why do catholics baptize their babies?
140432
I think it is rooted in the belief in original sin.  One is born tainted with the sin of Adam.  So baptism is to cleanse one from that.  Confirmation is done when the child is older, and that is when the child can decide for him or herself if he wishes to follow the faith.
961008
Do you mean Baptizm of desire? The Catholic Church teaches that there can be 3 forms of baptizm. 1,baptizm with water -- while pouring water over the head or immersing a person in water they say I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, then 2. baptism by desire --- a person would like to be baptized but, for one reason or another does not have it done but there desire is strong enough that by the time they die they are considered righteous enough that a baptism did indeed take place 3. baptism by blood --- pure and plain martyrdom. They became a martyr for the Kingdom of God.
509430
I think that they are done for both (although that doesn't make it right).  many people complete the rituals for the wrong reasons.  Among other reasons, people believe the ritual will save them, or will make them look good in the eyes of man.  There are some, myself for example, who would like to please God.  I was baptized because i love Jesus.  I know that baptism doesn't save me, but Jesus wants all believers to follow in believers baptism before they are united with a church, so I was baptized. Romans 6:3-4 declares, “Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
1107013
I had a child out of wedlock.  I can tell you that some Catholic priests would not baptize my daughter for precisely that reason.  That's one of the reasons I went to one of the Protestant churches.  I asked for and received forgiveness, and it was never considered something my daughter needed forgiveness for.  She has since been baptized.  Neither of us are going to hell for it, at least not according to our church :)
476554
Technically, it's a little more complicated than that.  The Roman Catholic Church offers Communion to some Christians who are not Roman Catholics, if their denominations are "reconciled" to the Catholic tradition--this would mean the numerous Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Polish National Church, and the Assyrian and Coptic Churches.  Christians who are members of churches, however, that are understood by Catholic theologians as being in revolt against the Catholic tradition (and that would mean all Protestant and Anabaptist sects) are not permitted to take Catholic Communion.\n\nHere's maybe the simplest way to explain this:  the Catholic Church understands itself to be, in fact, the only apostolic Christian church, the only legitimate successor to the religious movement founded by Jesus and in the Catholic tradition passed on after His death to Peter (whom Catholics regard as the "first Pope," a historically questionable claim to be sure, but important in the theology of the RCC).  The Roman Catholic Church holds that Communion is a sacrament that can only authentically occur within the sanction of that apostolic continuity.  In effect, when Christians from churches not reconciled to the Catholic Church partake of Communion, they are in effect interlopers, inadequately prepared for the miracle of transubstantiation.\n\nAnother way of saying this is that for some purposes, the Catholic Church does not consider Protestant or Anabaptist Christians as true Christians.  If that sounds coarse or narrowminded or shocking, please refer to the reciprocal understanding of Roman Catholicism from the Protestant and Anabaptist perspective, as exemplified in the statement made (I am sure) by an evangelical Protestant on this Yahoo list that the Pope is the antichrist and Catholics aren't Christians.\n\nHope this answer is helpful.
775036
I know, its not easy. try this. You place your eyes directly on the baby, then say "you evil baby" then turn aside.\n\nNot really. Baby's are not sinners. read this: "but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." mat. 19:14\n\nJesus means that we must be pure and Innocent as children to enter into the kingdom of God. We know sin cannot inherit heaven so it would be strange to say children have sin.
1041021
Yes, it is idolatry and it's wrong. It's a part of the Catholic faith and what they've always done. They consider Mary holy because she was the mother of Jesus.  She was, but she should not be idolized for that fact. It is a sin.
565809
You ought to be ashamed of yourself for going behind your sister's back. Innocents don't need baptizing and you  violated your sister's trust in you by having the children baptized without her consent. You might consider it for the best, but she doesn't and God doesn't require it. Shame on you.
146570
Because they adopted from life . . . and put into religion form.
257455
Call it what you want, catholics do venerate Mary, and the bible never says to do this. this is not an attack on Catholic church, but there is too much emphasis on ritual, the rosary and the saints can do nothing for your soul, that is dependent on you believing and accepting Christ, reading the bible and worshiping in spirit and in truth, which the catholic church does not do because they are so hung up on ritual. Isaiah speaks about how much God dislikes ritual, though it has it's place, it should not shift the focus away from God, which it does and God does not like that. Hey why don't you do a proper search before you swallow your doctrine whole, you might find that the catholic church really has alot of un-truths.
