Baptising children, right or wrong?

[athoughtfulman]

I generally hold telling a child what they beleive in terms of religion and such as improper, I don't know about abuse because it is not universally a bad thing, only bad by my definition. I see reality as worth fighting for but, a society where ignorance is bliss (religion) is not a crime.

I suppose it becomes a crime when people who have been indoctrinated as kids blow up buildings.

Sorry, but just had to take it to the extreme. If it's wrong and it has more negative effect than positive, then something needs to be done about it. However, is there any evidence which suggests baptism has a lasting influence on a kid? I honestly don't think so, because the kid is generally too young to really understand what it's all about, and even when they're older, it would often still seem silly. So I think there are much worse forms of indoctrination that we need to be careful of.

I reckon baptism just doesn't have it in him to make people do what he wants. Now the threat of hell... Or the promise of 72 virgins...