are children "dedicated" in a christian church, or are they baptized?

[flordehinojos]

obama, in defending his christianity with a reporter for the christian television networdk, said his children were ...."dedicated" in the same christian church he and michelle were married years ago ... i've never heard of children being "dedicated", though i have heard of children being "baptized".

[hedgehog]

1. It depends - a lot of churches have a dedication ceremony for parents and infants

while baptism is reserved for the child to choose or reject as a young teenager.

[Tunkamerica]

10. I had "confirmation" at 12 where I was baptised,

that was in the United Methodist sect.

[amandabeech]

28. I rejected confirmation, but I would call the United Methodists a denomination,

not a sect. Sect has some negative connotations and doesn't usually refer to such a large, mainstream group.

Does your church use the word sect?

[Tunkamerica]

33. I was being creative with adjectives

Of course they wouldn't call themselves a sect, but that connotation is bogus. THEY have sects. WE have denominations.
Sunni/Shi'a violence is called sectarian when Shi'a's make up 10-20% and Sunni's the rest(according to Wiki) of the Muslim population worldwide.

[Critters2]

41. Actually, the word "sect" has a specific meaning among

sociologists of religion.

[Diamonique]

26. My baptist church has dedication ceremonies for parents & infants n/t

[sandnsea]

2. They dedicate them in some

when they consider baptism a choice to be made when a person becomes of a particular age of responsibility.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. In The Baptist Church It's Volitional

Some churches baptize shortly after birth...

[Critters2]

4. Some churches dedicate infants, some baptize.

In the United Church of Christ, Obama's denomination, both options are available, with parents choosing. Most choose to baptize, but dedication is an option. If children are baptized, the hope is that they will choose to be confirmed when they reach maturity. If they are dedicated, the hope is that they'll choose baptism at maturity, in combination with confirmation.

In the UCC Book of Worship, the dedication service is actually entitled "Service of Thanksgiving for the Birth or Adoption of a Child".

[madrchsod]

11. well i did`t know that...

goes to show---> ya learn something new everyday

[Critters2]

13. I've served UCC churches that didn't almost only baptism,

and one that did almost only dedications. It's the beauty of the UCC--our diversity.

[amandabeech]

31. Might the split be between those churches that were originally Congregational vs. those that weren't

In my town the UCC was Congregational, and they seem to act like Methodists.

[Critters2]

37. The theology is quite different from Methodists.

The UCC is Reformed, Methodists are Arminian. Theological opposites.

[Critters2]

38. The split between those who stayed UCC and those who left

doesn't effect baptism. The UCC is made up of four traditions that merged. One of those traditions--the O'Kellyite Christians--has always practiced believer's baptism.

[azmouse]

5. Some Christian churches don't do infant baptisms.

They believe that baptism should be done when the person has reached an age of reason or consent, usually around the age of 12 or so. Instead they do a dedication ceremony for the parents to show their intent to raise the child as a Christian.

[murielm99]

17. That is a good explanation.

The churches who do dedications do them as you explained. My children were dedicated in a Church of the Brethren congregation.

Many churches who reserve baptism for those who have reached the age of consent leave it up to the individual to choose when that will be done. Around the time of the baptism, the pastor conducts classes to instruct those who have chosen to be baptized. They learn about the history and doctrines of their denomination, and what it means to be a member of that particular church. The instruction, along with the baptism, makes them full members of that church. In some churches, those who have not yet been baptized are not considered full members.

My husband attended the Church of the Brethren his entire life. He was not baptized until he was 27. I did not know that about him until I asked him why he had never applied for a CO. The Church of the Brethren is a peace church, and they have advised many people on how to become conscientious objectors.

My husband was drafted and served during the Vietnam era. He said that he could not have applied for a CO at that time, because although he had attended that church regularly and graduated from a Brethren college, he was not considered a member until after his baptism.

[CreekDog]

6. "dedication" an American (ahem) "innovation"

The following denominations baptize babies/young children:

Roman Catholic
Orthodox
Episcopalian
Lutheran
Methodist
Presbyterian

The following denominations typically do not baptize babies/young children:
Baptists
United Church of Christ (Obama's)
Pentecostals, Assemblies of God
other Evangelicals
other Non-Denominational Churches

I'm in the first camp, not the second, by the way.

I should note that worldwide, Christians belonging to churches that do not baptize babies/young children account for probably less than 5% of Christians worldwide. In the US, that percentage is much higher.

[Critters2]

7. Obama is not Church of Christ. He's United Church of Christ.

Vastly different. See post #4 for more info.

[CreekDog]

9. not different on this topic

and i'm not listing subgroups within larger groups.

thus there is only one listing for Lutherans (there are 3 main groups in the USA and they are quite different)

there is only one listing for Orthodox, but there's lot of different groups there, however, the teaching on baptizing of babies/infants are comparable.

[Critters2]

12. Yes, different on this topic.

The UCC is made of four precursor denominations. Three of these four practice infant baptism traditionally. One practices dedication principally.

The UCC is a mainline Protestant denomination. It is the direct descendant of the Pilgrims of New England, and of the state church of Prussia and the German Reformed Church. By lumping it with the fundamentalist groups, you demonstrate you know nothing about the UCC. It has its roots in the Genevan Reform--like the Presbyterian tradition, and is a member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

VASTLY different from the CofC. I know. I'm a UCC pastor. I'm also a woman. The CofC would never ordain me, even if I wanted it to.

We are NOT Church of Christ.

[CreekDog]

18. I'm sorry for my error; will fix

[TrogL]

8. There is no such Sacrament as "dedication"

This is blatant heresy.

[CreekDog]

14. Yeah, it denies babies and children baptism

Also, those children who are baptized, should they go into one of these other churches, will have the validity of their baptisms questioned since they did not make a concious decision to be baptized/accept Jesus at the time of baptism.