661890
Catholics value both the Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Tradition equally. Sacred Tradition and Infant Baptism are well founded in the Scriptures as well as Sacred Tradition.\n\nThe Word of God is Transferred Orally\nMark 13:31 - heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus' Word will not pass away. But Jesus never says anything about His Word being entirely committed to a book. Also, it took 400 years to compile the Bible, and another 1,000 years to invent the printing press. How was the Word of God communicated? Orally, by the bishops of the Church, with the guidance and protection of the Holy Spirit.\n\nMark 16:15 - Jesus commands the apostles to preach the Gospel to every creature. But Jesus did not want this preaching to stop after the apostles died, and yet the Bible was not compiled until four centuries later. The word of God was transferred orally. \n\nMark 3:14; 16:15 - Jesus commands the apostles to preach (not write) the gospel to the world. Jesus gives no commandment to the apostles to write, and gives them no indication that the oral apostolic word he commanded them to communicate would later die in the fourth century. If Jesus wanted Christianity to be limited to a book (which would be finalized four centuries later), wouldn't He have said a word about it? \n\nLuke 10:16 - He who hears you (not "who reads your writings"), hears me. The oral word passes from Jesus to the apostles to their successors by the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit. This succession has been preserved in the Holy Catholic Church. \n\nLuke 24:47 - Jesus explains that repentance and forgiveness of sins must be preached (not written) in Christ's name to all nations. For Protestants to argue that the word of God is now limited to a book (subject to thousands of different interpretations) is to not only ignore Scripture, but introduce a radical theory about how God spreads His word which would have been unbelievable to the people at the time of Jesus. \n\nActs 2:3-4 - the Holy Spirit came to the apostles in the form of "tongues" of fire so that they would "speak" (not just write) the Word. \n\nActs 15:27 - Judas and Silas, successors to the apostles, were sent to bring God's infallible Word by "word of mouth." \n\nRom. 10:8 - the Word is near you, on your lips and in your heart, which is the word of faith which is preached (not just written). \n\nRom. 10:17 - faith comes by what is "heard" (not just read) which is the Word that is "preached" (not read). This word comes from the oral tradition of the apostles. Those in countries where the Scriptures are not available can still come to faith in Jesus Christ. \n\n1 Cor. 15:1,11 - faith comes from what is "preached" (not read). For non-Catholics to argue that oral tradition once existed but exists no longer, they must prove this from Scripture. But no where does Scripture say oral tradition died with the apostles. To the contrary, Scripture says the oral word abides forever. \n\nGal. 1:11-12 - the Gospel which is "preached" (not read) to me is not a man's Gospel, but the Revelation of Jesus Christ. \n\nEph. 1:13 - hearing (not reading) the Word of truth is the gospel of our salvation. This is the living word in the Church's living tradition. \n\nCol. 1:5 - of this you have "heard" (not read) before in the word of truth, the Gospel which has come to you. \n\n1 Thess. 2:13 - the Word of God is what you have "heard" (not read). The orally communicated word of God lasts forever, and this word is preserved within the Church by the Holy Spirit. \n\n2 Tim. 1:13 - oral communications are protected by the Spirit. They abide forever. Oral authority does not die with the apostles. \n\n2 Tim. 4:2,6-7 - Paul, at the end of his life, charges Timothy to preach (not write) the Word. Oral teaching does not die with Paul. \n\nTitus 1:3 - God's word is manifested "through preaching" (no
918259
I was raised Catholic and left the religion when I got older. \nHere are the reasons why:\n1) They pray to Mary. This is not what the Holy Bible tells us to do. Mary was the mother of our Saviour, Jesus, and we should know this and honor it, but she is not to be prayed to. Right now she is just another person like we are, only dead. Catholics also are told to pray to St. Peter and and some of the others in the Bible. The only one we are to pray to is God, as it says in the Ten Commandments.\n2) They use beads and such to pray. We don't need those beads or any other graven immage. \n3) They expect us to go through a priest to tell our sins and expect that priest to pray for us. God wants us to repent or sins to Him on our own, not through a third party. We need to ask for the forgiveness all on our own, as this is a very emotional experience.\n4) Catholics baptize infants and children when they don't even know what it is they are getting baptised for. Baptism is for when we are ready to be saved and born again and have excepted Jesus as our saviour, and old enough to understand.\n5) The prayers the Catholics say are the same ones all the time. Anyone can rattle off a couple of memorized prayers in a few minutes. God wants prayers to come from us and to say whatever is is we need to tell Him or ask, not something that is written in books that He has heard a milloin times over and over.\n6) In history, Catholics are known to have killed many for their baptism beliefs. They killed the Hutterites for this reason. You can find this information on    www.hutterites.com \n\nThese are the reasons I left the religion. I became a Christian. I don't put down Catholics, as they are on the right track as far as when it comes to God and teaching, just that they have some beliefs that I did not agree with. I hope this helps.
