Do Fundies Baptize Themselves

[Toothfairy]

Do Fundies Baptized themselves or their kids? Do they believe in baptism? Since some of them talk about being saved and finding the lord.

[jerkit]

Fundies of the IFB variety believe very strongly in baptism, but only of saved believers, not babies or small children. They usually feel pretty strongly about immersion baptism as well.

[polecat]

Do Fundies Baptized themselves or their kids? Do they believe in baptism? Since some of them talk about being saved and finding the lord.

Yes, they do.

[formergothardite]

I guess it depends on if they are Baptists or have Baptist roots. Some of the fundies I know in real life, even if they attend a real church with a real pastor the fathers will baptize their children instead of the pastor doing it. At least for me, this is a fairly new idea. Growing up I only saw pastors baptize people.

[Anny Nym]

How about godparents? Do they play any role among fundamentalism? Do the Duggar kids have a godfather/mother?

[jerkit]

How about godparents? Do they play any role among fundamentalism? Do the Duggar kids have a godfather/mother?

IME in the evangelical community, there are sometimes “dedication†ceremonies with babies where the parents promise to raise the child in the church. When that happens, there are sometimes designated godparents, but not always. I think these dedication ceremonies sometimes happen in fundie-land, but might be considered too much like infant baptism in some of the more hardcore sects.

[formergothardite]

None the baby dedications I have seen involve godparents. The parents dedicate the child to God and promise to raise him/her in a godly home, the relatives that are there then promises to provide a godly extended home for the child, and finally the church members promise to help raise the child as a strong Christian. Usually the baby is given a tiny Bible and the parents are given a certificate stating that they have dedicated their child to God.

[browncoatslytherin]

None the baby dedications I have seen involve godparents. The parents dedicate the child to God and promise to raise him/her in a godly home, the relatives that are there then promises to provide a godly extended home for the child, and finally the church members promise to help raise the child as a strong Christian. Usually the baby is given a tiny Bible and the parents are given a certificate stating that they have dedicated their child to God.

that has been my experience as well.

plus, any baptism was immersion baptism of a saved person who publicly professed their faith. baptism of babies was a no no. as far as who performed it...it was commonly a pastor, but it wasn't unheard of to have someone special to the person do it instead, as long as they were an upstanding church member.

[BrownieMomma]

Just agreeing with everyone above...

Side note: Did you know that in the Catholic church, anyone can baptize? It does not have to be a priest. I came across this idea because a grandparent was upset the new grandbaby was not going to be baptized. A secret baptism was suggested.

Back to fundies and evangelicals:

Immersion baptism by the pastor after a public profession of faith. No infant baptisms but do have baby dedications. No godparents at dedications, which is a loss IMO. I always thought godparents were an excellent idea.

The idea of baby dedication is the parents are publicly stating they will raise the child for God. Never heard it stated "in this particular church" but to me, the implication is always there. Or at the very least, raise this child in our particular denomination.

BTW, gifts are not part of a baby dedication, at least that I've ever seen.

Lately I have heard hear and there of immersion baptisms by the person's father or some person of significance. idk if this is becoming more common.

At the Pentecostal church I've been attending for the last year and a half, there has been one baptism ceremony. Honestly, I don't understand what happened. It's not a one time thing? Some people get baptized every time this is done? I was repeatedly asked if I wanted to participate but I kept saying I've already been baptized in a Southern Baptist Church. That clearly had nothing to do with anything. The Catholic church accepts this as a legitimate baptism and would not ask me to be baptized again. So I was/am confused.

[browncoatslytherin]

At the Pentecostal church I've been attending for the last year and a half, there has been one baptism ceremony. Honestly, I don't understand what happened. It's not a one time thing? Some people get baptized every time this is done? I was repeatedly asked if I wanted to participate but I kept saying I've already been baptized in a Southern Baptist Church. That clearly had nothing to do with anything. The Catholic church accepts this as a legitimate baptism and would not ask me to be baptized again. So I was/am confused.

i can only answer this from an independent baptist point of view, but according to our beliefs, baptism was only needed once, after you publicly professed faith.

now, you could still get baptized multiple times, however. say, if you were baptized in a church and later there was a special baptism in a river (especially the river jordan in israel) then it was perfectly fine to go ahead and do it.

i'm not sure how pentacostals view baptism, as we kinda viewed them as being weird lol. is there maybe an elder or someone at the church to ask? i hadn't heard of that before, so i'd be interested to know their view on baptism.

