Should We Baptize Our Baby?

My son was not healthy when he was born. I baptized him myself before the priest came to complete a "proper" baptism although once he was baptized by me it was not necessary to have the priest do it. FYI...I am catholic too.

Usually as Christians, we wait until they're old enough to make a decision for Christ and want to share it with others through immersion. I hope that helps. Congrats!

If you follow the Catholic thought that a baby must be washed of the original sin, then it may be important to do it now, otherwise there is no harm in waiting until you either find a church that is right for your family or until the child is old enough to decide it is what he wants. JMO

In my church, we wait until the age of 8 to baptize by immersion, when we feel the child is old enough to make the decision for themselves. Prior to that age, they are technically innocent, and will not go to hell or limbo if they were to pass on prior to baptism like many often believe.

For us, there is no fee required, but I do know some churches do have a pastors fee and the like. I suppose all you can do is call around to see.

i think your best bet is to look into doing a 'dedication' rather than a baptism.....if you are in the city, have you tried moody bible?

Yes baptize your child. Most Catholic churches will allow you to baptize your baby and the only qualification is that you go to the baptism class. You will need at least one godparent who is in good standing with the catholic church who will need to fill out the form. No donation is ever a requirement.
Most non-denominational churches don't baptize babies, rather they "dedicate" them.
If you were married Catholic, you made a promise to God to be open to having children and raising them in the faith but regardless of whether you choose a baptism or dedication, you're making a vow/promise to bring them up in church and help them form christian values.........
Something that may help you.......... Most churches are starting their RCIA programs over the next couple weeks (it's for those interested in becoming Catholic which I went through 4 years ago when I was pregnant).
My husband was raised Catholic but didn't practice as an adult. He started going to a non-denominational church with me and we just couldn't find one he was comfortable with once we moved to the area. He found he was actually the most comfortable in the Catholic church so I converted. My only stipulation was that we would be active in the church, meaning that we would go at minimum every Sunday and we would volunteer at the church for things we were interested in.
He went to all of the classes with me and really found out what it meant to be Catholic. Our marriage is so much stronger because of that.
There are so many people our age that were poorly catechized and walked away from the church as soon as mom & dad stopped making them go. Perhaps this happened to you and your husband too and maybe you might reclaim your Catholic faith if you attend an RCIA program as well.

Can you and hubs and family invite a pastor friend over to your home and baptize the baby at home? You don't have to baptize only in a church setting. You could choose a friends pool, a river, and make a nice little picnic out of it all.

If I could do my children's baptisms over I would have invited one of my best girlfriends, who is an ordained minister with a PhD in Theology and have her conduct the ceremony. And I would have paid her as well. Although she probably wouldn't accept and I now think we should have done it in our back yard pool.

HTH

yes you should. if you are asking then it means a lot to you to have it done. We went to a lutheran church and are not members but were able to have two kids baptised. good luck.

What is your reason for baptizing? It's a religious sacrament and your decision should be made based on your religious belief. Sounds like you haven't decided yet how you believe.

Most Protestant churches do not baptize infants. They dedicate them to God, instead. It's also a religious sacrament and should be done as a promise to God that you will raise your child to believe in Him.

I've not heard of a church requiring a fee to baptize anyone. Most churches would not baptize anyone that is not a member. It's all tied up with religious beliefs.

If baptism is important to you you need to find a church that believes similarly to the way you believe. I don't know of any denomination that baptizes infants other than the Catholic Church. But then, it's been years since I was involved with churches.

Well, if you were both raised Catholic, you might like the Episcopalian or Lutheran services...they will "feel" similar to you. Here is a link that might help:
http://www.ehow.com/how_###-###-####_identify-between-cat...

I suggest going to a couple different services and then calling the church offices to discuss their baptism guidelines. I'm sure it varies by denomination & church. I'm sure everyone you talk to will be helpful & welcoming.

.

As I understand it, infant baptism is a way of the church pledging itself to suporting the spiritual well-being of the baby. So if you don't belong to a church, how can that happen?
Find a church you want to join, then talk to the minister about baptism.

Its easier to just do it now, instead of waiting & you will have an excuse to put it off. Don't make it some big huge decision, just pick a catholic church nearby, or the one you grew up at.

Just call & say you want to become a member & have your child baptized. They will ask where you have been attending & you can be honest & say you are looking for a place or just the church you grew up at.

Its really not that scary:)

I went through the same thing, we made it a big deal & I felt like I needed to make this huge life decision for our families future, when really you can just figure things out as you go along.

You are worried about it, so get him baptized & then start attending various churches to see where you fit:)

Maybe it will be the church he was baptized at but maybe it won't.
Just take the first step & see where it leads you.

We belong to a Methodist church in Schaumburg and we often have families who have catholic backgrounds have their children baptized at our church.
We usually see families with babies for baptisms.

Call or visit with the pastor of the church in the area.

If you don't necessarily want to raise your child in the Catholic Church then why would you want to Baptize him in the Catholic Church? The parents/godparents make a promise/vow at a Catholic Baptism to raise their child Catholic. If you haven't found a church that you like yet, it might be best to wait until you do.

