[Mrs. Don-o]

It depends on how the church in question understands Baptism. In the case of infant baptism, in the Catholic Church, there must be a safeguard and a solemn pledge that the child will be raised a Christian. That's why the baptismal vows are taken by the parents, and that's why the child has godparents, who are supposed to help ensure that the child will receive a Christian upbringing.

The idea is not that his family is "sinless," but that his family understand their Christian obligation.

Absent such an understanding by the parents and godparents, no: the infant would not baptized in the Catholic Church.

A comparable situation; as far as I know, if living-together-unmarried parents want their child to be baptized, they would ordinarily be expected to marry before the child's Baptism.

This is not a rejection of the child, nor of his parents, but an attempt to encourage both the child and his parents in a Christian way of life.

[silverleaf]

as a protestant, the protestant baptism of my kids is recognized as a valid Christian baptism by the Catholic church they now attend

In fact I have known a Catholic nurse who has in emergency baptized dying infants where a priest was delayed- I think the imperative of Christian baptism of infants (unlike the other sacraments) is pretty accepted by the Catholic church apart from the worthiness of the parents. Not that there aren’t some priests who would refuse

I would not feel at peace with any church that imposed a litmus test on the faith or worthiness of the adults before baptising a child. Baptism is about the child’s direct relationship to God, not the parents

Peter himself baptized gentiles, to the amazement of Jesus’ jewish believers.