Baptism

So I’m staring down the barrel of another clash between Protestants and Catholics. And as usual, it’s incredibly personal. I was baptized when I was a baby into the Roman Catholic Church. Today, I consider myself Protestant. But that’s only if I’m forced to give a word to it. I’m a nondenominational Christian who wants nothing more than to see the reunion of the Church (It will happen one day, just a matter of when). Even though I am no longer Catholic, I don’t feel the need to reaffirm my faith by being baptized again. A friend from church in college once asked me when I was going to get re-baptized. Insinuating that my previous baptism as an infant in the Catholic Church somehow didn’t count. I was so caught off guard that I didn’t know what to say. It never occurred to me that someone would see my baptism as illegitimate. I guess because the main Protestant influence I had growing up (Presbyterian) supported infant baptism, I didn’t see that as something that anyone would have a problem with. And it being a Catholic baptism was never an issue to me because I always have seen the Catholic Church as a different manifestation of Christ’s church—not as a separate entity that somehow falls into a different category.

This is all background to the current issue of baptizing my daughter Ivy. For the first time in my life I have felt like I belonged to a church. I don’t mean, I have a membership there or whatever, but that I am loved, accepted and wanted there (and I don’t have to separate myself from my past in the Catholic Church). So to me, baptizing my daughter there is a must. I want to officially bring her into the community and into the new covenant as a child of God. However, that is not the tradition of my church. There aren’t official statements that I know of that say that infant baptism is prohibited, but I’m pretty sure that’s the unofficial rule. I could also be dead wrong because I have yet to clarify the issue directly with the pastors or elders. When I do, I will update this and let you all know (I know you’re on the edge of your seats ;)).

By defending infant baptism, I’m not therefore saying I disagree with believer’s baptism. I can’t judge what God has convicted in the hearts of others, and I can’t foresee the ways that he will work to change the opinions of me and my fellow Christians. I am just expressing my desire to baptize my daughter into the Church, regardless of whether she has made it to the “age of reason” (who’s to say when that is anyway?).

I could write a whole book that outlines a biblical defense of infant baptism. If you want that, consider reading this or this. The early church practiced infant baptism. There are lots of citations I have found supporting this. If you’re interested go here. The Bible is not 100% clear on the issue. If the Bible isn’t 100% clear on the issue, it seems to me that it would be okay in that instance to look to church tradition. I’m not saying tradition is a higher or equal authority to scripture, but I am saying it should be considered when scripture is ambiguous.

I really have a hard time with people who only accept “believer’s baptism” as a legitimate baptism. All of the great reformers (Calvin, Luther, etc.) held to the practice of infant baptism. I mean, their opinion doesn’t seal it for me, but I know some people rely heavily on the viewpoints of these men. They are the reason the church split, are they not? But they hung onto the practice because it was the right thing to do (though it did mean something different to them than to the Catholic Church).

Ideally, I would like to see my baby baptized in front of our church family, and in front of my biological family. I can’t think of anything more beautiful than my daughter being brought into the Christian faith surrounded by Catholics, Protestants, and her parents that love her dearly—and in the baptismal dress that has been worn in my family for four generations. Only time will tell if that is something that can happen. But I’m hoping and praying…