If involuntary baptism could save a baby (at your funeral they will always say it did), then involuntary baptism should also save an older child, or an adult.
How can water and a ceremonial act done to a person by others, without any free will by the person, make one ready for heaven, for a lifetime—but the rules and criteria for getting to heaven change if another person wants to get saved anytime after babyhood?
And those in another camp say that babies and children get an automatic free pass to heaven, up until ? some age ? —undefined ?, variable ?, decided by ?
Anyone outside those gated theological mega theme parks, each with their own exclusive membership requirements, looks at what I just wrote and shakes their head or laughs.
It obviously looks like three different ways to get saved—and there’s supposed to be only one way.
So it didn’t really get fixed 500 years ago, and we muddle around over and over again, and send mixed messages to a desperate world that needs to hear about Jesus, straight from the Bible, unfiltered by men with thinly veiled agendas of money, power, and control.
Too bad that nobody in charge of keeping the shows running can see those major business operations for what they are—and laugh too.
AND CLOSE THEIR DOCTRINE BOOKS AND SPEND TIME IN THE BIBLE.
Since when is studying the Bible not good enough?
I know why—because they can’t walk away from what they built.
“Give it up—sell it—let it go—and follow Me.”
Can’t do it—have to go—got too much invested—gotta keep it going—[sorry, Jesus].
That story still ends with one word—S A D !
Respectfully, your questions show a lack of understanding, for example, of Catholicism. Lets say that the Catholic church is a mob. Which is more credible, one person`s idea of what the bible says, or the bible based dogma and doctrine of a 2000 year old mob, that hasn’t changed? I urge you to read what those who were close to the apostles wrote in the first few centuries ie: Clement, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Athanasius or even the “Didache.” The weakness of Sola Scriptura is that it denies that God might have more to say and we all have dark moments when calling the Holy Spirit. You might find yourself in perpetual seeking and not finding. Thanks
Thank you for responding.
I am very aware that I am on the edge, but I believe it is necessary to look at the church bluntly sometimes, because through all of history, from day one with Israel, God’s people have taken His simple plan and modified it and made it complicated with stuff that is simply not in the Bible.
I say the bottom line question always remains, “Is the Bible enough?” as in Genesis 3:1, “Did God really say?”
Answer, “Yes! ”
Yes, without saying we have to add anything.
(Read the series on Reformation a little over a year ago.)