[louisa05]

Side note: Did you know that in the Catholic church, anyone can baptize? It does not have to be a priest. I came across this idea because a grandparent was upset the new grandbaby was not going to be baptized. A secret baptism was suggested.

Back to fundies and evangelicals:

Immersion baptism by the pastor after a public profession of faith. No infant baptisms but do have baby dedications. No godparents at dedications, which is a loss IMO. I always thought godparents were an excellent idea.

The idea of baby dedication is the parents are publicly stating they will raise the child for God. Never heard it stated "in this particular church" but to me, the implication is always there. Or at the very least, raise this child in our particular denomination.

BTW, gifts are not part of a baby dedication, at least that I've ever seen.

Lately I have heard hear and there of immersion baptisms by the person's father or some person of significance. idk if this is becoming more common.

At the Pentecostal church I've been attending for the last year and a half, there has been one baptism ceremony. Honestly, I don't understand what happened. It's not a one time thing? Some people get baptized every time this is done? I was repeatedly asked if I wanted to participate but I kept saying I've already been baptized in a Southern Baptist Church. That clearly had nothing to do with anything. The Catholic church accepts this as a legitimate baptism and would not ask me to be baptized again. So I was/am confused.

I just taught baptism with my confirmation kids in Catholic Church. Indeed, anyone can baptize someone but it is only supposed to be in an emergency. The classic example is that an unbaptized person is dying in your arms and asking to be baptized. Grandparents wanting a baby baptized when parents do not would not be considered such a situation. Believe it or not, the Catholic Church would respect the parents' wishes in such a situation. Grandma or grandpa should refrain unless the baby is about to die and the parents request it then and no priest or deacon is available.

I have a kid in my class whose family left the Catholic church for a "Bible Church" when he was about 8 years old but have, inexplicably, brought each of their children back to be confirmed. He argued that people can be baptized more than once if they want to and informed us his mother has been baptized four times at the Bible Church now. His explanation was that if you have sinned a lot or feel far away from Jesus or just want to be baptized again, then you just ask the pastor. Apparently, that is how they roll over there. I suspect he has had additional baptisms over there as well and is just not telling us since we said it is unnecessary.

[Jana814]

Thanks for the info. I didn't think that Fundies baptized.

[Anny Nym]

Thx everyone - so basically no special presents for birthdays and Christmas from the nice godmother on a buying spree... aw, shucks. Poor fundie kiddos :violin:

Side note: Did you know that in the Catholic church, anyone can baptize? It does not have to be a priest. I came across this idea because a grandparent was upset the new grandbaby was not going to be baptized. A secret baptism was suggested.

Back to fundies and evangelicals:

Immersion baptism by the pastor after a public profession of faith. No infant baptisms but do have baby dedications. No godparents at dedications, which is a loss IMO. I always thought godparents were an excellent idea.

Yes,back in the "good old days" when a birth was a way more life-threatening experience than it is now, midwives always brought a bit of Holy Water along. Just to be prepared for the unfortunate case they had to perform a "emergency baptism" on a newborn.

And I still have a school book somewhere giving the exact wording to use in a baptism done by a person who is not a priest.

Hey, while we are at that topic: what about other transition ceremonies? I am catholic, we have a Confirmation. The jewish knows Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah for the same age range.

Are there any alike rituals in certain fundamentalist denominations?

[browncoatslytherin]

Hey, while we are at that topic: what about other transition ceremonies? I am catholic, we have a Confirmation. The jewish knows Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah for the same age range.

Are there any alike rituals in certain fundamentalist denominations?

um, marriage? lol snarkyness aside, there weren't really any special things that we did for that age range. there was a whole purity ring thing, but that wasn't like a church-wide deal, it just usually came up around the same time and it wasn't made to be a big deal. ummm...i can't really think of anything specific that any of our churches ever did.

