We don't KNOW that, because the Scriptures refer to whole families being baptised. Who knows if that includes an infant or not. I would say that it would be perfectly natural to baptise a baby for a Jewish Christian because of its parellelism to circumcision, as Paul mentions in Col 2.
HA! Listen to the pot ... :)
What's he saying?
In the case above, where someone suffers an extreme experience, who would you say is responsible for the falling away? Is it the free will decision of the individual?
Men and women always have a choice on such matters. They can continue to trust in God, like Job did, or they can fall away like Saul did.
I would assume plenty of people! :) I know I have asked myself a hundred times how people could have witnessed things like the parting of the red sea, and then a short time later organized a full blown orgy!
Well, that's my point when I say that faith can ebb and flow depending on the day of the week or the mood of society. Things today are not guaranteed tommorrow. Who knows what might happen. The Israelites are a good example of this.
I gave her an offer she couldn't refuse. :)
LOL! Sure she could have refused you! But she trusted your word that you would care for her and love her. If she didn't trust in you when you said you loved her, she would have refused. Thus, she DID have free will - by analyzing you and your actions, she determined that you were worth the time. In the same way, we are given a choice with God. We must trust in His promises - promises that are in the future - and sometimes, promises that seem pretty far-fetched in the face of what people experience in the world today (for example, if God is so powerful, why do people suffer - this adds a dimension of doubt to the promise...) Thus, even regarding our relationship with God, WE must make a choice, and believe me, it is not automatic for us!
Regards
What's he saying?
My comment was in response to your "By denying the literal, intended sense of Jesus' Words, you do injustice to the passage." My point was in regard to my opinion of the propensity of Catholicism to take the literal, intended sense of scripture. :)
We must trust in His promises - promises that are in the future - and sometimes, promises that seem pretty far-fetched in the face of what people experience in the world today (for example, if God is so powerful, why do people suffer - this adds a dimension of doubt to the promise...) Thus, even regarding our relationship with God, WE must make a choice, and believe me, it is not automatic for us!
Do you really think that all of God's promises that we must trust in are future promises? What about all the promises that you claim give power to your Church? Are those not ongoing? ... If you believe that God selected His elect, and they cannot be changed, then from His POV, the decision on our part is automatic. Of course, we don't experience that, we believe that we used our free will, when in reality our destiny was settled long before we even existed.