“O God, you sent your Son to cast out the power of Satan, set this child free from Original Sin.”
The priest anoints the child on the chest with the oil of catechumens; it is a sign of strength and healing. Then there are the Baptismal promises – a declaration of faith, which, take place at the font. The promises represent a rejection of all sin and the belief of the basic Christian teachings. The water is blessed then the priest tells the parents and godparents to renew their faith. Then the priest asks the parents the following questions (their responses are in bold):
“Do you reject Satan and all his works and all his empty promises?
“I do.”
“Do you believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth?”
“I do.”
“Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord who was born of the virgin Mary, was crucified, died and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?”
“I do.”
“Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the Resurrection of the body and life everlasting?”
“I do.”
“This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it in Jesus our Lord.”
Then the child is baptised, water is poured three times over the forehead while the priest says:
“(The child’s name) I baptize you in the name of Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
These words have been taken from Matthew 28:19-20 and are part of Jesus’ last message to his disciples.
The actual baptism represents the washing away of sin with water and is then followed with a second anointing. Using different oil called the chrism, this is to bless the child and to heal. The child is then clothed in a white garment as a sign of their new life rejecting sin as a Christian. Outwardly, the white garment is a sign of Christian dignity. The Baptismal candle is then lit form the Paschal candle. The flame represents life and knowledge, which the child receives. The priest goes on to bless the mother, father and for all who attend the baptism.
Believers Baptism
The Baptist Churches, Pentecostal Churches and other Evangelical traditions practice believers’ baptism; although services differ from church to church like infant baptism, the main points remain the same. They believe that children are too young to know the meaning of Christ and you should be able to choose if you want to be baptised. They argue that Jesus was baptised as an adult by John in the river Jordan and this sacrament was not offered to children then so why should it be offered to children now.
A sermon is given to explain the importance of baptism; they are called to renew their commitment to Jesus. Those who wish to be baptised are asked to come forward, they are often clothed in white or light clothing. They are asked whether have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and when they have repented their sins, they then begin to state their faith and read a short passage from the bible. They then enter the baptistery, which is a deep pool in the front of the church, when not in use it is covered, as they enter the pool this symbolises them leaving their old sinful life behind. The minister who is also in the pool them says:
“…because you have repented of your sins and have requested baptism, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”
Then the candidate is immersed in the water, this is a sign that their old way of life has died, and that the Christian is buried in the tomb the same way as Jesus was. When the candidate leaves the pool this symbolises rising from the dead as Jesus rose from the dead three days after death, their new life as a Christian has begun. The candidate is handed a towel at the top of the steps and his new life begins of loving God and following in his teachings.
Explain the meaning and significance of baptism for Christians today.
In the modern world today, many people have different beliefs in life, though many do not have any beliefs at all. As we live in a society of free speech and free will. Some people do not take baptism seriously yet for some it will be the corner stone for the rest of their life as a Christian. When a child or an adult is baptised they are welcomed into that particular Christian community as a whole person through the sacrament of baptism. What they have done or said in the past is forgotten and they are able to start a new life as a follower of Jesus. People choose their children to be baptised, as they believe that they can initiate the child into the Church.
Baptism began in the Christian Church as John the Baptist prepared people for the coming of the Messiah. He wanted to cleanse people from their sins and make them repent before they were baptised in the River Jordan by total immersion. In the beginning adults were the only people to be baptised, as it was too much for a child to take on board at the time. It was only in the 6th century that children started to be baptised in general, to rid them of original sin. Now it is also used a Christening to name the child. Jesus started his ministry by being baptised by John this showed that he approved of what John was doing. He also told his disciples to go out to the people and tell them the good news of the Lord, preach to them, teach them and help them to be baptised in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
"Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all mankind. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved" (Mark 16:16)
Although the Jews were accustomed to ritual washing and cleansing this was something new. This total immersion washed away their old sinful life to give them a new life to follow in the ways of Jesus. This special grace was and still is bringing people closer to God as an outward visible sign of an inward spiritual blessing from God.
The candidate is declaring publicly or the parents for the child that: they believe in God and in Jesus, they want to repent all their sin, they have a desire to start a new way of life and that they wish to follow the commandments of Jesus, his teachings and the teachings of the Church. They also wish to become a member of the Christian community, as they love Jesus they wish to make a commitment to dedicate their life to Christ and follow his instructions. Within the believers’ baptism, the candidates want to recognize the feelings inside them that they can share with the death and the resurrection of Jesus.
As baptism takes, place the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to the candidate, overall there is a symbol of new life and of salvation. There is a chance to turn away from evil and to love God this commitment is made either by the person or by the parents who represent their child.
“Baptising babies is pointless.”
Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have considered more than one point of view.
For instance, parents with a very sick child that they have been told has a very high risk of dying will wish their baby to be brought into the Christian community for the short life that the baby will live. The parents will then have a feeling of security and the knowledge that they have cleansed their child from original sin and that they have brought the love of God to their child.
We can look at baptism like the mustard seed that is sown in the child and in time if that seed is nurtured by those around it will grow into a big tree following with more sacraments like the sacrament of Conformation, Holy Communion and even perhaps Holy Orders. This seed will then grow so much it in turn will begin to spread more seeds of Christianity in others.
You could even look at the point of view of the Quakers and of the Salvation Army, they do not think that you even need to go through the sacrament of baptism at all. They believe that it is unnecessary to have a visible sign that they love God by going through with the ceremony that could be worthless in the end but it should be the feeling within each individual that they are close to God.
I have seen though that for many people they do believe strongly that baptising young children will not have the same effect than an adult choosing for himself or herself that they want to live their life as a devoted Christian. These people do believe in baptism as a whole but they only baptise people when the candidate is old enough to make the decision for himself or herself. These are believers and they practise adult baptism. In the early church adults were baptised when they confessed their love for God and repented their sins a child cannot do this they have to be represented by their parents and godparents. Adults can make their own choice and most do not listen to others when they tell them what to do. Jesus baptised adults and if we are following his teachings then we should follow his teaching in this as well.
A baby or a young child cannot grasp the enormity of the sacrament and will not understand that they are being represented by their parents and godparents to be subjected to live a fulfilling life a Christian. They think that if the child will have no recollection about the sacrament then the faith that should have been there before the sacrament has been imposed upon the child. However, in baptism the child is being introduced to the Christian way of life and has the security of a relationship with God and the gift of the Holy Spirit from an early age. Some parents want their children baptised even when they do not intend to bring them up in the Christian faith. Now ministers and priests can refuse to baptise children, whose parents have no intention of attending church or bringing them up as practising Christians.
When the child is baptised the godparents make vows to help bring the child up into the Christian faith, when the child is old enough to make their own decision then they can take these vows in the sacrament of Conformation. The child may not be old enough to understand what important ceremony it is going through and how this sacrament may or may not be a part of them forever. At least the child has had the opportunity to become a member of the Christian community whether or not it remains with the faith, I think is a matter of their upbringing and their surroundings.
I do not think that baptising babies is pointless as it can mean a lot to many parents.
