infant initiation is probably one of the most widely misunderstood ceremonies in the Christian and other faiths. Almost all Christian churches perform Baptism in some form or another. Baptism comes from a Greek word baptizo which loosely interpreted means to dip or immersion. However baptism for infants is not a practice that was performed by the first century churches. According to various chapters in the New Testament as you come into devotion with Christ then the next few steps would be confession and then baptism.
There are internet resources such as Bible and Christmas Bible that speak to baptism and the Bible.
The process of baptism symbolizes the dying, burial and rising of Christ. Through baptism the symbolism of these acts are reenacted.
Baptism is done for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), it washes away our sins (Acts 22:16). We are baptized so that will God will resurrect us from death (Colossians 2:12, Romans 6:3-6).
So when should someone be baptized?
In order to answer this question properly we will need to refer to the scriptures. The Bible clearly tells us that children are considered to be pure in the eyes of the Lord. The scriptures teach us that in order to enter God's kingdom we need to become more like children and open our hearts (Matthew 18:3, Mark 10:15).
The baby baptism advocates interpret passages such as Psalm 51:5 as saying that we are born sinners. However with proper interpretation would say that we are just born into a sinful world.
A close look at a couple of passages tells us that children do not have sin as a result being born and that sin is a result of lust and therefore turns into sin. See Ezekiel 18: 20; James 1:14-15. As children grow older they are filled with secular knowledge and through this process their hearts become hardened. This is when the blood of Christ is needed.
Being able to recite the word of God is very different to comprehending it properly. Whilst young children might mean well when they ask if they are ready to be baptized they do not know any better. The choice to become a Christian is one of the gravest and most serious decisions you can make; is your child really ready for that kind of commitment?
So who are the real candidates for baptism?
Anybody who is prepared to hear the word of God confess their sins, and ready to live a life committed to Christ can be baptized.
Another place to learn who can be baptized is found through the book of Acts. It is known as “the book of conversions.” The reason why is it shows how a number of folks were told how to be saved and become an associate member of the church. Children should be introduced to the word of God at the earliest time in their development. Parents will need to take care to strike a good balance between guiding their children and maintaining their children's spiritual development. Any vow they make to Christ is their own and should be autonomously chosen for them. It's common for parents to influence their children to agree with their religious views. This undermines the child's spiritual development. To baptize someone who is not ready is to do them a grave disservice. By waiting until they are ready to really understand the commitment they are agreeing to; the ritual becomes more meaningful for everyone involved, thus also approved of by God.
