Child Baptism

[Shane R]

Not infant baptism; Child baptism. Let's set a parameter of past the toddler stage and when the child can speak in sentences. What was the youngest child you saw baptized?

For me, it was a 7 year old (which interestingly is when many of the Lutherans will consider first communion and I believe it is the minimum age for confirmation by the Roman Catholics). However, I had a reliable report of a 4 year old being given the rite. Another of a 6 year old. And I recall an old article in one of the NI magazines where the author wrote he had baptized children as young as 9 because "they were mature for their age."

Generally, it seemed to be a Jr. High to High school phenomenon as was confirmation for most of the traditional Protestant denominations. I myself received the rite at 12.

[agricola]

Back in medieval times when I was a child, the 'normal' age was 12-13. I was pushing it at 14 and caved to family and perceived social pressure - on an evening, I think maybe Wednesday - I was VERY shy child and the LAST thing I wanted was attention, so I 'went down' on a night with the fewest people!

But at that time, under 12 was widely viewed as 'too young'.

The youngest I have personally heard of was perhaps 10 (back in those days) and there was quiet gossip about 'too young' to really know what they were doing.

Over the years, however, it does seem like the 'too young' point has gradually dropped lower and lower (which is weird, really, since socially speaking, we have been pushing 'childhood' into OLDER and older ages for decades now.

Having had kids, I think under 8 is 'too young' and there are times when I think the earliest age for baptism really OUGHT to be twenty-one!

At some point (and 4 is definitely in that range), if you are going to baptize kids at that age, then you might as well just go ahead and baptize actual babies, because - really - 4 is too young to have a clue.

I don't have a problem with baptizing babies. I just think if your argument is 'old enough to understand' then letting a pre-schooler get baptized is not going to work, without considerable mental gymnastics (which, frankly, the CoC in particular is pretty good at).

[longdistancerunner]

One kid I saw baptized was 8 and the preacher said they had thought he was too young but the child insisted and seemed to understand what he was doing.

[zeek]

I saw a 9-year-old get wet with my own eyes. I was appalled. My brother's son was baptized at 6 in a General Baptist church, but I didn't witness that one. He's now an atheist.

[B.H.]

When I was four I said a cuss word and knew it was wrong, not just mom but God didn't like it either. I don't see direct examples of babies being baptized but do think children can understand the idea of what sin is at a much earlier age than the CoC thinks.

[FinallyFree]

I remember so many discussions about children who were way too young to be baptized. It was so negative. I don’t miss any of that. I don’t miss the baptism obsession and constantly focusing on it. The CofC is negative and not enriching. I regret raising our children in it. It was a nightmare for everyone.

[Shane R]

Thank you for the responses. The question came to me as I examined some current articles in other religious publications debating what age appropriate children's participation in church is.

It seemed to me that the usual customs became a little more flexible whenever a Gospel meeting was taking place. Most of the reports I've heard of very young children being baptized were from the meeting circuit.

[Shane R]

The CofC is negative and not enriching.

This is an excellent point that is not unique to the CoC. Many churches are better at describing what they are not than affirming what they are. This is especially true of new churches which are formed from a denominational split.

[Moogy]

I was 10, nearly 11, when baptized in our NICOC. I was definitely old enough to have the fear of hell.

[Ivy]

Agri, I like your comment about delay of baptism until at least 21. I could also make a case for waiting until the person's frontal lobe / prefrontal cortex are fully matured, which could be into the mid to late 20s. But that would fly in the face of cofc doctrine about baptism NOW, once that "age of accountability" is reached. It has always been a gray area, as I see it. If you mentioned that idea of waiting, it could blow up an entire church. I actually knew of that happening. A preacher let his daughter wait until a Sunday service, or until grandma was there, or something like that, to be baptized instead of doing it immediately. The members destroyed the church over that "heresy".

I do want to say one thing here. I remember those who resisted cofc baptism up until their mid to late teens and even into their twenties. Everyone would worry about them and wonder why they didn't do it. But now, looking back, I admire them for being that strong and not giving in to all the pressure. Good for them!!! I had several friends who did this. Some, I don't know if they ever went ahead with it.