The Age Of Customization

[123]

I have a family member whom believes that infant baptism, communion, confession, all hinge on a persons choice. This is why children cannot be baptized at a young age because, they cannot make a personal choice for themselves to be saved or as a Catholic would say "redeemed". Personally, I have sat a talked with him about this and he hides behind this philosophy by saying that these issues are what makes up the institution of true free will.

However, I was trying to get him to understand that free will is not an excuse for faith customization. Christianity is not what we think we "need" and "not need" in or outside of the realm of the Church. I have also showed him multiple verses about infant baptism, but he continues to hold on to the fact that every decsion is customized and formed by the individual, not the church or the pastor. Plus, all baptism does is just symbolize conversion.

Where do Protestants support the fact that they can customize/personallize their faith?

[i]"And Peter said to them, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.' And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, 'Save yourselves from this crooked generation.' So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls." (Acts 2:38-41)[/i]

Edited January 31, 2007 by GloriaIesusChristi

[Katholikos]

Here's the argument [b]FOR[/b] infant baptism from a Lutheran source.

[url="http://www.issuesetc.org/resource/journals/v2n3.htm"]http://www.issuesetc.org/resource/journals/v2n3.htm[/url]

Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism, taught infant baptism. "Believer's Baptism" for older persons only, originated with the Anabaptists.

[SJRod55]

We are in an age when everything must be customized, from your mobile phone to your religion. We cannot just accept something that is, we have to change it. Revisionist history is the same.