[louisa05]

Thx everyone - so basically no special presents for birthdays and Christmas from the nice godmother on a buying spree... aw, shucks. Poor fundie kiddos :violin:

Yes,back in the "good old days" when a birth was a way more life-threatening experience than it is now, midwives always brought a bit of Holy Water along. Just to be prepared for the unfortunate case they had to perform a "emergency baptism" on a newborn.

And I still have a school book somewhere giving the exact wording to use in a "home baptism". You know, juuust in case... ^^

Hey, while we are at that topic: what about other transition ceremonies? I am catholic, we have a Confirmation. The jewish knows Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah for the same age range.

Are there any alike rituals in certain fundamentalist denominations?

As far as I know, most fundies avoid any rituals that may remotely resemble confirmation, lest they be imitating us pagan Catholics.

There are evangelicals getting into the manhood ceremonies with swords and what not, though.

Out of curiosity, at what age does your diocese do confirmation? I have been a bit surprised at how much it varies. Mine is 8th grade--around 13-14 years old, but the uber-conservative one next door confirms 4th graders (because, a friend informed me, they are "too young to change their minds"--a reasoning that really rubbed me the wrong way, but may not be accurate, too).

[Arete]

A layperson in the Orthodox Church can also baptize in emergencies. "Secret" baptisms are considered canonically invalid and are not recognized. You cannot perform a baptism against the wishes of the parents.

[busdrivingmom]

Out of curiosity, at what age does your diocese do confirmation? I have been a bit surprised at how much it varies. Mine is 8th grade--around 13-14 years old, but the uber-conservative one next door confirms 4th graders (because, a friend informed me, they are "too young to change their minds"--a reasoning that really rubbed me the wrong way, but may not be accurate, too).

Even in a diocese, Confirmation age varies widely. I have seen 7th grade, our church (and most around here) confirm in January of 8th grade (preparation begins in 7th grade), and my parents church confirms in 10th grade (preparation begins in 9th grade).

[Firiel]

um, marriage? lol snarkyness aside, there weren't really any special things that we did for that age range. there was a whole purity ring thing, but that wasn't like a church-wide deal, it just usually came up around the same time and it wasn't made to be a big deal. ummm...i can't really think of anything specific that any of our churches ever did.

You know, some Calvinist fundie groups may have a kind of "confirmation." I've got several good friends who grew up in a conservative Calvinist church who were baptized as infants and then took what amounts to a confirmation class in junior high. The ceremony wasn't a huge deal, though, not like a Bar Mitzvah. Just an "in front of the church" type of thing, AFAIK.

Do any of our Vision Forum experts know if that group does infant baptism followed by a later confirmation class?

[Anny Nym]

As far as I know, most fundies avoid any rituals that may remotely resemble confirmation, lest they be imitating us pagan Catholics.

There are evangelicals getting into the manhood ceremonies with swords and what not, though.

Out of curiosity, at what age does your diocese do confirmation? I have been a bit surprised at how much it varies. Mine is 8th grade--around 13-14 years old, but the uber-conservative one next door confirms 4th graders (because, a friend informed me, they are "too young to change their minds"--a reasoning that really rubbed me the wrong way, but may not be accurate, too).

I know fundamentalist think of Catholics as pagans, but I reeeeallly need to get used to that every time again... being from a catholic country, still can´t wrap my head around that :lol:

Around here the average age is 12 to 13 years to be confirmed. Do you use the same person who is your godparent as a sponsor at the confirmation? Because some do traditionally, some don´t. (We use a new one as sponsor)

[Anny Nym]

um, marriage? lol snarkyness aside, there weren't really any special things that we did for that age range. there was a whole purity ring thing, but that wasn't like a church-wide deal, it just usually came up around the same time and it wasn't made to be a big deal. ummm...i can't really think of anything specific that any of our churches ever did.

Oh darn, of course the purity ring thing! But as you said it´s more a private ceremony...

There are evangelicals getting into the manhood ceremonies with swords and what not, though.

Do I have to imagine that like in a fraternity, including the duelling or more like a staged "Artus"-ceremony?

