Inspired by another thread and being a lingering question of mine, I would like to get Baptized. Problem is, I neither belong to a church nor attend church. In addition, I often have doubts about Jesus as the son of God, and sometimes about God Himself. That said, I want to be Baptized because sometimes I really do believe in the Word.
Essentially, I’m conflicted, but want to believe with my whole heart, even with all my doubts.
Does this basically disqualify me from becoming Baptized? It seems to me that I may never possess 100 percent certitude about Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit.
**Without getting into IMHO territory[/], do I meet the qualifications, or do my doubts essentially invalidate me?
I’m no religion consultant, but it seems to me that if you just ask to have the baptism performed and are willing to go through the ritual, your request would be granted. I don’t think you’d have to fill out a form, take a test, be interviewed, etc. (?)
I don’t believe you have to have 100% certainty, nor do I believe that most believers have this, even if they say so.
Well, I can’t tell you how stringent other churches would be in their requirements, but in the Catholic Church, you can’t walk in and get baptized. You’d have to spend a period of months learning Catholic doctrine. And while you wouldn’t be given a written exam to pass and you wouldn’t be grilled as to where you stand on various doctrines, I’m pretty sure no Catholic priest would baptize you if you didn’t give a strong indication that, at the very least, you accepted everything in the Apostles’ Creed.
You could, undoubtedly, find liberal Protestant churches that don’t require people to believe in much of anything… if all you want is a baptism of SOME kind.
It would depend on the church. Some churches require adults to take classes of some sort first, to learn what their particular doctrine is and to have time to reflect. 100% certainty is not a requirement of any of them, however.
Others would be willing to baptize you right now with the nearest liquid handy if you even show the slightest inclination. (Or at least that’s the impression they give.)
I wouldn’t reccomend doing it lightly. Baptism is a public expression of your accepting Jesus Christ for your salvation. If you just go into a church, get dunked, then never show up again (for worship, fellowship, spiritial growth) the to whom are you publicly proclaiming your “re-birth”? A bunch of strangers? never to be seen again? If you have doubts talk to a pastor or a friend who is christian. Read the bible. Pray. Don’t try and go it alone.
In the Orthodox Church, one undergoes a catechism of at least six months in length, although it could be as long as a year. The idea is to make pretty darn sure, yoobetcha.
One would have to contact a local Orthodox priest and begin face-to-face communication.
Have you explored different religions? Given your feelings, you might be interested in looking at the Unitarian Universalist church.
If you would rather be part of a more traditional church, you don’t have to be completely doubt-free. I don’t think anyone ever is. However, if you have doubts about the existence of God or the divinity of Christ, these churches would like convince you completely somehow. You would need to be ready to have a lot of people praying for your soul. Most Christian churches will at least want to try, though, so I don’t think any of them would turn you away because your faith is not complete. One of the basic tenets of Christianity is that none of us is worthy of God’s grace. Our imperfection does not disqualify us from being part of His church.
I’d suggest you start by considering just what it is you are hoping to get out of baptism. If you just want to have water sprinkled on your head and then go your merry way, I don’t think it’s worthwhile (or respectful to the church you enlist) to go to the trouble of being baptized. If you feel a lack in your life and you want to look into joining a church, you could begin asking church-going friends and family about their churches and you could do some research on the creeds of different religions. Once you think you’ve found a sect or two that might meet your spiritual needs, you can go visit a few churches before you make a decision.