What does baptism mean to you?

Mathew 3:11 KJV John said; I indeed babtize you with water unto repentence: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whos shoes I'm not worthy to bear: he shall babtize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: This has meant everything to me.

Another God damn hour spent in church.

to me, just about what you said.

So why are Babies B A P T I S E D ???


They Have NO Sin!!

Baptism to me (with my current appreciation of Things Cosmic) means that the child is being given a blessing, to hopefully make it easier for them to grow up more aware of the spiritual side of life.

Cleansing one's own soul with the WATER of the powerfully creative Word of God. The use of the water in the Jordan river is only symbolic; otherwise people all over the world don't have that water for their baptism.
The higher level of baptism is the cleansing with the FIRE of the boundless love of God.

This is really a serious ordeal and should be taken very seriously.

Water- Symbolic of you saying, "I leave the old life behind and when I come up from the water I am new." Being born again.
John 3:3
In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
John 3:4
"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
John 3:5
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
John 3:6
Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
John 3:7
You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'


Fire- Holy spirit gives birth or your spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

John 3:6
Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

To me, it is small child's involuntary indoctrination into an outdated, out-of-touch, increasingly irrelevant belief system that espouses dangerously ignorant ideas and defies reason entirely.
But that's just me...

Baptism means the same to you as it does me. :-)
(I think when children are 'baptized' it is called 'confirmation'.)

I was baptized when I was too young to sin (raised Catholic) if you want to get baptized when you are older then go ahead it's your decision but why do that to babies. They don't know what they want their religion to be in the future, they haven't even sinned. I guess that's mainly the Catholic faith. I don't like the baby idea though but grown people ok if that's what you want.

It means you have believed repented recieved jesus as your savior.

baptism makes me think of the sabians and mandaists

Bird bath!

I actually don't know. I'm fairly sure I was baptised. The kids don't seem to like it very much.

a commanded ordinance

To accept Christ as my Savior, that he was crucifed, died, and risen from the dead, and gave us a chance to have our sins forgiven. To be born again into this belief, you are washed of your sins and are able to repent and be forgiven.

mz divine - I agree with you - but I believe that the Catholics have a doctrine of original sin - even living is a sin.

good question! - to me it's an act of purifying - done by submerging the follower in holy water. it's purely christian I think I do not know its origin.

I'd like to be baptized - but it has become a symbol of joining the christian church, and that I shall not do.

I went to a church that believed in adult baptism, so if i had of went through, as was nagged to constantly, it would have meant, getting into a pool in front of a congregation, being dunked under water by the man that tried to touch me up a few weeks before.

Wow. So much confusion over so simple a thing. Our first baptism is birth when the mothers water breaks. Our second baptism is internal when (and if) our spirit is "born". Sheesh.

BTW Jesus was a man the Christ is eternal.

Hope that helps somebody.