Thank you both very much for your answers on baptism and Chrismation. My first question to you, Kolo, was going to be "I know I remember my Catholic friends in school going to their confirmation classes, so..." :) But Alex already answered that one.
And if I may follow up, I was wondering if there was any counterpart to my sinner's prayer, the point at which one becomes a "believer". It sounds like for the Catholics, this might be the confirmation. After the classes and the rite are completed the person then knows enough of the basics and is able to give a reason for his faith, etc. Is that right? Is there anything like that for the Orthodox?
Perhaps another way to come at it is would you say there is any "need" for the sinner's prayer? I can't imagine you all would have any problem with saying a prayer and inviting Christ into your lives as Lord. But, is it needed, or is it not really needed because the same thing is already accomplished via sacrament? Is the idea of actively inviting Christ into our lives a part of your faiths? (Please don't take offense if this line is ridiculous. :)
"It sounds like for the Catholics, this might be the confirmation. After the classes and the rite are completed the person then knows enough of the basics and is able to give a reason for his faith, etc. Is that right? Is there anything like that for the Orthodox?"
Most Confirmations, what we call Chrismation, take place in infancy at baptism so clearly a child is not expected to be able to vebalize and defend The Faith. When an adult is chrismated, however, as at conversion, they are indeed expected to be able to verbalize and defend The Faith. Usually converts have gone through at least six months and usually a year or more of catechesis before receiving the sacrament.
"Perhaps another way to come at it is would you say there is any "need" for the sinner's prayer?"
Oh my, absolutely...many, many times a day. You know, I wasn't sure what this "sinner's prayer" of yours so I looked it up. Its a good prayer and completely in tune with the continual Kyrie Eleisons (Lord have mercy) and "Soson emas" (Save us) etc. etc. etc. which form not only a continual antiphon in our Liturgies and services but even in our daily prayer life. Most any Orthodox Christian will tell you about the "Jesus Prayer", "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.". This is the prayer we are instructed to "pray unceasingly". What that means is that with practice it becomes a "prayer of the heart", or noetic prayer, which means that it is going on, nearly unconsciously, all our waking hours, like right now, for example, or when I am in the midst of a trial, or simply reading...in other words, all the time. FK, there isn't enough bandwidth on FR to even scratch the surface of Orthodox theology on prayer like what you call the "sinner's prayer". FK, theosis is all but impossible without a continual "sinner's prayer" on our parts!