Should kids be able to "choose" to be baptized?

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

We do baptisms every so often at my church and often those being baptized are kids from say 5 to 11 years old.

A baptism is meant to be a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. In other words these kids apparently understand the teachings of Christ and are making a choice to follow him.

But you notice I put choice in quotes in the thread title. Why? Well, there's a part of me that wonders if a 6 year old is truly mentally capable of understanding Jesus and making a choice to follow him.

I think a lot of these kids aren't making the choice at all, they are going along with what their parents are choosing for them, even though the ceremony makes it appear as though it's choice made willingly on the part of the child.

It could also be that I am simply misunderstanding the idea behind a baptism (I am aware there are parents who choose to get their children baptized at birth) but I'm not entirely sure that is so.

[DesignFox]

um. Yea. Your post confused me because most people I know of were baptized at birth. Someone has to stand their and proclaim for you your faith in God...because you can't talk, yet. The other sacraments you go through you have to say stuff yourself and even then you get a sponsor that speaks on your behalf.

I don't think it's a big deal. It's not like you can't walk away from the church later in life. Having gone through this stuff as a kid just means it'll be easier to go back later if get all crazy and zealous about it, again. *shrug*

[AdminAssistant]

Many Baptist churches, at least the ones I'm familiar with, you have to be 10-12 before they will baptize you and accept you as a member of the church. It's believed that those too young to understand the path to salvation will be accepted into Heaven...or something like that.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

A lot of kids are christened as babies. When you have that done, as a parent you aren't saying your kid is a Christian. You are saying "I intend to raise this child as part of the church body."

When they get old enough to truly understand, many adults decide to be re-baptised as consenting adults. Or they don't.

I don't see any difference, really, in christening a baby or letting a child be baptised, if that is what they want.

At least that's how I understand it.

[Boozy]

Newsflash! Religion doesn't make sense.

Are they making an informed decision? Probably not. Kids that age still believe in Santa Claus, after all.

But what's the harm? What do they do, sprinkle a bit of water on their heads, say a few prayers? It's not like they are legally obligated to attend that church for the rest of their lives.

I was baptized around the age of 4, and I stopped attending church as soon as I was old enough to stay home alone on Sunday mornings. I don't see it as a big deal. It made my mom happy to get me baptized, and I didn't know what the hell was going on anyway.

[blas87]

I think it's a very good idea to baptize babies and small children so that they can be protected by God.

If as the child gets older and they decide to walk away or even heaven forbid go the way of evil, then that's fine.....but at least when they are young and the most easy of targets for evil, they are protected by God.

[SorryIsGoodEnough]

I was baptized twice. Once when I was around 3 because my Roman Catholic grandmother made a fuss about me not being baptized as a baby so my mother let her arrange it. And then again when I was 8, into the LDS church.

I made the decision when I was 8 on my own. My mom wasn't very active in church, so I got rides from other families. I WANTED to go to church, and I WANTED to be baptized.

I don't believe in pressure from family to be baptized into a certain religion, but I think it's one of the choices that a child should be allowed to make for themselves.

[HYHYBT]

It's really not that big a deal either way. Already pointed out, but getting baptized at 6 or so doesn't mean they will or won't change their beliefs later.

It's mostly a matter of emphasis, anyway. Infant baptism is roughly akin to the baby dedication they have, at least at the Baptist churches I've been to, on Mother's Day, and the kind you decide on for yourself is basically what other churches call Confirmation.

And what any of it means depends on what you mean when you do it, and after.

[Fashion Lad!]

I was baptized, I'm not religious and I don't claim to be part of any religion. I was baptized when I was baby.

My brother on the other hand was not baptized. It was until he was about 6 or 7 and he told my parents that he wanted to be baptized. So, my parents had him baptized.

Maybe kids should get the choice, but I don't think that it will cause any harm if they are baptized and later on in life decide that religion or maybe just that particular religion isn't right for them.

[Flyndaran]

Oddly, if I thought baptisms meant anything at all besides a poor bath, I would demand that only adults have the right to consent to it.