A baptism in a Baptist church will be accepted in a Roman Catholic church; however a baby baptized in a catholic church would need to be rebaptized* (no such thing in the bible) in a Baptist church.

Worse still is that rebaptisms are not particularly uncommon in churches that do not baptize infants/young children. Many people who fall away from the faith question the validity of the previous faith *experience*, question the decision that they think led to it and thus the baptism accompanying it. So they get baptized again.

The primary difference is that baptism in churches that do it for babies is something that God does for you...it does not depend on you, how much you want it/like it, etc. And it is never repeated. Churches that don't baptize babies, baptism is something you do for God or for others to see. Since it's something you do, your frame of mind, your decision, etc., all quite fallible, can come into question, thus it may be repeated.

I do not believe the latter is proper however.

[Critters2]

19. Most American Baptist churches will recognize infant baptism

and not require re-baptism. Same with the Disciples of Christ.

[CreekDog]

22. Okay, that may be true and yet my experience in Baptist churches is...

that parishoners did not consider my baptism legitimate. however, since they considered baptism symbolic and not "efficacious" in the traditional sense, there didn't seem to be a technical difference for me to them as a Christian who was baptized as a baby. But nevertheless, I did not like the implication that my baptism was of any less value than theirs because they chose to do theirs and I did not.

[Critters2]

15. No one claims it's a sacrament. nt

[CreekDog]

25. That's precisely the point

Where baptism is viewed as a sacrament (a means of grace that God has ordained and in which through the element God conveys grace), it is done for infants also.

[TrogL]

27. ignore - misred post

[CreekDog]

23. do these churches actually call them sacraments?

I thought they were considered "ordinances" typically in the churches that do not baptize infants.

Big difference between an ordinance and a sacrament.

Sacraments are a means of grace, not merely symbolic.

[Kucinich4America]

16. Most protestant churches don't do infant baptism.

For one thing, they do full immersion (aka dunking) baptism, which isn't advisable for babies. Also, they don't believe small children are held accountable for sins, so baptism isn't needed until the child chooses it later in life.

Some churches do dedication formally. My missionary great grandmother decided to dedicate me to the Lord on her own. Let's just say it "didn't take". I'm not Satan by any means, but I hardly followed in her footsteps.

[Critters2]

20. Actually, most Protestant churches DO do infant baptism.

Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Reformed, most congregations of the United Church of Christ all practice infant baptism.

[Kucinich4America]

30. Dunking or sprinkling?

I knew the Episcopalians probably did it, because they're "catholic lite" in a lot of ways.

[Critters2]

36. Most of those I named do sprinkling most of the time,

but they also have no theological issue with immersion, and will do it on request. I've done some immersions in my 20+ years.

[amandabeech]

29. There are a VERY large number of protestant churches that DO NOT do full immersion.

Like: Episcopalian, Presbyterian, United Methodists, United Church of Christ, most Lutherans, I think.

It is usually the more evangelical or fundamentalists who do full immersion.

In the U-M church that I intended, full immersion would be considered incredibly showy and declasse.

I have yet to see a U-M church with a baptistry for full immersion.

What church do you go to?

[Kucinich4America]

32. I was raised in a fundie Baptist church (dropped out years ago)

They had a little bathtub built in right behind the pulpit where they did the dunking. My sister attends a "non-denominational" Protestant church where they actually go down to the lake, walk out into the water and do the dunking there, which is how John the Baptist did it at the Jordan River.

Since Baptism is more symbolic than anything, I really don't think it matters if it's a dunk or a sprinkle, as long as you're making that choice yourself. I'd probably be inclined to beat the crap out of someone dunking a small child's head underwater though, unless it was clear the kid knew what was happenning, and why, and was cool with it. I don't think Jesus would be cool with drowning kids.

[amandabeech]

34. I'm with you and Jesus on drowning kids in the baptistry. n/t

[Critters2]

39. The Orthodox traditions practice infant baptism by immersion. nt

[LostinVA]

40. Almost ALL do -- very, very few don't

[Bluerthanblue]

21. depends on the church- Baptism is very often regarded as something

done by a person who understands the meaning, and chooses for themself, that it is what they want, and not what their parents submit them to.

Many people who were dedicated as children decide to be baptized- some don't. It is usually a personal choice- and although a public ceremony, it is an individual "action".

[CreekDog]

24. Worldwide, only a minority of Christians belong to groups that don't do infant baptism

[Marrah_G]

35. I think it depends on which church it is

[rox63]

42. I know other folks whose children were "dedicated" in a UCC church

It may be a denominational thing.

[Critters2]

44. The UCC is a merger of four traditions.

Three of these typically practiced infant baptism, the fourth practiced believer's baptism. So, the denomination does both, at parent's choice. I've done both, though many more infant baptisms than dedications.

[LanternWaste]

43. Dedication services (at least in the Baptist and Presbyterian denominations)...

There are dedication, re-dedication and baptismal rites-- all different things in most Protestant churches.

Dedication services (at least in the Baptist and Presbyterian denominations) are nothing more than verbalizing one's dedication to Christ, usually in front of the congregation or a potion of the congregation. It's not considered necessary by any means.

Re-dedication is done if you felt you've strayed far enough off the path of righteousness to the point where you've lost your relationship with God.

Neither is a prerequisite, and happen only after one makes the decision personally. Both can be done with children or adults. I was dedicated when I was ten, and I rededicated myself when I was about 21.

Hope that helps... :hi:

[Critters2]

45. Dedication of infants is a promise by parents that they will raise

the child in the faith, and encourage her toward baptism. The congregation promises to support the family in these efforts.

In the UCC, the dedication service is technically called "A Service of Thanksgiving for the Birth of Adoption of a Child".