered, the baby is now anointed with the oil of catechumens, which is a sign of strength against temptation, sin and evil. It reminds us of the help God will give us to help us live a Christian life. Also the oil of catechumens is a sign of healing that God heals the self-inflicted wounds of sin and the damage of original sin. It shows that the candidate has the power of Christ.

The celebration of the sacrament takes place, next the child is brought up to the baptismal font and the priest blesses the water and asks the parents and godparents to renew their faith and their baptismal promises. This shows that the parents and god- parents intend to take this commitment seriously. The priest now pours holy water from the font over the baby’s head. Water in baptism is a symbol of death, life and cleansing. There is death to sin and new life in the family of God. The baby is “ cleansed of original sin.” The priest does this three times and says the following;

“[Childs name] I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

These words express our belief in the Blessed Trinity. In baptism the new Christian is a child of God the Father, he shares in the new life of Christ who is God the Son and he belongs to the family of the Church, which is a family of love.

The second anointing- the baby is anointed a second time, this time it is with the oil of chrism. This oil is used for a number of ...

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“[Childs name] I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

The second anointing- the baby is anointed a second time, this time it is with the oil of chrism. This oil is used for a number of reasons; firstly it consecrates them to God. This is a sign that the child has been set apart to do an important job, here the child is being called to take up the challenge to live as a follower of Christ. This oil was used in the Old Testament times to anoint priests, prophets and kings. This oil in baptism reminds us of Jesus and that he was a priest, prophet and king and we also share in his work.

At this point a white garment is put around the child. This garment is a sign that the child is innocent and pure. White is also a symbol of new life, faith and it shows that the candidate has started off a new life in Christ.

Next the baptismal candle is lit from the paschal candle. The paschal candle is there to remind us that Jesus rose from the dead; it is used in baptism to show that the candidate has received the light of Christ. It is a symbol of the life of Christ bringing light into the lives of those who are baptised. It is also a symbol of faith and is lit by a parent. In taking the candle the parents are asked to take the responsibility for the religious upbringing of their child and the passing on of the faith.

The congregation say ‘Our Father’ together and the child now belongs to the family of God and the priest blesses the mother, father and everyone who attended the baptism.

Believers Baptism is when an adult chooses to be baptised into one of the churches that practises it and also if someone was not baptised as a child then they can be baptised later on in life and this is also called Believers Baptism.

This type of baptism is very similar to Jesus own Baptism. It is the baptism of those who are old enough to make their own decision. The candidate understands the commitment being made. The method of Baptism is by total immersion. The ceremony may take place in a pool inside the church building but a candidate may also be baptised in a river, swimming pool, the sea, or other source of running water.

At believers’ baptism, Christians wish to identify themselves with the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The service of believers’ baptism is an outward sign and declaration of the changes that have taken place in the person’s life through belief in Jesus. The candidate may often wear light or white clothing. This symbolises forgiveness and new life.

The candidate has chosen to be a Christian. Love of Jesus leads to a commitment to dedicate the person’s life to Christ.

There is no set service but there are a number of key elements, which will be included. The minister will take a gospel reading about baptism and then he will explain the meaning of baptism in his sermon. It is an outward sign of the changes that have already taken place through belief in Jesus Christ.

The candidates are asked if they have repented of their sins and if they have faith in the lord Jesus Christ. They base their belief on this from the New Testament, which describes adults being baptised. Peter said

“Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”

The candidate may give a sign of testimony, explaining how they came to be Christians and why they wish to be baptised. The candidate now enters the pool by a set of steps. This shows that they wish to leave their old sinful life behind.

Next the candidate and minister step into the pool. The minister says,

“(Name), because you have repented of your sins and have requested baptism, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

The candidate is immersed in the water. Immersion, that is to say, the dipping of the believer in water, is essential for the true administration of this ordinance. This is a sign that the old way of life has died, and that the Christian is buried in the same way as Jesus was buried for three days in the tomb. When we descend into the baptismal water that meant we died with Christ to sin when water closed over our heads that meant we lay buried with him. It is also the way Jesus was baptised and his early followers.

The candidate now leaves the pool. This symbolises that the Christian’s new life has begun. Jesus rose from the dead, and the candidate has risen to new life with Christ.

As Christ was raised from the dead by divine power so we must henceforth conduct ourselves as men and women in whim has been implanted a new principle of life.

Explain the meaning and significance of baptism for Christians today.

As Christians we believe that life comes from God and even though it will change with death it will never end. All human life is eternal. We are born to live forever. We see that life’s purpose is to prepare to live with God forever in the joy of heaven. Jesus said

“ I am going to prepare you a place, I shall return and take you with me; so that where I am you may be too.”

