In The Orthodox Church there are special features of the baptism of a child, the most obvious is that the baby is completely dipped in the font. Orthodox baptisms occur on the eighth day after the birth and the baby is held facing east. He or she is then dipped into the water three times in the name of trinity. The Orthodox service has three parts, the blessing of baptismal water with a prayer and breathing on the water in the form of the cross.
A pre-baptism anointing with the ‘oil of gladness’. And the actual baptism.
In Roman Catholic and Anglican baptisms the baby has water poured over the forehead with a formula of words ‘(Name) I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’.
The parents bring the child for baptism and godparents promise to watch carefully that the child will be brought up in the Christian Faith. They promise to help the parents do this. The essential parts of the ceremony are when the child is presented for baptism by parents and godparents and the parents and godparents confess their belief in the chief beliefs of the Christian Church. Also the sharing of scripture, which emphasizes the importance of baptism and when the congregation welcomes the new member of the church. The most important is when the child is baptized with water and the words ‘(name) I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen’ are spoken.
In a Believers Baptism the candidates have to confess their faith. They take the New Testament very seriously and only baptize those who wish to become Christians and ask for baptism. The Baptism takes place in a river or a place that the candidate can be fully immersed or dipped into the water. Orthodox children usually go through a service of dedication where they are brought by parents to a public service in which the minister will give thanks for the birth of the baby and bless the child. Both the parents and the congregation are asked to help in bringing up the child. In the baptism the candidates must be sorry for their sins and have faith in Jesus Christ. They present themselves in baptismal ropes and each candidate descend into the water and is completely immersed by the minister, while saying the words ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’. For Believers the baptism is a symbol of forgiveness of sin and a new life of faith in Jesus Christ.
This type of Baptism is very similar to Jesus’ own baptism. An adult makes the decision to be baptised and attends a series of classes to prepare themselves for this event. It is important that they attend the classes so that they fully understand the commitment that they are about to make. The candidate is usually dressed in a white gown and is fully immersed in water. They believe that when they get baptised it will rid them of the sin they had when they were born and after they are baptized this will be a new start of life. They think that when they are born and their parents are considering getting them baptized that they are making the decision for them and that it has nothing to do with the child. People will wait until they become an adult, so that they will be able to make their own decision. If they do wait then they can make their own decision and they will be able to make the promises rather than their parents making them for them.
Even today most people in the Catholic Church think that infant baptism is the traditional method, but some people think that believers baptism is better because they get to make the promises for themselves, giving them more freedom, which is very important.
