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To: luckystarmom; steve86; CynicalBear
I always thought that infant baptism was a covenant that the parents make to raise a child iin a Christian home. Confirmation is when the child accepts the baptism.

No, that is a common misunderstanding with no sound theological basis. It is a common misconception amongst Catholics of the Roman Rite because of the late age at which they are confirmed. Baptism has to do with cleansing the person from original sin and reclaiming them for God, the parents speak on behalf of the child, but they are not the one making the covenant. Catholic parents made a promise to raise their children as Catholics at the time of their Marriage, not at the time of the child's baptism.

Also, Confirmation has nothing to do with getting an opportunity to accept your baptism as an adult. The effect of the baptism of an infant is valid with or without the Confirmation. A person who has been validly baptized already belongs to Christ and need only ratify this by loving God and living in accordance with His law,

Confirmation is not a coming of age ceremony in which a person accepts Christ, it is a separate sacrament of initiation which strengthens the Christian, bestows additional graces, and seals the recipient with the Holy Ghost.

The point that Confirmation has nothing to do with giving a teenager the opportunity to ratify his infant baptism is illustrated by the fact that the Eastern Catholic Churches baptize AND confirm Catholics as infants, and these Confirmations are valid and licit even though the recipient is an infant.

109 posted on 02/26/2013 12:03:39 AM PST by old republic
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To: old republic; luckystarmom; steve86
>>Baptism has to do with cleansing the person from original sin and reclaiming them for God<<

No it does not. We are cleansed by Jesus blood.

>>The effect of the baptism of an infant is valid with or without the Confirmation<<

What utter nonsense. Unless the individual accepts Christ when they are of age they are not saved. Until they are of age they are covered by the parents belief and faith.

This whole notion of baptism being the act that saves is nonsense and dangerous. Baptism is a sign of the sprinkling or washing of Jesus blood as the final and complete sacrifice. The sprinkling of the blood of a sacrificed lamb on the doorpost saved the children in the Old Testament. It signified the belief of the parents and the sacrifice required prior to Jesus death on the cross. Today it signifies the covering of the shed blood of Christ. Once a child attains the age of accountability that child must accept Christ for his/her own salvation.

112 posted on 02/26/2013 11:34:30 AM PST by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2)
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