So, I was raised loosely in the Catholic church. My parents never encouraged me to believe in God, or to do anything similar, and consquently I've been an athiest until recently. So, I was baptized into the Catholic church, as well as confirmed there. I was wondering if I had to be re-baptized, and re-confirmed seeing as I'm no longer Catholic, and I attend a Protestant church.

Baptism is a symbol that you are a Christian, and that you accept the Gospel. You don't have to be baptised again, just if you feel like God is calling you to do so, then do it!

No, its not necessary to but if you want to be baptized ...its a choice.

ditto what skilltroks said. i know people who grew up in the Protestant church, got baptized, and got rebaptized when they were older and had returned to God (or turned to Him for reals). it's not as if God gave out "one-time use only" tickets. conversely, it's not as if truly believing means your other baptism means nothing.

ya, i agree w/ all that was said, but may i encourage it....only b/c i was baptised/confirmed in the catholic church b/c my uncle is a preist & much of family is caltholic & i was too insucure & didnt have the strength to take a stand and say no. @ the same time i was going to catholic grade school, i was being raised by my mother in a charasmatic/penicostal church so i was christian as a kid but then fell away as a younger teenager(12&13yrs old). so wen i came back to God i got rebaptized & it changed my life forever. it was like the scales that i had always had fell off & i was brand new & God worked tremendously in me in the yrs after & he still is. that was 3 yrs ago. so i supose that wasnt even that long ago although it seems like its been an eternity.

><sarah><

Alright....I was baptized when I was twelve or so...but I don't know if it was because I truly accepted him or if it was because my arents seemed like they wanted it? A little help please lol

If you don't know if you did it for yourself, and want to, I'd do it again. Baptism is your public announcement that you have chosen to follow Christ.

I did it because I was forced to, my church is holding a baptism ceremonty later on, I think I might take part in it.

I recently debated this point. I had been baptized as an infant in a presbyterian church. About a year ago my sister and I left that church and went to another church that wasn't so traditional. My parents stayed at the old church. Well being in the old one I had fallen away from God greatly even to the point of experimenting with satanism for a short time. A year ago I became a Christian for real, and debated being re-baptized this year. In the end I talked to youth leaders and pastors and decided to do it. So Sunday night I was baptized in my new church in a huge once-a-year celebration. When it had been done when I was a baby, it meant absolutely nothing to me, but this time it meant a lot. I was showing the church and many others that I had commited myself to the decision I had made the year before. When you know you're doing it for you and to show others the choice that YOU made, it means a lot more than it does when you do it for someone else. You're not saved by being baptized so it's not a huge deal that you absolutely have to do it, but it does end up meaning a lot when you do it for the right reasons.

So if you want to do it because you want to show others that you have made the step into really believing and trusting God, then I think that's wonderful if you do it. It's the next step in your journey, and God will meet you there. Just take the step if you feel called. Just promise me this, you'll pray about it and keep us(me) posted on whether or not you do it. I'd love to know.

-The newly changed ZP

That's an amazing story. I'm going to sign up for the baptism celebration if my parents let me this Sunday.

Yes, I grew up in a church that does this silly "infant baptism" stuff. Completely unscriptural yet it's a tradition in the Lutheran Church for who knows what reason. Granted, I am ok if they call these things dedications, but a baptism is a decision that has to be made by the person being baptised as an announcment they have chosen to follow Christ. Not this sillyness of making parents feel better like they just saved their kid from the pits of hell for dribbling water on their head...

CJ

haha, well said.

I think it started with the bunch of Christians that said if you aren't baptised you can't be saved, regardless of how much God works in your life, No Baptism - No Salvation.

They applied this to infants and children also, they believed the age of accountability only worked if the child was baptised, so they started baptising children to make sure that if they died, they would go to heaven.

It is totally unscriptural, I too have no problem with dedications, but calling it 'baptism' leads to confusion...

to add onto what Scott said above, it came about during a time when infant mortality was high. so it was a way for the church to give people some hope and peace. but it's become a little (or a lot!) more than that. evolved (i guess the church doesn't totally reject evolution. ;)) into something it was never meant to be.

This reminds me yet again, I should've gotten baptized years ago.

me, i was raised in a lutheran church and baptised when i was 7 or so. but i didn't really mean it, i didn't even become a real Christian until i was about 10 buti thought i was supposed to do it becuase then you would be a Christian. i was wrong. now i go to a protestant church, but i'm not big on denominations so... yeah... to me, i don't feel th eneed to be baptised again, at least not now because it's been about 3 years since i became a christian anway. but if i had the oppurtunity to when i was 10, i would have. go for it. :) (that's optional..lol)

The thing is isn't the
Baptist religion where baptism came from? I think it is.

The thing is isn't baptism where baptism came from? I think it is.

How do you mean? Baptism comes from the greek word for the idea of washing dishes, dunking them and such. Baptismo, or something.

Someone, jump on me/this if I am off....

If you don't know if you did it for yourself, and want to, I'd do it again. Baptism is your public announcement that you have chosen to follow Christ.
agreed, i was baptised at the age 6, cause i accepted Christ then, i was brought up in a Baptist home, and go to a Baptist Church.

How do you mean? Baptism comes from the greek word for the idea of washing dishes, dunking them and such. Baptismo, or something.

Someone, jump on me/this if I am off....
OH, but I meant Baptist not Baptism. sorry