Quote:
Originally Posted by christiangirl
I have to disagree. It's to my understanding (though I do not claim to know everything) that christening was merely the parents' act of dedicating their child to God (which makes it synonymous with "infant dedication") and baptism was one's act of dedicating him/herself to God--making the choice of one's own free will. A dedication differs in that the parents are merely "giving their child to God" (which can be taken in whatever context you will, I know it varies from sect to sect). A baptism is not a remitting of original sin because that (somewhat) occurred at the moment the person accepted Jesus as savior, but a public declaration of that acceptance and acknowledgement that a new life is going to be lived. I grew up Baptist and while I don't claim that denomination anymore, this is this path I followed in childhood and what I was told those things meant.
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According to my study during Confirmation/Baptism as well as my degree in Religion and Theology, christiangirl is correct. There is a baptism and infant baptism (christening). If an infant stays within in God's eyes as he grows, then he is not in need of a baptism in SOME religions. Others believe that a christening is to dedicate the child's life to God during its youth as the Parent's are still considered responsible for a child's "original sin." Catholics use to declare that this was before the age of 7, and after the child was then responsible. However the church has leaned off of this idea and the adult baptism has moved passed the age of 7 in some respects. My personal church believed that when a child reached the age of ten, it was necessary for him to go through confirmation which is ended with a baptism. This is after an infant baptism (christening) when the child is a mere infant. In Judaism, we know that this switch is 13.
The CONCEPT merely comes from when the parents are responsible for the child's original sin and when the child is then responsible that the child needs to recommit itself since, as an infant, the child is unable to actively choose a christian (or jewish) path.
. No matter what the real answer is, I'll always have this official, decree-looking statement. 
Hybrid Mode
