My Thoughts About Christian Initiation

Throughout this coursework, I intend to cover in fully detail on what initiation is as well as how people join the church. I will also be stating the differences in baptism for both adults and children. The second part of the coursework will explain the affects and differences that Baptism can have upon a person throughout their life, as well as the changes that occur too. This will be done via the aid of examples. The last part of the coursework will show ideas comparing or weighing up of what people think about Baptism.

Joining a community, an organization or even a gang usually involves an initiation ceremony where a person must go through a process set by that group to be able to become a member. An example of an initiation ceremony is of Nelson Mandela who had to go through a process of having a ‘live’ circumcision before shouting in front of other members, ”I am a man!”. Only after doing this was he able to join and be considered a member of the ‘Xhosa’ tribe.

The rite of initiation I have chosen to do is baptism. Roman Catholics celebrate this rite of initiation by usually baptizing the child when they are an infant. Parents are accompanied by chosen Godparents at the ceremony where together, they agree and promise to provide the child with a Christian upbringing. The priest will usually pour ‘blessed water’ over the child’s head which signals that the ‘original sin’ in which that child was born with, has been washed away.

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The priest continues by saying, ”. I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. He marks the child’s head with the sign of the cross with special oils such as chrism as a sign of being chosen as well as a sign of strength. A white garment is put on the child as a candle is lit from the paschal candle which is given to the parents. The paschal candle represents the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Orthodox Church celebrates this rite of initiation by ‘fully immersing’ the child into water. A service of chrismation immediately follows on after the immersion where the child will be confirmed as a full member of the church. Chrism is placed on the child’s head, lips, chest, eyes, ears, hands and feet which symbolically represents the ‘seal of the holy spirit on the life of that child’.

Pentecostal and Baptist churches don not agree in baptizing children when they are infants. They believe that a person must be old enough to understand the commitments that they are taking before being baptize. They believe in believers’ baptism where a person around the age of 13 upwards can be baptized. During the ceremony, the minister will give a sermon that explains the importance of baptism as an outward sign that a person’s life has been changed by the Holy Spirit. The candidates that wish to be baptized usually wear light or white clothing as a symbol of ‘forgiveness and new life’ and they’ll be asked if they have repented on their sins and have faith in Jesus Christ. Every candidate has an option of reading a section from the bible that is important to them or they may also give a testimony before being immersed. The candidate and the minister both step in to the baptistry where the minister says, ”, because you have repented of your sins and have requested baptism, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”. At this moment, the candidate is fully immersed in water which is a sign that the old life has died and that the ‘Christian is buried in the same way as Jesus was buried in the tomb. The candidate will then leave the pool where a friend or a sponsor will be waiting with a towel. This person will be important and supportive to the candidate’s belief. The candidate changes before returning to the service.

Baptism is very important and has a meaning to people because it allows a person’s sins to be washed away and so therefore, it gives them a fresh start. It is also assumed that baptized brings a person closer to God as well as giving them strength to resist temptation. Christians believe that when a person is baptized, they are being ‘born again’. They also believe that baptism brings the Holy Spirit into the person to give them a new life that brings them closer to Jesus and gives them strength to ‘be more like him’.

Parents choose to baptize their children when they are babies because they believe that ‘Baptism’ symbolises the beginning of ‘eternal life’, and so they believe that at baptism, the baby is being re-born as God’s child. They also believe that Baptism greets the baby into the ‘family of God’. This makes most Parents wanting to make their children members of the churches congregation from an as early age as possible. Christians believe that Baptism cleanses Original Sin. Although young children are not able to understand right or wrong from such an age, the water of baptism is seen as a symbol of the Holy Spirit going into the child’s life and giving them the strength to fight the temptations of sin later in life. Some people choose to baptize when they are adults because they want to follow the way Jesus was baptized as an adult as well as the fact that they want to be totally immersed, just like the way the first Christians were baptized.

As a newly baptized infant, their belief and actions will be dependent upon the major influence of their parents who will be teaching them of their own belief which will influence the every day decisions that the children will be making, for example, of what’s right and wrong. As for an adult who is newly baptized, their belief and actions will be influenced with him wanting to conform and be accepted with the local community. The affects that baptism can have upon a person is illustrated in an interview with our religion teacher Mr. Campbell, who had infant baptism. Although he was unable to comment on life before he had his baptism since he was baptized when he was a baby, he was able to comment on the way baptism has changed his life. He believes that baptism has ‘set him on the road to heaven, brought him closer to God and given him reconciliation’ which he considers to be very important. It has ‘given him the opportunity for marriage’, where he has had two children, which he considers as a very positive aspect and something that has brought him ‘happiness’. Lastly, it has ‘got him a job’ as a R.E. teacher. So from Mr Campbell, a great deal of his life is owned towards his baptism which has the paved the way for so many things in his life so far.

Believers’ Baptism is when a person from around the age of 13 and upwards is baptized by total immersion. Christians who believe in Believers’ Baptism believe that the person must decide for themselves whether they are prepared to take the commitment they bear after becoming baptized. Infant Baptism is the baptism of usually an infant by water being poured over the child’s head before having their head dubbed with the cross with special oil called Chrism. Here, the parents and selected Godparents promise to bring the child through a Christian environment.

One main reason people give for choosing believers’ baptism is they want to follow the way Jesus was baptized as an adult. Another reason for why people choose believers’ baptism is that they also want to follow the way the early Christians were baptized which was of ‘total immersion’. On the other hand, one main reason for choosing an infant baptism is ‘Baptism’ symbolises the beginning of ‘eternal life’, and so they believe that through baptism, the baby is being re-born as a child of God. Another reason for choosing infant baptism is that Baptism greets the baby into the ‘family of God’. This makes Parents wanting to make their children members of the churches congregation from an as early age as possible.

I think that Believers’ Baptism is better, so I agree with the statement that ‘Believers’ Baptism is better than Infant Baptism’. The reasons why I believe this are firstly, I believe that a person should understand the commitment and devotion involved in baptism and should be baptized through their own personal will, rather than through the will of parents. This way, it makes baptism more special and important. My second reason is that we should follow our lord Jesus Christ as well as the early Christians who were baptized when they were adults. My final reason is that I believe in total immersion just like the early Christians did it for it represents a ‘whole new life’.