[salex]

You know, some Calvinist fundie groups may have a kind of "confirmation." I've got several good friends who grew up in a conservative Calvinist church who were baptized as infants and then took what amounts to a confirmation class in junior high. The ceremony wasn't a huge deal, though, not like a Bar Mitzvah. Just an "in front of the church" type of thing, AFAIK.

Do any of our Vision Forum experts know if that group does infant baptism followed by a later confirmation class?

I went to a liberal, non dominionist Presbyterian church for a while and that is more or less what they do-- infant baptism, and maybe later the kids join the church officially, but not any sort of big ceremony, at least at our church. The methodist church I attended as a kid was mixed on infant baptism--mom was raised baptist, so none of us kids were baptized as babies. I was 'sprinkled" when I was confirmed at about 12 or 13... I haven't ever attended a "dunking" church as a member.

And, last summer I was shocked to learn a RC friend of ours had baptized her infant grand daughter without her son and daughter in law's knowledge because they had gone heathen (agnostic, maybe) and hadn't had her baptized. So, that may be more of a thing than a lot of people, including the church fathers, know.

Edit to add, my fundie inlaws baptise their kids young... as soon as the kid can say they want to be saved. One great niece was featured in the Christmas letter one year as "having given her life to Christ" and a story about her being saved and baptised. This was the same year that her family went to extremes to keep the Santa thing going. Making noises on the roof, footprints in the snow, etc. I thought it was odd all around, but my family wasn't much into Santa.

[nolongerIFBx]

um, marriage? lol snarkyness aside, there weren't really any special things that we did for that age range. there was a whole purity ring thing, but that wasn't like a church-wide deal, it just usually came up around the same time and it wasn't made to be a big deal. ummm...i can't really think of anything specific that any of our churches ever did.

When the person accepts Christ as their Savior, it is a big deal. It isn't really a ceremony, but it is announced and many people take time to go talk to the person and congratulate them. This is sometimes combined with baptism and the decision to join the church. Then the pastor usually has a sort of reception line for the other members to welcome them. Like browncoatslytherin said, these aren't age-related as we are big on it being a personal choice which can happen at any age.

[Jenny]

Hey, while we are at that topic: what about other transition ceremonies? I am catholic, we have a Confirmation. The jewish knows Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah for the same age range.

Are there any alike rituals in certain fundamentalist denominations?

I am Byzantine rite Catholic and babies are baptized, confirmed, and receive first communion. I think some (all?) Orthodox churches also do this. The children then make their first confession when they are about 7 or 8. I wouldn't call it a ceremony, but we did have cake after church one Sunday honoring those who had made their first confession.

In the (Roman Catholic) diocese, where I used to live the children received first communion in 2nd grade and were confirmed in 3rd grade.

[PennySycamore]

I have a nephew who was raised Southern Baptist, but joined the Presbyterian church when he was married. (His wife was Methodist before.) I don't know which Presbyterian church he joined, but probably not the PCUSA. It's too liberal for his tastes. Anyway, when their first baby was born, he was going to talk to the Presbyterian pastor about how wrong it was to baptize infants. I thought that was just presumptuous and tacky. If you don't believe in the tenets and practices of the church you don't fucking join it! I don't know whether nephew and wife stayed Presbyterian or not.

[anniebgood]

My mom was an OB nurse who baptized several children in distress before a priest could get to the hospital. She was Lutheran and the priests said it was the words not the person who performed it that made it stick. She worked at a Catholic hospital.

Growing up Lutheran I was baptized at 3 weeks old and my god parents promised to be there and make sure along with my parents to make sure I was raised knowing the Bible and Jesus. When I was in 6th grade I went to confirmation class, where we learned about our religion and basically memorized the Small Catechism. Confirmation (now called the affirmation of faith) meant that we would say for ourselves what our parents and sponsors said at our baptism. Parties galore after confirmation and lots of special gifts, like white Bibles, crosses for our rooms. It was also our first communion. I'll always remember the practice the day before, we got wafers but no wine, and one of the girls fainted because her mouth was so dry she couldn't chew it and got all freaked out.