Baptism - am I a hypocrite?

[Weenugget]

I would like to have my Daughter baptised in my local church. I was baptised there but am not currently a member or a churchgoer (although my family are members) and most significantly I am not a believer. I went as a child and went to Sunday school and although I don't believe I find church a comforting welcoming place and I find Christians (the ones I know) to be kind generous people with a set of values that I would like my dd to have. So am I hypocritical to have my dd baptised and take her to church to learn about something I don't believe in? I kind of see it as bringing her up in a community with a set of principles and values that I admire with some "stories" to support said principles! Is that wrong?

Should have added that yes, non-Christians have values/moral codes too, and their places of worship also have great feelings of community. I have friends of many different faiths, and we all share a number of beliefs.

A friend of mine is Muslim, as are her parents. They came to England when she was a small girl. Her parents insisted that they (the children) visited the local Church and Synagogue to be fully appreciative of the other religions prevalent in the area they moved to.

Yep-hypocritical. Even more so if there is a school place glimmer of thought in your head. Which of course there isn't..........

These decisions are not straightforward or even logical and nor should they be. If you go with whatever your gut feeling is, op, you are less likely to regret it later.

IIRC the baptism service requires the parents and godparents to make avowals of their belief and trust in God on behalf of the baby, and I'm pretty sure you say something like "I turn to Christ". I think if you don't believe then it would be hypocritical of you to baptise your child and, basically dishonestly, make those vows.

If you are interested in Christian values/culture or just want to see what church or faith is like, then I'm sure you would be made very welcome at your local church. Or maybe do an Alpha course or similar?

just go to church. she can choose to be baptised at a later date then herself

It has nothing to do with what you believe it has to be what your daughter believes and getting her baptized won't make her believe maybe let her go with your family memebers and let her decide if its what she wants to do

Baptism is very definitely not about what the child believes, otherwise it wouldn't be traditional to do it at 6 months of age. Confirmation is where the child makes an affirmation of their own belief - a different sacrament altogether. Baptism is all about the parents' intentions and IMO it is perfectly valid to have your child baptised just because it feels right on some level, regardless of whether you can rationalise it.

There you go you said it traditional not religion It should be what the child wants in God's eyes she is still pure has not sined

?que?

What is Baptism anyway? Of course John Baptized Jesus at the beginning of his public ministry. From a Catholic perspective:

1226 of the Catholic Catechism:

From the very day of Pentecost the Church has celebrated and administered holy Baptism. Indeed St. Peter declares to the crowd astounded by his preaching: "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." Acts 2:38 The apostles and their collaborators offer Baptism to anyone who believed in Jesus: Jews, the God-fearing, pagans. Always Baptism is seen as connected with faith: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household," St. Paul declared to his jailer in Philippi. And the narrative continues, the jailer "was baptized at once, with all his family." Acts 16:31-33

1229 Christian Initiation

From the time of the apostles, becoming a Christian has been accomplished by a journey and initiation in several stages. This journey can be covered rapidly or slowly, but certain essential elements will always have to be present: proclamation of the Word, acceptance of the Gospel entailing conversion, profession of faith, Baptism itself, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and admission to Eucharistic communion.

1231

Where infant Baptism has become the form in which this sacrament is usually celebrated, it has become a single act encapsulating the preparatory stages of Christian initiation in a very abridged way. By its very nature infant Baptism requires a post-baptismal catechumenate. Not only is there a need for instruction after Baptism, but also for the necessary flowering of baptismal grace in personal growth. The catechism has its proper place here.

1265

Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte "a new creature", an adopted child of God, who has become a "partaker of the divine nature," member of Christ and co-heir with him and a temple of the Holy Spirit.

1266

The Most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace, the grace of justification:

• enabling them to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him through the theological virtues;
• giving them the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit;
• allowing them to grow in goodness through the moral virtues.

Thus the whole organism of the Christian's supernatural life has its roots in Baptism.

I know this is a lot to quote and post! The information and teaching from scripture and tradition goes on for pages so this is just a small summary. The last bolded line though I think makes clear how Baptism is such an essential aspect in the Christian life, at least from a Catholic viewpoint.

Is the Anglican tradition so different?
It is the first of a series of sacraments of initiation in the Catholic church - so definitely Christian and not just a secular rite of passage.