We had our daughter blessed outside of a church - literally. We met (and became pretty fond of) a Reverend not affiliated with a church, and invited everyone out to a lake one morning. It was amazing.

With our second, we have not baptized her. We're instead going to take part in our church's baby dedication ceremony later this year.

I am non denomation christian, and I believe that is your own personal choice to decide when you get baptized. I do not agree with baptizing babies (but I won't judge those who do). But, if you are looking into a non denom. church, then they most likely won't do it until your baby is older and they can decide for themselves.

N....

My question to you is this...do you want to baptize your child for the ceremony or for the purpose behind it? Once YOU are baptized, you can baptize. It can be something as simple as during a bath, in a lake, in your kitchen. You don't have to be a priest, a pastor or be ordained. People don't understand that a baptism doesn't "wear out" so that you can go back and "rebaptize" down to road. I do understand people who, as adults, want to confirm that commitment (I was lucky...I was baptized for the first time at 21) and I think at that point, it is more about staying plugged into God and beginning an adult relationship with Him.

Baptism is about making the commitment to God to raise your child in His ways. It is not about the hoopla, the choosing of the godparents (I think if you ask most people, their "godparents" did very little, if anything at all, in raising them with the word of God), all the stuff that isn't important to God anyway. The important thing is to make sure you put the word of God into your precious one's hands, his heart and his daily life and by living your life by example.

Whether or not you decide to baptize now or later, Dear N., God knows what is in your heart. He knows your desires for baptizing your child. Pray about it...wait patiently for His answer.

In Christ,
C.

Our church does allow non-members to baptize. You give a "goodwill" donation in whatever amount you can afford.

Organized religion sure does a lot to confuse the basic concept of God's love and grace for His children. Every denomination has rules and says the Bible says this or that about this or that. But the basic premise of Christianity is Love. Love God and Love others.
Having your child Baptized, Christened, or Dedicated is a personal choice and a personal decision. It is a ceremony and a symbol or a parents decision and dedication to recognize God's blessing and to raise their child in Love.
I disagree with Candice. There are many churches denominational and non-denomination who will celebrate this with you and your child with you even if you are not a member.
If you want, you can contact me. .

Hubby and I are the same as you. we were raised catholic, baptized, confirmed and married catholic. However we have converted to just being Christians.
We have not baptized our almost 3 year old. However we do plan on 'dedicating' her with our church...still havent gotten around to do it.
I guess you do what you feel is right. I dont think churchs will baptize your baby just because you paid thems (kind of sounds like the church would be hypocritical if they did do that..."here is your baptized baby but you dont have to walk the walk..we will just turn our backs but thanks for the cash")
Good luck finding your home church...we went through about 10 of them before we found the one we liked.

Easy question first -- there is no fee for any of the Sacraments, although most Churches would be quite happy to accept a donation in thanksgiving for the Sacrament being conferred.

More difficult question -- what is your reason for wanting to baptize him? Perhaps if you understood the Catholic Church's teachings on Baptism (specifically infant baptism) you might have an easier time deciding if you should baptize him (and if so, if you should do it in the Catholic Church.) This link may be helpful to you... http://www.catholic.com/library/Infant_Baptism.asp

My husband and I are practicing Catholics, and as such we feel that baptism is extremely important for our children, and should be done as soon as possible after birth. It not only initiates our children into the life of the Church, but also washes away the stain of original sin with which all human beings enter the world.

Even if you have your child baptized at a Protestant church, if at some point in your lives you embrace your Catholic roots, the Catholic Church would not require you to re-baptize your kids in the Catholic Church. Baptism is a one-shot deal, and the Catholic Church accepts the baptism of any Protestant church as a Sacrament of Initiation.

As Confirmed Catholics, you have the ability to perform an "emergency baptism". You can re-baptize at a later date in a Protestant church if you so choose.

Once you find a church that you are both happy with and want to attend, you can do a "dedication" where they pray over your child and family and dedicate your child back to the Lord and then the church family commits to helping your child grow in their faith with God once they are of age to know. You're child doesn't have to be a baby to do this. But I don't hope you find a Christian church that you both feel good about soon.

I was raised Lutheran and my husband was raised Baptist. We compromised on a Methodist church. I started attending when I was pregnant with my son. It was/still is very important to me that my kids were baptized (husband didn't care, as they don't baptize and his family doesn't place any importance on "infant dedications"). Anyway, our church baptized my son before I became a member and we had only been attending for a few months. I'm sure you will be able to find a church that will do it for you. I did "tip" our pastor each time one of my kids was baptized- from what I understand, that is pretty customary. I think I did $50 for the first three and $100 for the last one because he did a private baptism at our house. Good luck!

We are Lutheran and had our infant daughter baptized "back home" rather than where we live, so family and friends could come. IT actually was a bit of a problem, because the church promises to help teach the child (as a group, during the ceremony) and the child becomes a member of THAT church (so we had to have her membership transferred to where we live ASAP). You might want to find clarity before you go through the ceremony. It might help to look at some of the statistics on how much better teens do with a good church. We picked our church 15 years ago because in part of its youth program. DD is now a teen and we are so grateful!