Baptism is a sacrament. The sacrament of baptism begins our journey to God as members of the Church. Through the sacrament of Baptism we are given the promise and assurance that God is with us on our journey to eternal life and that if we remain faithful to the way Jesus has shown us, we will arrive safely in heaven. In baptism we celebrate and make present God’s saving love in our lives.

The sacrament of baptism is a celebration of God’s gift of new life, through which we become members of the family of God. It draws us into a special relationship with god who offers his love to us as our father. (“Abba”)

Baptism makes us members of the Church and Christian community which promises to care for the child’s deepest needs and as baptism is the first sacrament we receive it starts us off in our Christian life and enables us to receive other sacraments later on in life such as Confirmation.

Baptism also gives us the power to break away from original sin, the sin of Adam and Eve. Through the symbolism of water the sacrament is a sign of God’s forgiveness of sin and his power to save us from evil.

Original sin is a weakness and tendency to evil engrained in human nature, which makes us sluggish to do good and prone to do wrong. God’s grace, given in baptism, counters this weakness and is a power for good operating in our souls.

Baptism is a public sign that you belong to the Christian community and will be raised according to its beliefs; so young children of Christian parents belong to the community by being raised in it. Baptism brings Christ into the child’s life and thus makes them a member of Christ’s community.

By birth we are children of our parents. In baptism we become brothers and sisters of Jesus, and with him children of God sharing in the life of the Blessed Trinity.

In Baptism we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides us on our journey through life. It helps us to grow up in the Christian community and way of life. Infant baptism is a public sign that the child is going to be raised in the Catholic faith by the child’s parents and godparents who agree to help the child grow up as a Christian and be taken to mass and be shown a good example of Christian living. Parents see baptism as the best start for their child’s religious life and by being baptised the child is entitled to receive the other sacraments in which the parents will prepare their child for.

On the other hand some Christians believe that baptism should wait until the people are old enough to make the decision for themselves. This is called believers baptism. For them the service of believer’s baptism is an outward sign and declaration of the changes that have taken place in the person’s life through belief in Jesus. Following baptism, the Christian is expected to plat his/her part in spreading the Christian message.

The believer’s baptisms view is that babies cannot commit themselves to Christ and a parent’s commitment is not enough. Some Churches have dedication ceremonies for infants to replace infant baptism. Conversely, Churches, which practise infant baptism, confirm children when they are old enough to make an adult commitment. This replaces adult baptism, and is the second stage in the Christian initiation process.

All Christians regardless of what age they baptise believe that baptism joins the baptized spiritually to Christ and his Church and allows them to receive all the spiritual benefits that flow from him.

Baptism is the beginning of a Christians mission and those who receive it acquire responsibilities to live as Christians, by avoiding sin and living in love and justice. Both infant and believers baptized persons should see themselves as persons with a mission to do good and to help others in need and those who are less fortunate than us.

Baptised persons must attend Church regularly and be faithful towards God and pray to him, as he is our father who loves us all.

“Baptising babies is pointless” Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer showing you have considered more than one point of view.

I disagree with the statement that “Baptising babies is pointless”. I believe we should baptise babies because they are beginning in a new life and by baptising them they will grow up in a Christian family and will be taught and influenced by the Christian environment they grow up in.

Baptism brings Christ into the child’s life and this makes them a member of Christ’s community. Even if the child is not taken to Church, therefore it remains a member of the Church and is entitled to receive the other sacraments and this is very important if the child were to receive confirmation when they are older and will be prepared for these sacraments in school.

Baptism is a public sign that the child is being raised in the Catholic faith. Catholics believe that as original sin is overcome by baptism, it is good to be baptized as an infant so as to give it the best possible start to its religious life.

We believe that baptism frees the infant from the burden of original sin, the sin of Adam and Eve, and that it is better to be rid of this burden as quickly as possible.

However other Christians believe that you should have adult baptism because you can only make a commitment as an adult. They see babies as being unable to commit themselves to Christ and a parent’s commitment is not enough.

My baptism took place when I was a baby and I see it as the best way because I have been brought up as a Christian with my parents teaching me the Christian faith and teaching me to go to church and to receive the other sacraments which makes me a member of Christ’s community.

However as some Christians believe that baptism should take place as an adult, they would also say that repentance comes first in the New Testament and they seen that Jesus was baptized as an adult. And they believe that they should follow his example.

Babies cannot repent when they are baptized but adults can fully accept by repenting, believing and being baptized

“You don’t have personal sin” Peter Acts 2V 38

Jesus always welcomed little children and loved them very much by blessing them and telling off those who wanted to make them go away.

“Let the little children come to me and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” Mark 10: 13-16.

Jesus saw children as an example of what Christians should be like. The Church should also welcome children and infant baptism is a good way to do this.

Darren Martin 11G