Baptism

druscilla; perfect.:

say it lover-SAY IT.:

But that was before Jesus died, so that meant that they still went by the Old Testiment. And since we have the New Testiment to follow what Jesus did, we should all be baptized to be able to enter Heaven.

So, what you're saying is that to enter Heaven we are supposed to do what Jesus did in the New Testament?

I've never raised the dead, had a woman wash my feet with perfume, gone to Temple, fed the poor, convinced a woman to give up all her money, cast demons out of somebody, or risen from the dead.

Am I going to hell?

To me, picking out one thing Jesus did as the thing we are supposed to follow in His footsteps is like picking out one of the ten commandments and saying the others are arbitrary.

no i'm not saying that at all.
we aren't even capable of being able to do all the things that Jesus did.
I'm just saying what the Bible says.
I'm not a preacher or anything, but I'm just saying what I believe we are supposed to do to enter Heaven.

And I believe in Mark 16:16.

Mark 16:16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

So what happens if I believe, but am not baptised?

And in some bible it says whoever refuses to believe. There's a difference between not believing and refusing to believe.

I'm sure its been said before, but as far as I know the water doesn't really make any difference at all, though I'm not sure what the deal with holy water is but yeah it's really just symbolism, I guess to help us understand whats happening, it must be pretty difficult to comprehend what God thinks does and says and we interpret it in our own way by likening it to things we understand...Well thats how I've understood it, theres probably a thousand different ways to look at it.

Well, baptism isn't required to go to heaven. But being baptised is supposed to be how you 'wash away your sins' and be born again.
But you are supposed to be SAVED, and THEN baptised.
Like I said, it isn't required to go to heaven, you just have to be saved. And follow God, of course.

I wouldn't baptise my children either. Mine are gonna grow up in church, but they will choose if they want to be baptised. They're gonna be saved though.

Some churches, sprinkle. You know, like sprinkle water over people, instead of dunking them. My preacher says that that's not right though, because supposively, the bible says you have to be 'submerged' in water or somethin like that.

You do not need to be baptized to get to heaven. Baptism is just a way to affirm to the world, I guess, that you are committed to following Christ. I was baptised in a full water submersion, one of my best freinds had a bit of water sprinkled on his head and another hasn't been baptized at all, but we are all christians.

Baptism really makes no difference.

If you go and kill or assault or rape someone, then dip your face in a bowl of water, you don't go to heaven. That's just my opinion, though.

^That's not really the point of Baptism.
It's more like an innhitiation into the church.
If you want your sins to be forgiven by God then you can go to confession or reconciliation.

I was baptized was I was a baby, though I didn't really know what it meant. Now that I think about it, I don't think that that's going to help me go to heaven. but then again...it could. that's just my opinion! =P

I thought baptism just made you a christian/catholic.
I was baptized a roman catholic.
Guess I was wrong? :shifty

I was baptized as a little kid, so I had no choice whatsoever.

I'm glad that I was though. I believe that you can't take communion or go to confession if you're not baptized, oui?

Being baptized is supposed to rid you of original sin. But from then on, you're on your own.

As I've learned.

Baptism is nothing but a symbol, just like a wedding ring. You don't need to be baptized to get to heaven. All you need is to believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins, accept him as your savior, and ask God to forgive your sins.

I got re-baptized last Sunday :)

I first got baptized when I was 8, without really understanding it. Then I turned my back on God for years, and I recently came back to him.

Speaking FROM EXPERIENCE, I am infinitely happier with God in my life.

I got baptized when I was like...9?
It's sorta silly but I think it represents that you have been washed of your sins and the ones you will commit then will be forgiven. Your name is 'written' in God's book and you should be accepted into heaven.

I'm not the most devout Christian but I still want to believe in God even if sometimes I question his existance.

Kenskeet:

Baptism is nothing but a symbol, just like a wedding ring. You don't need to be baptized to get to heaven.

But you need to get married before you have sex, otherwise it's a sin, so is a wedding ring merely an unimportant "symbol"?

kafka.:

Kenskeet:

Baptism is nothing but a symbol, just like a wedding ring. You don't need to be baptized to get to heaven.

But you need to get married before you have sex, otherwise it's a sin, so is a wedding ring merely an unimportant "symbol"?

You can be married without a wedding ring, is what she's saying.

druscilla; contrast.:

kafka.:

Kenskeet:

Baptism is nothing but a symbol, just like a wedding ring. You don't need to be baptized to get to heaven.

But you need to get married before you have sex, otherwise it's a sin, so is a wedding ring merely an unimportant "symbol"?

You can be married without a wedding ring, is what she's saying.

Most Christian religious wedding ceremonies do imply rings.
But I was referring to marriage in general, is it just a symbolic ceremony?
You don't start to love your spouse more or less after you marry them, but still it is considered a sin to have sex before marriage, while it's okay to do it after. What changes? And couldn't the same thing apply for baptism, it's not enough to love God?

From what I was taught baptisms are like wedding rings. You where a wedding ring to say, "I'm taken." Baptism are performed in front of the public to say I'm taken by God. He is my first love. I myself have never been baptized. I would indeed like to but I do not think it is necessary to be baptized to get into heaven.

Oops. I'm sorry. I posted something that was already written. I didn't read all of the posts. I'm sorry.

I don't believe that someone has to be baptised in order to go to heaven.
I myself was baptised when I was very small, so I didn't have a choice, but I don't regret it or have a problem with it.

I don't understand being baptized as an infant.
My grandmother was horrified that my mother did not baptize me as an infant.
But as an infant you aren't doing shit.
You aren't consciously making a decision to let God be the most important thing in your life.
You're just... getting some water sprinkled on your head and probably squirming.
So... how does that get you into Heaven? You didn't even know who God was.

[This was not directed at the person above me. It was just a rant. I don't get it.]