As a Baptist Christian, I believe that baptism is an important step in a person’s faith journey, but I do not believe that babies should be baptized. Baptism is a public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ and a commitment to follow Him. Babies are not yet capable of making that decision or understanding the meaning behind it.
In the Bible, we see examples of baptism being reserved for those who have made a conscious decision to follow Jesus. For example, in Acts 8, we read about the Ethiopian eunuch who wanted to be baptized after hearing about Jesus from Philip. Philip responds by saying, “If you believe with all your heart, you may” (Acts 8:37).
Baptism is also a symbol of new life in Christ and the forgiveness of sins. A baby has not yet sinned and does not need forgiveness in the way that an adult does. Therefore, baptism would not have the same significance for a baby as it would for an adult.
Instead, I believe that parents should dedicate their children to the Lord and commit to raising them in a way that honors God. This dedication is not a sacrament or a means of salvation, but rather a public declaration of the parents’ commitment to raising their children in a way that honors God.
In sum, while baptism is an important step in a person’s faith journey, I believe that babies should not be baptized. Baptism is reserved for those who have made a conscious decision to follow Jesus, and babies are not yet capable of making that decision. Instead, parents should dedicate their children to the Lord and commit to raising them in a way that honors God.
