[boatbums]

When little babies and small children can consciously acknowledge their sinfulness and accept and believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, then I'll agree baptism is appropriate for them

So your "salvation" depends on what YOU do for God in "accepting" and "believing" rather than what God did--and does--for us? No thank you.

Quite the opposite, actually! But thanks for asking.

Those who aren't capable of understanding their need for a Savior and who cannot consciously RECEIVE the gift of God through faith ARE saved by the grace of God - even Catholicism teaches that. Infants, children, mentally handicapped people - God knows the limitations - aren't under condemnation but under grace.

Job 8:20
Behold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers.

Job 34:10
Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wrong, and for the Almighty to act unjustly.

Genesis 18:25
That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

[lightman]

Infants, children, mentally handicapped people - God knows the limitations - aren't under condemnation but under grace.

Aye, and many of them may well have a more thorough and genuine understanding of the mysteries of the faith than such alleged intellectual giants as John Knox, John Calvin, and John Wesley.