The significance of baptism in the modern world

Throughout history Baptism has evolved and grown in to many different forms, but the practice and the message of Baptism remains the same; whether the Baptised person is an Infant or an Adult. Christ was baptised as an adult but many believe that this is merely a sign of a beginning and so chose to baptise infants for the beginning of their time in the church.

Water was used in the first baptism performed by John the Baptist when he baptised Jesus in the River Jordan. This symbol of water has survived and is still in use today as the preliminary method of Baptism. It symbolises cleansing and new life. Not only is water used in Baptism but also, as in the Catholic Church, it is used to denounce the death of a person in their Last Rights. When early Christians were Baptised they descended down under the water and then rose up out of it as a sign that they were starting a new life with Christ. Many Churches to this day have steps descending down towards the baptismal font resembling death and resurrection.

The lighting of the candle has developed from the original idea of the dove symbolising the Holy Spirit descending onto Jesus as passing from darkness to light. In Christian Baptisms in the modern world a candle is lit to symbolise this same passing from darkness to light.

Now a day your religion means a lot less than it used to in my belief. Less people appear to be going to mass and the fact that more violence has occurred (at least in Northern Ireland) due to the fighting over land ownership. Many older people attend services more often than the younger generation. We all have the same faith so why not go to mass as often as possible?

So from this information, we can collectively see that baptism today means almost the same as it ever has for the Christians and many of the similarities are apparent and although some things have changed, not very much has jolted the importance of baptism for the modern world. It may be infant it may be believer but as far as I can see, everyone is Baptised into Christianity and everyone believes in one thing Christ.