When I was 7, I was baptized in the Lutheran church where my parents were married, mostly because my grandmother threw a fit when she found out I wasn't. It's not to say that I didn't believe in God, or that my whole family didn't go to church... I guess it just slipped my parents mind. It was a very happy day for me and although I wasn't the biggest expert on religion at age 7, it held some very good memories and I was proud to be baptized.
I continued to believe and grow spiritually throughout adolesence. We switched to a popular non-denominational church, Willow Creek Community Church (I'm mentioning this because, believe it or not, a lot of people have heard of it). They do "baby dedications" because they want it to be the person's choice and based on a lot of thought. Basically the parents promise to raise their child to know Christ so that they can make the decision when they're older.
When I was 18, I chose to be rebaptized though. I made a big step when I was 15, even though I had thought all along that Jesus was my savior, it was then that I publicly proclaimed it and truly felt like I had dedicated myself.
I'd say that being baptized when you are old enough to make the decision yourself is definitely important. Being educated as a child is also important too, but if the decision isn't your own, or something you're not ready for, then I don't think you truly believe, and (IMHO of course) God doesn't want to force you into faith because he wants you to truly love him, not just be forced to.
And I'm sorry if this was super preachy "the story of astroAPhi's life", but I've had a really good experience and I like to share it in hopes that people will understand my point of view better.
Threaded Mode