In connection to the dealing of parents and their children together, God does not just destroy adults and children if the adults have sinned, but he also blesses both if the adults have been worthy of his blessing, as is shown in the story of Noah’s Ark (Gn 6:9).
Moving away from the idea that the parents and children are connected, many infants are baptised because their parents wish for their child to be brought up completely sin free. Due to the original sin (committed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,) all humans are born with the original sin. Baptism is the repentance of this original sin.
Many parents are often worried that if their child died before they are baptised, their, their child will have sinned, and therefore will go to hell.
A final idea as to why infant baptism is better then adult baptism is the fact that every child belongs to God. To determine why God claims a child is impossible, but it is possible to determine when a child is claimed. The bible states that children are claimed as God’s at conception, and from the moment they are born, they must be brought up as a Christian in a Christian lifestyle and community, and the best way to do this is through baptism as an infant.
Argument 2 – Believers (adult) baptism is better than Infant baptism.
The second argument is formed by denominations that only baptise adults, such as the Baptists, who believe that baptism is a choice, a responsibility, to be made only by the person who wishes it to.
The Baptist community has few main beliefs as to why adults are the best people to be baptised, but they are very strong arguments.
Many Baptists are concerned that it is not right for someone to be baptised unless they themselves understand what is happening to them. Although when infants are baptised, adults make the decision on their behalf, Baptists feel that for baptism to have meaning it should be left until a time when the people involved can answer for themselves. Baptism is believed to be a very important ceremony, which effectively brings you into full membership of the church. It seems more appropriate to some people to not baptise infants who have no choice in the matter, and may later regret that it was done on their behalf.
A very important factor in the belief that believer’s baptism is better is the fact that Jesus himself was baptised as an adult, and made no direct quote as to the fact that only infants should be baptised. A believer’s baptismal ceremony is directly based on Jesus’ baptism, which is taken from the bible. Baptists believe that if Jesus had the choice to be baptised, his disciples should have the choice to, and we are therefore following Jesus’ example.
Baptists also believe that you should only be baptised if you believed before you were baptised. (Acts 8:37 “…the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptised?’..Philip said, ‘If you believe with all you heart, you may.’)
Also, you cannot have forgiveness without repentance. How can a baby or child repent? The Baptists believe that the sins of a baby cannot be buried with Christ because a baby has not repented. Which means a baby cannot be baptised. You cannot repent for an infant, just like you cannot repent for anyone else, because you have not sinned. Baptists believe that infant baptism denies that forgiveness comes after repentance; it denies that we believe first and then are saved, therefore it denies the cross.
My Opinion.
I have not yet been baptised, so it is fair for me to make a judgement on these two opinions. I will not make my argument based just on my personal view and beliefs, but on the facts I have read and the statements I have listened to.
I believe that when God made humans, he gave them the gift of free will, and gave it for a reason. I believe God wants us to make the right decisions in life, although he does not always expect us to makes the right ones. If he wished for us to have every decision made for us, we would not be blessed with such a gift.
Although infant baptism