Featured Down syndrome and baptism

Several years ago, this decree was issued by the Elders of Capitol Hill Baptist Church:

http://www.capitolhillbaptist.org/we-equip/children/baptism-of-children/

 

The All-Union (state-registered) Baptist churches of the Soviet Union were also quite stringent:

http://books.google.com/books?id=sh..."no baptisms for anyone under thirty"&f=false

 

I see we have yet another thread where the distinction between water baptism and spiritual baptism is blurred. The moderators should insist any time someone indicates baptism is required for salvation, to state whether they mean the spiritual baptism performed by the Holy Spirit which places us in Christ, or a water baptism performed by men in obedience to the command of Christ. Otherwise we have page after page of people talking past each other.

Many of the folks who think baptizing babies protects them from a lack of salvation if they die before they are able to receive the gospel mentally, are clueless as to what the bible actually teaches about our spiritual baptism.

Why is that?

 

Can we always know just what baptism is being spoken of? Such as in;

And the Lord [said] unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for [one] called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting [his] hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened.

Was Saul water baptized here or was he Spirit baptized or both?

What are your thoughts?

I really do not know, myself. I am not real sure he was water baptized yet I am real sure he was Spirit baptized?

 

I am not sure why it is a big to-do. Baptize!!

 

what if the child has the capacity ofa 7 month old?? What happens then?

 

I have started a new career after retiring in an orgainzation that helps mentally challanged adults learn new skills, including life, vocational, and educational skills. My job is to work with them achieve the goals they have been given. There are fifty two in the center I am assigned to ranging in age from 22 to 76. Each has a different story, different conditions (some listed here) and different abilities.

One thing they all have in common is that they are a precious creation of the Lord. In this job, one has to keep things in perspective constantly, and these people are the kindest, most loving group I have ever worked around, and it would be quite easy to go from empathy to sympathy very quickly.

I totally agree with Scarlot, the vast majority of them understand salvation through Jesus Christ. Baptism should follow like anyone else. Each pastor can modify exactly how he performs the baptism, but I can see no reason why most of the time it would be any different than you or me. There are always methods of how they are taken underwater, etc depending on their situation.

The one time I question whether immersion was correct or night was a completely different situation. We had a member confined to a wheel chair. Getting her to the baptistry up some steep stairs with narrow walls was next to impossible, but we finally managed.

Anyway, back to the op, there is a very special place in my heart for these adults, as that could be anyone of us except for the grace of the Lord. It is a priviledge to have a job like this.

What I cannot understand in this thread is why any differences are even being pointed out. They are just like us in need of a Savior, and should be baptized just like us. Modifications can be made for particular cases, but the same model follows. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ, followed by believer's baptism, just like you and me.

Debating infant and regenerational baptism is another thread, not here. Like Saggy Woman just said, just do it to paraphrase.

The thing that helps these precious people the most is being treated with dignity, respect and love. It also means incorporating them into our daily lives and routines to the greatest extent possible.

 

right so they won't go to hell.

 

Our church practices infanr/small children dedication ceremony, while baptism for age 12 on up....

 

Infant dedication is merely a public profession that we are going to rear our children to know & honor God. We figuratively give our children back to God through the acknowledgment that they are gifts from Him which still belong to Him.

 

Makes sense to me. I cannot believe young children are lost.

Several years ago I read a small book containing a number of essays that addressed the "problem" of the acceptance of young children into church membership. This was about the time Criswell announced he would no longer baptize children under the age of 9.

As I recall the consensus of opinion was that younger children who desired baptism should be brought under the watch care of the church and baptism delayed until some degree of maturity was reached. Don't recall an age being mentioned.

 

Yeah, Mark Dever's isn't the only extrabiblical scheme of super-long postponement of baptism:

"baptism often occurs very late in the life of the Primitive Baptist — perhaps in middle age or even very old age. Accordingly, one may be married before being baptized. Some persons have been baptized, ordained as deacons, and then buried in close succession, owing to the late age of baptism." —Pilgrims of Paradox: Calvinism and Experience among the Primitive Baptists of the Blue Ridge

"Baptism of pre-adolescents and even adolescents is held in profound distrust. Many Old Regular Baptists attending church since youth delay baptism until middle age or later." —Encyclopedia of Religion in the South


Also, the registered Baptists of the USSR in 1960 enacted a ban on baptizing believers before age 30.