I know that Catholic churches require you to be a member in order to baptize. They would also require that you go to a pre-baptismal class and that at least one of the godparents be a practicing Catholic. As for other denominations, I don't know, but I'm sure they would prefer that you be a member before they baptize. Also, I know a lot of denominations don't really DO infant baptisms. They like to wait for the child to determine if they are ready.

I would say if you don't believe the Catholic way why do the Baptism. Most other churches don't accept it or even consider it to be anything. Most churches believe in submersion so he'd have to be re-done some time in the future.

So, if you believe he'll go to hell if he died without being sprinkled then by all means do it for your peace of mind. If you truly don't believe that way then wait until you find a Church and do it when it is acceptable to that faith.

This is the exact situation we were in with our first child. Husband and I raised Catholic but not practicing as adults; both our moms still follow Catholic traditions; husband and I had issues with the Catholic Church and weren't sure where to baptize our daughter. We contacted several locations parishes and found one that we were comfortable with. We liked the priest and he did a nice job. We gave the church a gift; they didn't ask for a specific amount but we wanted to do the right thing by offering a contribution. Do what you believe is right for your family and don't worry if some believe different things (must be baptized, or shouldn't unless you belong to a church, or child should decide when he's older). Many of us who were raised Catholic but who have some concerns with church doctrine as adults and haven't found a new religion just feel more comfortable getting our kids baptized in a way that we're familiar with - in a church, as an infant. Good luck to you in youru decision!

My only suggestion is to make a real decision with your first child because I'm sure you will want any future chidren to have the same blessings. Take the time to find a church you want to be a part of and are comfortable with and then make a decision about the baptism. You can baptise your child in a Catholic church later.

Do it your own way. I did....I had a "baby blessing" . I picked the prayers I wanted, had my father also say a prayer (born again christian)
and my husband and I each read a letter (prayer) to our son coupled with our own words. It was very moving and very personal. Many tears. Beautiful and moving experience. Do it yourself. IT is all about the connection with your creator and your loving prayers to your child not a church. It will be an experience you will never forget.

My simple answer is no. Your child is innocent and there are no sins to wash away. My church believes to baptize at the age of accountability which we consider to be the age of 8. Before this time, it is up to the parents to do their job and teach their children the difference between right and wrong so that once they reach this age they should know and should be able to make their own choice and deal with the spiritual consequences. I will add, we do perform blessings to help our children start out their lives on the correct path. The blessing is not a script, but rather a feeling and the words come out as they are presented to whomever is performing the blessing. Whatever you decide to do, make sure it is the correct choice for you and your family.

I am Catholic and have baptized our 3 kids even though i know it doesnt get you into heaven, it is a Catholic tradition. That is why i did it. We will prob raise them Catholic, or Christian, but i wanted to start out with the usual Catholic traditions. And you can join any Catholic church and then do the baptism. You can join and then wait a few weeks and call to schedule the baptism/go to the class. It should be pretty simple.

Go find out more about what makes you so uncomfortable with the Catholic Church. There was plenty that I disagreed with until I began to ask why the Church teaches what it does. If you still don't want you son baptized Catholic then find a place that you do want.

Our church has such a nice baptism ceremony, and a big part of it is the members of our church promising to help raise the child in Christ, to guide the child as he or she grows. The minister even asks the children in the church (who are sitting on the floor in front) if they will help this child, pick her up if she falls down and and be friendly to her. Not everyone in our church does this for infants, some are baptized as older children. My recommendation is to take some time, and find a church that feels like home, a church where you feel the members will be there for you if tough times come your way. Our church has many ex catholics who were not attending any services until they started looking for a church that fits their beliefs. Try out several different protestant and Episcopal Churches -you may find one that you love, look for one that has a nice Childcare and Sunday School and Youth program. There are so many great Churches out there!

I am very religious, in the sense that I pray every day and attend church and believe strongly that my particular faith infiltrates my life in every way, shape and form. And have had each of my children baptized as the same. So, no, I would wait until you feel the same about a particular faith. Otherwise, what is the point? I am not saying you need to introduce your new baby to a particular religion, just that you should wait until you yourself have chosen one you feel comfortable with, whatever that may be. Maybe explore some different ones. Most places are very happy to welcome newcomers. Perhaps it will be a different one from which you were raised, perhaps not. In either case, you need to find YOUR faith, and THEN introduce it to your little one. Otherwise, it has no meaning.

Dear N.,

Do you want your child to be raised with religion in his life? I believe that many of the problems in our society are because our country has turned away from religion. Religions have always formed a basis for moral teaching in all societies.

I hope that you and your husband will have some serious conversations about the role of religion in your family life. You do not have to pay for baptism but I also do not think you should take it lightly. It should be at least as serious of a committment as marriage.

Finding a home within a church is not about "liking the church" or the pastor. I think this is the reason so many Protestants switch from denomination to denomination. I agree with the poster who suggested that you look into RCIA. You may find your answers there. You will get out of a church community what you put into it - much like all of life.

Sincerely,
C.