Baptism if parents aren't believers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had both kids baptized because it was important to grandparents. Not sure what would be wrong with it if everyone’s on board.

The point of baptism is swearing that you will raise the child in faith.

That's why we didn't do it. Wasn't going to stand up before other people and lie.

This was our take as well. It's upsetting to both grandmas and one of my aunts (who ran upstairs to get holy water and blessed DD at their Christmas party) but my line in the sand was that I wasn't willing to lie to a priest. I wasn't married in the church and I have no intention of going back - if I start again it'll be in the Unitarian or Presbyterian church. If they want to get DD baptized Catholic they can go right ahead and take care of it themselves. Neither grandma has taken me up on that. She's one now so I think they've resigned themselves to the situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had both kids baptized because it was important to grandparents. Not sure what would be wrong with it if everyone’s on board.

The point of baptism is swearing that you will raise the child in faith.

That's why we didn't do it. Wasn't going to stand up before other people and lie.

This was our take as well. It's upsetting to both grandmas and one of my aunts (who ran upstairs to get holy water and blessed DD at their Christmas party) but my line in the sand was that I wasn't willing to lie to a priest. I wasn't married in the church and I have no intention of going back - if I start again it'll be in the Unitarian or Presbyterian church. If they want to get DD baptized Catholic they can go right ahead and take care of it themselves. Neither grandma has taken me up on that. She's one now so I think they've resigned themselves to the situation.

They may have looked into it and found it's not so easy. As grandparents, they can't garuntee that the child will be raised in faith if the child's parents are not believers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had both kids baptized because it was important to grandparents. Not sure what would be wrong with it if everyone’s on board.

The point of baptism is swearing that you will raise the child in faith.

That's why we didn't do it. Wasn't going to stand up before other people and lie.

This was our take as well. It's upsetting to both grandmas and one of my aunts (who ran upstairs to get holy water and blessed DD at their Christmas party) but my line in the sand was that I wasn't willing to lie to a priest. I wasn't married in the church and I have no intention of going back - if I start again it'll be in the Unitarian or Presbyterian church. If they want to get DD baptized Catholic they can go right ahead and take care of it themselves. Neither grandma has taken me up on that. She's one now so I think they've resigned themselves to the situation.

They may have looked into it and found it's not so easy. As grandparents, they can't garuntee that the child will be raised in faith if the child's parents are not believers.

The standard is not a guarantee. See Canon 866.2:

“ there must be a founded hope that the infant will be brought up in the Catholic religion; if such hope is altogether lacking, the baptism is to be delayed according to the prescripts of particular law after the parents have been advised about the reason.”

Where a grandparent is willing to step up, a founder hope would seem to exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:" I believe in the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit" is part of the baptism service. If you can't say that without lying them don't do it. It is hypocritical.

You realize that someone other than parents can be sponsors, right?

Furthermore, it is not the sponsor’s personal faith that they profess at baptism; they make the profession on the part of the child.

[Anonymous]

Covid-19 got us out of this for a while. Never happier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:" I believe in the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit" is part of the baptism service. If you can't say that without lying them don't do it. It is hypocritical.

You realize that someone other than parents can be sponsors, right?

In infant baptism in the Catholic church, that question is asked of the parents AND the sponsors. RCIA would be different, of course, but since the sponsors are essentially back up for the parents, all of them answer the question.

And if it isn't the Catholic Church....?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you ask?
How do you determine what the parents believe?

Doesn't the Bible say that you need to baptize?

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:" I believe in the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit" is part of the baptism service. If you can't say that without lying them don't do it. It is hypocritical.

You realize that someone other than parents can be sponsors, right?

In infant baptism in the Catholic church, that question is asked of the parents AND the sponsors. RCIA would be different, of course, but since the sponsors are essentially back up for the parents, all of them answer the question.

And if it isn't the Catholic Church....?

PP I was responding to was very clear that she was talking about a Catholic Church. So, my comment only applies to that situation.