Baptising children, right or wrong?

[athoughtfulman]

I think it depends on what church you're at. Where I grew up, if I was baptised (never was) I wouldn't suddenly be on the members list. In which case I would have no problem with baptism because the issue of inflated member numbers does not exist. The water is simply water and the child can either choose to ignore it or choose to follow god.

Baptism certainly doesn't seem to be an intellectual abuse, for it doesn't persuade anyone to do anything. The baptised person still has all his liberty to make all his decisions whether they are based on faith or reason. And it's not a physical abuse, for it's only a little water going on the head, or in the case of full immersion, like jumping into a pool.

So I don't believe it's an abuse in anyway, at least not by the parents. If the church is depending on it to boost numbers and increase funding, well then, it is a different situation. But the persons doing the abuse are not the parents, but the church leaders.