Do you have to present your child[ren] to the Lord?

Where in the bible does it say that you have to go to the alter of a church and present your child?

As a parent, if you do not do this are you damned to hell?

http://ctmi-scotland.org/img/baby%20...20church_2.JPG



A Christian friend keeps insisting I do this, and I disagree completely.

I'm curious to know your opinions or if you have done it yourself or as I have chosen not to do it.

Thanks.

Sarah

Is your friend referring to baptism?

The Bible talks about Baptism and some sects, Like Catholicism believe that you should baptize your child.

Is she Catholic?

No she's Pentecostal.

To dedicate your child is when you basically ask the pastor to lay hands on your child and dedicate your child to God.

I don't really have all the information on how it is done, but I know that it is not a baptism.

Sarah

Ohhhh THOSE guys...

(sorry, that pic didn't come up when I was first in here)

Yeah, I think that's pretty secluded to the Pentacostal church. I have seen similar things in the Protestant Church I was raised in but there it was just a prayer for the baby... nothing that was mandatory for the child's or the parents salvation.

As for you, you probably have bigger things to worry about getting "damned to Hell for" than not doing that :D

Are you a Christian? Do you want your child to be a Christian?

What's it supposed to represent?
I understand baptism is washing away the sins... sort of

But to me it sounds like your asking an old man to fondle your kids? - sorry if that's offensive but that is what it sounds like

I'm Agnostic, however I do relate more to being a Unitarian Universalist.

Here's something I got from the net:

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As parents presenting your child to the Lord, you signify your own personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You show a desire to see God's will carried out in the life of your child.

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To answer your question Dr.J, No I do not want to choose my child's faith. I believe that children should grow in an open-minded environment where children aren't reprimanded for "unholy" thoughts, nagged if they forgot to pray or fear an entity up above.

Sarah

Regardless of what religion or belief you subscribe to, I would think it unfair that one's eternal destiny is, in any way, altered due to the actions of another... parent or not.

I would hate to find out that I was right and my parents were wrong but since they dedicated me to their church, I was damned to whatever Hell-Equivalent eternity was awaiting me.

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Originally Posted by mudweiser

I'm Agnostic, however I do relate more to being a Unitarian Universalist.

Here's something I got from the net:


To answer your question Dr.J, No I do not want to choose my child's faith. I believe that children should grow in an open-minded environment where children aren't reprimanded for "unholy" thoughts, nagged if they forgot to pray or fear an entity up above.

Sarah

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Sounds like peer preasure to me, doing it to show other people

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Originally Posted by mudweiser

To answer your question Dr.J, No I do not want to choose my child's faith. I believe that children should grow in an open-minded environment where children aren't reprimanded for "unholy" thoughts, nagged if they forgot to pray or fear an entity up above.

Sarah

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It sounds to me like your beliefs seem more reasonable than your friends ;)

A child dedication is the parent(s) of the child telling God that they intend to raise the child up in the truth and knowledge of the Lord.(As did the mother of Samuel) In most protestant churches there is no laying on of hands. Since you admittedly don't know what the truth and knowledge of the Lord is, it would certainly be pointless and meaningless to make this peer pressured gesture.
Regardless, the parent never actually chooses the child's faith. God bids us all to choose on our own. A christian isn't a christian because the parents were, or that they attend a church, or were dedicated, or baptized or "walked forward" at an evangelistic meeting. A christian is one that has been born again by the spirit of God entering and residing in that person. A baby has no knowledge of the word of God.
I'm sorry if you think Christianity is about reprimanding children for thinking unholy thoughts, nagged if they forget to pray or to fear the creator that loves them - this is not what true christianity is about.

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Originally Posted by homesell

A child dedication is the parent(s) of the child telling God that they intend to raise the child up in the truth and knowledge of the Lord.

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So really this is a way for the parents to use their child to "come in good graces with God" themselves and has absolutely nothing to do with the child?

My grandbaby pushed the enter button on my comment to homesells reply.

**Exactly anything done for God should be a desire from the heart anything short of that is vain, for show and people pleasing.

The Church that I was attending when my children were babies didn't do baby dedication. I simply dedicated my children to the Lord in prayer. I don't think it is wrong to dedicate a child to the Lord. It only means you want your child to walk with the Lord Jesus and follow Christianity. I do NOT believe one MUST do it. It is a person choice. I have not found anything in the NT where the apostle Paul says we MUST do it or we shouldn't do it. It is NICE to do... that is all.

(note) I'm talking about a dedication to the Lord Jesus not baptism.

I believe you can dedicate your child yourself... but its not required... basically all you are doing is saying 'i will raise my child in the name of the lord and raise her to know, obey, and believe in our savior'

This can be done privately, or at a church, or not at all.

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Originally Posted by classyT

The Church that I was attending when my children were babies didn't do baby dedication. I simply dedicated my children to the Lord in prayer. I don't think it is wrong to dedicate a child to the Lord. It only means you want your child to walk with the Lord Jesus and follow Christianity. I do NOT believe one MUST do it. It is a person choice. I have not found anything in the NT where the apostle Paul says we MUST do it or we shouldn't do it. It is NICE to do....that is all.

(note) I'm talking about a dedication to the Lord Jesus not baptism.

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Agreed.

In addition, in many churches they also emphasize three things:

- Acknowledgment that the child belongs to the lord and that ultimately the child is His.
- That the parents commit themselves to raise the child in the knowledge of and the ways of God.
- That the community within the church commit themselves to support the family in their Christian walk and to support them in their efforts to raise the child into a man or woman of God.

So again, this still seems like a practice that solely benefits the parents and not the child.

I mean, if it is written that the parents do not choose the faith of the child, then this dedication has no emphasis on what the child will choose to believe.

It is just the parent saying to the pastor and to the community that they are a good Christian and they will try to teach their child to be the same.

It benefits the child if the parents DO follow through in teaching their kids.
Sort of like if a parent says I promise I will always make sure my kid makes it to their karate class either they follow through and get their kid there every class or they miss the mark on their promise.

It only benefits the child if the child grows up to share the same beliefs as the parents.

With the OP, we have someone who is not a Christian and is being pressured by a Christian friend to dedicate her child to a Christian Church.. or, in my opinion, even worse.. a Pentecostal Church.

Either way, the parents will raise the child the same whether they get up in front of their congregation and make this claim or not.

It's unfortunate to see people do such acts with pride... feeling the need to go before others and say "look at me... Im a good Christian because..."

There was once a pastor at the Christian Church that I was raised in since birth that was starting the offering to raise a certain amount of money needed for a missionary project.

During his prayer asking God to lay upon the hearts of the congregation as He saw fit, he raised his hand and said aloud in all his pride and vanity, "And I will start it off with my own donation of $10,000".

Very sad.

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Originally Posted by DrJizzle

With the OP, we have someone who is not a Christian and is being pressured by a Christian friend to dedicate her child
Very sad.

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EXACTLY. They mean well but they are so far off point to think that it would benefit the child. Dedication is for parents who understand, believe and desire it.

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Originally Posted by DrJizzle

or, in my personal opinion, even worse.. a Pentecostal Church.
Very sad.

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And I could say the same thing about YOUR church! That has to be one of the rudest comments that I have read on this "Christian" forum in a long time!