Baptism

  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    What do you think of baptism? Do you think it's necessary to get to Heaven? Do you think it's ridiculous to think that water makes any difference in your personal relationship with God?

    I think baptism is strange and odd. I don't think it's bad if a person gets baptized, but I don't think it's necessary. I won't be baptized. Wasn't as a baby. I'm a Christian though.

    I also won't baptize my children, but they can get baptized when they're older if they choose.

    Thoughts?
    June 20th, 2008 at 07:08pm
  • love like this.

    love like this. (100)

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    I agree with you completely.

    I think it's a bit ridiculous that people believe you need to get your head dipped in water to get into Heaven.

    I won't baptize my kids either, but I'll definitley raise them in some sort of church, probably a non dominational one.
    June 20th, 2008 at 07:42pm
  • oxford comma.

    oxford comma. (200)

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    In the church I belong to our fourth Article of Faith reads:
    "We believe that the first four principles and ordinances of the gospel are: First, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Second, repentance. Third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. Fourth, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost."

    In the church I belong to, one is baptized at age eight because it is considered the age of accountability {after which one knows the difference between right and wrong.}
    The person is fully immersed in the water by one holding priesthood authority. There are two witnesses to make sure the person's body is fully immersed.
    The lowering into the water and then bringing back up is symbolic of the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
    June 20th, 2008 at 08:30pm
  • RunawayRiotxx

    RunawayRiotxx (150)

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    I was baptized (or however you spell it) a while back. I know that I am not the perfect Christian teenager (but whatever). I don't know really what it was but when i was baptized i did feel something. I don't really know how to explain it but..like maybe we are not alone or..i don't know..
    As for if i had kids (one day way far from now) i wouldn't force them to get baptized though...i would want them to find God on their own..
    June 20th, 2008 at 09:56pm
  • Leonore Paisley

    Leonore Paisley (200)

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    I don't see how dumping your head in water will get you to heaven. It's about morals and what you do... not being baptized.
    June 20th, 2008 at 11:33pm
  • Blue Demon

    Blue Demon (100)

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    I was baptised as a baby. To be honest I think it wasn't so much of bringing me into the church (although I did go to Sunday School when I was a kid, but that was to get me out of the house) but to getting the whole family together and having a good time at see me looking all cute and adorible.

    I wouldn't baptise my own baby... Unless it was under certain circustances; ie premature birth ect. I would rather have some kind of postivie cermony with my baby even if it wasn't going to live that long. Which I know can be argued that if I had a kid and it lived until 8, how can I argue with that? Easy, I would have spent 8 years with the child rather than a few moments or a few weeks.
    June 20th, 2008 at 11:37pm
  • michael.aleksander

    michael.aleksander (100)

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    I think this is a widely shared view.
    Many Christians allow their children to decide whether their children want to be Christian, because God apparently prefers 1 convert to 10 full-life christians.
    June 21st, 2008 at 12:19am
  • oxford comma.

    oxford comma. (200)

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    Leonore Paisley:
    I don't see how dumping your head in water will get you to heaven. It's about morals and what you do... not being baptized.
    The church I belong to {as I mentioned before} believes in full-immersion for baptisms.
    And baptism does not automatically qualify one for the highest degree of glory, but it is necessary to enter the Celestial Kingdom.

    [And please note, this is from the church I belong to's teachings, not necessarily all of Christianity.]
    June 21st, 2008 at 06:15am
  • Leonore Paisley

    Leonore Paisley (200)

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    ZooZoo Magee:
    Leonore Paisley:
    I don't see how dumping your head in water will get you to heaven. It's about morals and what you do... not being baptized.
    The church I belong to {as I mentioned before} believes in full-immersion for baptisms.
    And baptism does not automatically qualify one for the highest degree of glory, but it is necessary to enter the Celestial Kingdom.

    [And please note, this is from the church I belong to's teachings, not necessarily all of Christianity.]
    I still don't see how being completely immersed in water changes anything.
    June 21st, 2008 at 06:23am
  • kafka.

    kafka. (150)

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    He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
    Mark 16:16

    It's not just water the same way the Holy Bread and Wine are not just bread and wine.
    June 21st, 2008 at 10:03am
  • love like this.

    love like this. (100)

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    sueno?:
    He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
    Mark 16:16

    It's not just water the same way the Holy Bread and Wine are not just bread and wine.
    I don't believe that the Communoin and Wine are the bread and body. Neither do som religions, they're representations and are symbolic.
    June 21st, 2008 at 04:37pm
  • oxford comma.

    oxford comma. (200)

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    Leonore Paisley:
    I still don't see how being completely immersed in water changes anything.
    Two things:
    1) It's following Christ's example. (How he was baptised by John the Baptist.)
    2) It's symbolic of burial and resurrection.
    June 21st, 2008 at 05:36pm
  • Leonore Paisley

    Leonore Paisley (200)

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    ^ But why do you need it to get into heaven?
    June 21st, 2008 at 07:45pm
  • oxford comma.

    oxford comma. (200)

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    For one, it shows obedience.
    Also, it's part of the Plan of Salvation. To attain the Celestial Kingdom at its most basic, one needs to be baptised.
    The church I belong to doesn't teach the just Heaven/Hell thing.
    We believe there are three degrees of glory--Celestial, Terestial, Telestial (and below Telestial is Outer Darkness)--and within the Celestial Kingdom there are three separate levels.
    June 21st, 2008 at 08:03pm
  • love like this.

    love like this. (100)

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    ^Just wondering, what faith do you follow?
    June 21st, 2008 at 08:44pm
  • Leonore Paisley

    Leonore Paisley (200)

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    ZooZoo Magee:
    For one, it shows obedience.
    Also, it's part of the Plan of Salvation. To attain the Celestial Kingdom at its most basic, one needs to be baptised.
    The church I belong to doesn't teach the just Heaven/Hell thing.
    We believe there are three degrees of glory--Celestial, Terestial, Telestial (and below Telestial is Outer Darkness)--and within the Celestial Kingdom there are three separate levels.
    You didn't answer my question. Why does one have to be symbolically plunged into water to be saved? What does water have to do with anything? It's symbolic for Jesus' rebirth? I don't understand how water is anything like that. And it shows obedience? How?
    June 21st, 2008 at 08:55pm
  • oxford comma.

    oxford comma. (200)

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    No, water is not symbolic for Jesus' rebirth.
    Honestly, I don't know if water is intended to be symbolic, you could probably be baptised in a vat of milk and it would still be legit, water is just easier to come by.
    Baptism itself is symbolic of death and resurrection (when you're fully immersed and then raised back up.)
    It shows obedience to the commandments Heavenly Father laid out for our benefit in order to obtain the highest degree of Celestial Glory.

    And to answer the question above, regarding which faith I follow, I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
    June 21st, 2008 at 08:59pm
  • kafka.

    kafka. (150)

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    Through baptism you erase the orignal sin, Adam and Eve's mistake, the Fall of Men. That's why you can't go to Heaven if you're not baptized.
    Or that least that's what it was originally in the old denominations -Catholic and Orthodox.
    June 21st, 2008 at 09:06pm
  • oxford comma.

    oxford comma. (200)

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    ^^^ That is true in other sects of Christianity, as far as I understand it.
    The church I belong to, however, states in its second Article of Faith:

    "We believe man will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam's transgression."
    June 21st, 2008 at 09:17pm
  • kafka.

    kafka. (150)

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    The original sin is rather a state of sinfulness that people have because they have fallen from Heaven. People born now are not like the primordial men, they don't have the grace of God.
    The original sin is not an actual sin like stealing for example.
    June 21st, 2008 at 09:50pm