508548
Let us take you questions one by one. I am sorry if this is long but your question is long.\n\n"The Bible says to worship and pray to Jesus Christ because He is the only one that can save you." - Catholics believe that Jesus died on the cross for ours sins.\n\n"Catholics pray to Mary the mother of Jesus. Don't you think that that's against Christ?" \n- No, Jesus talked to his mother, why can't we? Catholics believe that all Christians are part of the body of Christ and thus are intimately related to each other. This friendship or family relationship does not end at death. I may ask you to pray for me, or I may ask my deceased grandmother to pray for me, or I may ask a saint to pray for me, or I may ask another saint, the only person in all the Bible who was addressed as "full of grace" by an angel of God, to pray for me. We worship God. We honor people who have truly followed God's will, our parents, grandparents, Mother Teresa, and the saints including Mary.\n\n"Who came up with rosemary beads?" \n- There are different theories of who came up with rosary beads. Prayer counters have been used in many religions for thousands of years. It is thought that early religious monks, most of whom did not know how to read, used prayer counters as they daily recited all 150 psalms to help them keep track of where they were.\n\n"Their baptism is in the title words, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The Bible plainly states to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38)"\n- Jesus' last words to the apostles in the Gospel of Matthew (28:19) were "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."\n\n"Also, they sprinkle the water on people's heads. The Bible also clearly states to be submerged underwater to be baptized."\n- I am sorry but I cannot find the word submerged in relation to Baptism in the Bible. People were baptized in a river but beyond that I not sure. Please give me a verso to look up. When Jesus talks about Baptism, he talks about it being with water but not how.\n\n"I do not mock the Catholic faith, but just clearly see Truth. Truth is that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us for our dirty rotten sins."\n- We are all looking for truth and, Catholics agree, Jesus did die on the cross to save us form our sins.\n\n"Mary, the mother of Jesus, did not die on the cross. Mary cannot save us, so why pray to her?"\n- See above. To ask for prayers only.\n\n"Why does the Pope never marry? The Bible said that if a man find a wife, he has favor with God."\n- Jesus and John the Baptist did not marry. It is a long tradition in Judaism and Christianity that some people dedicate themselves entirely to God and remain celibate.\n\n"Also, where is the pope in the Bible? Not in there. Hmm.. "\n- Matthew 16:17-19 states, "Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." This is the main passage that Catholics believe that Jesus made Peter the first pope.\n\nThe similarities between Catholicism and other Christian denominations are greater in number and more important than a few differences.\n\nWith love in Christ.
553924
So many people baptizing their babies,Matt.28:19 GO THEREFORE AND MAKE DICIPLES...BAPTIZING THEM.ACTS 8:12 Men and women were baptize not babies..A person should know why they are being baptize..the meaning....BAPTISM IS FOR THOSE WHO EMBRACED HIS WORD HEARTILY (ACT 2:41)
1102069
It's a religious custom; a "good Jew" like Jesus would be circ'd.  It's a health issue in countries where there are tons of other health issues; circucisionis the least of their worries.  It's not commonly done in western Europe, and in the US recently the rate is only about 50% of newborn boys.\n\nInsurance won't cover it any more.  It's unnecessary.
99839
Basically because the Catholics blindly believe their religion without studying the Word of God.  I used to be a catholic until I read the Word of God for myself and saw all the contradictions that the catholics do.\n\n The Catholic Church gives honor and adoration to Mary that the Scriptures do not; she is readily referred to as "holy," the "Mother of God," and has been dubbed the "Co-Redemptrix," thereby making her an object of idolatrous worship (e.g., the rosary has ten prayers to Mary for each two directed to God). In 1923, Pope Pius XI sanctioned Pope Benedict XV's (1914-1922) pronouncement that Mary suffered with Christ, and that with Him, she redeemed the human race. And Pope Pius XII officially designated Mary the "Queen of Heaven" and "Queen of the World." Catholics claim not only that Mary was perfectly sinless from conception, even as Jesus was (doctrine of Immaculate Conception, proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854), but that the reason she never sinned at any time during her life was because she was unable to sin (cf. Lk. 1:46,47; Rom. 3:10,23; 5:12; Heb. 4:15; 1 Jn. 1:8,10). Catholics also believe that Mary was a perpetual virgin (cf. Ps. 69:8; Matt. 1:24,25; 13:54-56; Mk. 6:3; Jn. 7:5), and that she was assumed, body and soul, into heaven (doctrine of Assumption of Mary, declared ex cathedra by Pope Pius XII in November of 1950 -- that Mary was raised from the dead on the third day after her death, and anyone who refuses to believe this has committed a mortal sin). The consequence of all this veneration of Mary, in effect, establishes her authority above Christ's -- Rome says, "He came to us through Mary and we must go to Him through her." All this is so obviously idolatrous, one wonders why Catholics take offense when their religious affections are called cultic.
254043
Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in Baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called. The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in infant Baptism. The Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer Baptism shortly after birth. \n\nChristian parents will recognize that this practice also accords with their role as nurturers of the life that God has entrusted to them.\n\nThe practice of infant Baptism is an immemorial tradition of the Church. There is explicit testimony to this practice from the second century on, and it is quite possible that, from the beginning of the apostolic preaching, when whole "households" received baptism, infants may also have been baptized.