For

• 1. Baptism as a sacrament 


  • change to a person's soul
  • depends on God's grace
  • even a newborn baby can receive the grace of baptism
• 2. Baptism as a mystery 


  • human beings cannot understand God because God is too mighty and divine for human minds to grasp
  • anyone can be baptised whether or not they understand and this means even new babies can be baptised
• 3. Baptism as the remedy for original sin 


  • all humans stained with original sin
  • babies need to be cleansed from original sin in case they die before they are old enough to profess faith for themselves
• 4. Baptism as the start of Christian life


  • learn how to live a good christian life following the teachings of Jesus
  • ready to confirm to their baptismal commitment by being confirmed as adult members of the church
• 5. Jesus' teaching about children 


  • "let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God'
  • Used as justification for baptising babies
  • If Jesus was happy for mothers to bring infants to him for a blessing, then the church would welcome babies for baptism in the same way
• 6. Baptism in the Early Church 


  • seems to have practised infant baptism
  • Book of Acts: includes several accounts where whole households were baptised together
  • if it was acceptable in the early church, then its acceptable today