I was baptized, when I was a couple days old, into the Lutheran church. My mom was beautiful, my dad handsome
, and I had no clue of what was going on. My parents decided to baptize me. The Lutheran faith believes that if you are not baptized, you go to hell.
My mom was a very active Lutheran when she was young. That is an exception, normally the Lutheran churches in Finland are empty. People are not very religious. They go to church when they have to, that is when they are baptized, married, or someone dies. My mother was in the Lutheran church youth organization, so she would go to activities during the week.
She had a good friend, in the youth group, who had a baby out of wedlock. The baby died soon after birth, before being baptized. The priest first refused to let the baby to be buried in the cemetery. After all, the baby was going to hell. After some negotiations, the baby was buried, in a box, in a far corner of the cemetery, without rites.
This event made a big impact on my mother. How could this baby go to hell? What did the baby do to deserve that condemnation? This event was a turning point to my mother, and she started searching for the truth.
The Doctrine of Baptism
There are Christians who believe that we really don’t need to be baptized to go to heaven. After all, Jesus is the way. They believe that the act of baptism doesn’t save us, Christ saves us. However they get baptized because “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). So they get baptized because they want to be nice. It is true that Christ can do anything.
I think this, like many tenents of different Christian churches, is taking one concept out of context, and pushing it to the limit. It is true that Christ can do anything. Jesus said “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5).
Baptism is more than just a declaration of following Christ. It is more than just a gesture that we are obedient. Baptism is a necessary ordinance that opens the gate to go to heaven. We need to be baptized to enter a covenant with God. The relaxed attitude towards baptism also leads to the incorrect idea that it doesn’t matter who performs the baptism. Authority matters, but about that in another post.
Child Baptisms
If we then believe that baptism is absolutely necessary for entering the kingdom of heaven, then why not baptize as soon as possible? Just the thought of a little baby going to hell because he/she wasn’t baptized is terrifying. Not so long ago, child mortality was high. It is understandable that people would baptize their kids as soon as possible in order to avoid such sad circumstances. I understand that my parents, and other parents, do this out of love.
In the Finnish Lutheran faith, any Christian can perform an emergency baptism if the baby is going to die before the priest can make it to the scene. (Kirkkojärjestys, 2. luvun 4 §).
So, what’s wrong with this?
Why Child Baptism is a Mockery
Interestingly the concepts that Christ can do anything and that all need to be baptized provide the answer to child baptism.
If we believe that we need to perform an emergency baptism before the baby dies, we are truly saying that even Christ can’t save the baby. We think that our action saves the baby. We deny the mercy of God.
Baptism is an individual ordinance. It is something we all need to do, understanding what we are doing. No one else can make that decision for us. What if you didn’t want to enter a covenant? If you were baptized because your parents chose so, you really didn’t have a say, and I think that voids the entire act of being baptized.
Jesus said:
“Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3) We need to become innocent as little children are.
Little children or people who are not accountable because of their mental capacity, are not capable of making a decision. Baptism is not required of them. In the mercy of God, those people are covered in the atonement.
“Behold I say unto you, that he that supposeth that little children need baptism is in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; for he hath neither faith, hope, nor charity; wherefore, should he be cut off while in the thought, he must go down to hell.
“Little children cannot repent; wherefore, it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him because of his mercy.
“And he that saith that little children need baptism denieth the mercies of Christ, and setteth at naught the atonement of him and the power of his redemption.” (Moroni 8:14, 19, 20)
Little children are innocent. Baptizing them is not only unnecessary, it is a sin. Christ’s atonement and mercy covers them until they are accountable.
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