Baptising children, right or wrong?

[WWLD]

I also think it's wrong.

It's only right if they make that decision themselves when they are old enough to understand their religion.

I was also baptized, but it doesn't really bother me because I was just a baby and it doesn't mean anything anyways

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

@WWLD
Baptism is just a ritual ,with no meaning except that ascribed to it by believers.

When I was growing up,it was common practice in Catholic hospital for staff to baptise babies who were dying. In Catholic doctrine any Catholic can perform a valid baptism. Much to the chagrin of Aussie dads, the church draws the line at baptising a baby with beer.

[Rockthatpiano06]

I believe parents have the right to baptize their children but I still think it's wrong. No more wrong then neo nazi's raising their children to be racist, or whatever other nonesense things parents drill into their kids heads. Its all dellusional, but it's still their right.

[leo-rcc]

Stop me if I'm wrong, I beleive this is something from the Church of England?

I have to stop you because you are wrong. A am I not British and B I did say Roman Catholic Church which is not CoE.

They are integrated with the country so, they get funding based on membership, and everyone is defaultly a member until they sign papers saying otherwise.

The same is true for the RCC. The Netherlands doesn't have a separation of church and state either. But basically every organisation, club, or foundation, is eligible for subsidy as long as you can show you have members and serve a purpose for the community.

[Demonaura]

In that case thank you for the correction, I was under the impression this was largely a CoE thing. I wonder if theres a way to make sure people aren't counting you as a member for subsidy claims without your knowledge... Someone should handle a system that keeps track of which names are in each list so, people can search their own name and see all the organisations currently claiming them as members. It may be extreme but, that makes me an unhappy demon to know that they might get away with it.


For the reason just stated by WWLD I don't really see baptisim as wrong, it does nothing to you and the only power it has over you is the power you give it. Of course you do need to officially leave the church but the baptisim ceremony is just a bunch of fancy hocus pocus, little different from your parents dressing you up like a cowboy for a picture at Wal-Mart. At least, unless you choose to make the ceremony more.

In all honestly though I could just be acting completely insensitive to people who have been baptised, I think I was but, I was far too young to remember and couldn't care less now. If I'm sounding that way it is not my intention.

[Edwardo Piet]

Baptism is just a ritual ,with no meaning except that ascribed to it by believers.

Yep...that's what I think...

I think it should be allowed for the parents of a child to 'tip water over their head a say a few words' providing they are also told (and old enough to understand) that there is no reason to believe it actually does anything or have any meaning - really it's just a bunch of water and a few words.

How about that?

Children should see both sides if it is to happen I think....
A child shouldn't be brought up to believe that some water and a few words actually DOES something or means something in and of itself!
The only meaning is the meaning given to it by religion - children should also be taught that really its just literally a bunch of water...

It's only fair :p

Kind of loses its meaning then doesn't it? But its better than telling them about Santa Claus too early isn't it? Santa is magic and fun for children - a bunch of water and a few words that are meant to mean something Godly when really its just a load of nonsense - children don't need that crap. They should also be told (and old enough to understand what they are told) that there's no reason to believe it's anything more than water and meaningless religious words!

Children should not be taught false potentially harmful (or at least confusing) religious bullshit without seeing the other side...

Or at least taught the comparison! -Ttaught other religious rituals and realize that they have completely different rituals...so which religion is the right one....?

They all disagree with each other! :S

Heh.

EvF

[Kyuuketsuki]

Anyone who's been in a near fundamentalist religion (and in many ways I regard the Catholic Church as that) knows that it is more than just water and words ... I had nightmares about burning in fire for well over 10 years after I ceased to believe, I was still affected by it later and only found "peace" when I finally realised I was an atheist. Not trying to be funny but religion (all religions but some more so than others) is a total mindf***!

Kyu

[Giff]

I believe parents have the right to baptize their children but I still think it's wrong. No more wrong then neo nazi's raising their children to be racist, or whatever other nonesense things parents drill into their kids heads. Its all dellusional, but it's still their right.

Is it spelled 'baptize'? I thought it was 'baptise'! Don't think my old english teacher would be pleased. Or is both right?

Anyway you have a good point. Parents have the right to baptise their child. But I would like to change that. Even though they have the right to do so doesn't mean it's acctually something that is right, just as you said.

It's first of all a marking. You are marking your child that it's christian. I mean you don't mark you child as an communist, nazi, socialist, DJ or nerd, right? What you say is: "That kid is a child of two communists" or "That child have two nerdy parents" and not "That is a communist child" or "That is boy is a nerd-child". Plus you don't go to a special place where you declare you children as a member of the nerdy society or a member of a socialist party.

But as you said the parents have, so far, the right to do so. BUt that needs to be changed.

[Rockthatpiano06]

that's true too, giff. Either way I've always held the believe (even when I was a christian) that I wouldn't baptise my children until they were old enough to choose, because otherwise it really means nothing. I wanted them to be able to discover things on their own. I still think that now, although I'd try to steer them away from religion all together :p And no, I spelt baptise wrong, haha!

[Demonaura]

Kyuu, and I tread softly here, I would suspect that something like that was a result of all the religious teaching and scare tactics done and baptisim was just a stone in the road for that kind of thing to happen.

Which broadens the topic a bit, it may be a ritual no different from christman morning but, in the context of parents threatening kids with burning hellfire. Things take a meaner twist.