Argumentative Essay On Infant Baptism

Baptism is one of the most important sacraments in Christianity; however, within contemporary Christianity the age in which baptism takes place is a controversial issue. Baptism is a ritual that initiates an infant or adult into the Christian faith and community (Religion Facts, 2015). This ritual relates to Van Gennep’s phases of liminality as baptism relates to exiting the old world and entering the new spiritual world (Goldburg, 2009, p. 26). Infant baptism is favoured in some Christian variants; however, others such as Baptists believe that Baptism should take place at a later age for salvation. The infant baptism controversy is an issue that is continuing to create a divide line within different Christian denominations.

For a handful of Christian groups such as Catholics and Lutherans, infant baptism is favoured and is seen as a sign of redemption and salvation (Lambert, 2011 and Barron, 2013). Relating to Turner’s Level of Meaning this is the hidden meaning, as the infant becomes a part of Christ’s mystical body and is revealed to the insiders or church community (Barron, 2013). According to the Catholic Catechism the baptised is: “brought into that realm of freedom which belongs to the children on God” (Catholic Catechism, 2006, p. 92). For Christian variants that support infant baptism, the
Baptists and other groups are strongly against infant baptism, as they believe that without a procession of faith a person cannot be brought to salvation and into the kingdom of Christ (Lambert, 2011). Although, infant baptism is more popular the number is decreasing as adult baptism continues to increase to around ten thousand a year (Baptism Integrity, 2016). This proves that many people do believe that baptism should occur at a later