#2 sounds very accurate of a fear and belief to me, Expecially if he really believes the child is born with sin. You need to recognize that he may have a different belief than you. Thats not a "just in case" moment, to him it seems he is cleansing his child. what is the harm in baptizing the child early?

I believe we're all born with original sin but baptism doesn't save us from our sin so I don't believe in baptising babies.

I agree with you that all three of his reasons sound like bad ones.  Especially since the decision to be baptized should be made by each individual.

I was Baptised as a baby, but it didn't make any effect on my life. Yes we are all born with original sin, but a baby is innocent until it understands what sin is right? Jesus is the only way into Heaven and it must be your childs choice to believe in Him, then to be baptized. I'm 17 and I was only just baptised this year in March. I don't think it would make a difference to anyone but you.

All are born into sin, but baptism does not save you from sin. Baptism is a way to show that you are a Christian. Its a command from Jesus, that we are to follow after we get saved. You never see anyone get baptized before they get saved. They believed and then are baptized. I believe baptizing kids before they are saved is morally wrong because it could confuse the kid convincing them they are saved before they really are. It is personal conviction of sin that drives us to salvation, so if they think that baptism fills that need of saving them how can they really get saved. 

I was baptized as a Catholic when I was a baby, and then into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (always long to say), when I was 19. My baptism as a baby was symbolic and did not remove sins. As you already know, children who die are saved through the Atonement of Jesus. That same sacrifice becomes active in our lives as we repent and follow Him, not once, but every day. Baptism by proper authority is like our signing our name that we accept the covenant and relationship He offers us.

You entered into that covenant and have received the Gift of the Holy Ghost. He will lead you into all truth as you prepare yourself to receive it and strive to live by it. I would recommend that you and your boyfriend listen to the missionary discussions. If nothing else, your boyfriend will then know why you believe some of the things you do. But it is possible, as happened for me, that the Holy Spirit will witness to your boyfriend’s spirit, as well as to yours, that what you were taught as a child has been, still is, and will always be true.

I'm not sure my opinion is going to help at all, since I hold a different view than both of you, actually.

Baptism doesn't save anyone; being baptized will not make you a Christian, and it can in no way gaurantee entrance into heaven. It's simply An outward expression of an inward decision. Meaning, once we are saved and put out trust in Jesus to get to heaven, Jesus actually commands us to be baptized. So it's a way to express a decision that you've made, to join God's family. It's being obedient to Jesus, but that's not going to make you a Christian.

So, I don't believe in baptizing babies, I believe that you should be old enough to actually make this decision for yourself, whenever that may be. And yes, I believe that babies are born sinful.Romans 3:23 says that "All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God." It doesn't say that when you reach a "magical" age, you suddenly become sinful. It's our sin nature, and everyone has it.

In short...I believe that: babies are born with sin, baptism should be done by the believer after they are saved, but baptism doesn't actually save you.

study baptism in the Bible - it occurs after a person makes a profession to believe in Jesus.  Also look at Jesus' baptism.  It did not happen as a baby.

Baptism doesn't save. 

In the Christian religion, there are two sacraments - the Lord's supper, and baptism.  (Under the Old Covenant, there was the Passover, and Circumcision.)  Both of them are earthly signs of a spiritual reality. 

The Baptist view focuses on individualism.  "This is a sign of what has changed in me." 

The Paedobaptist view, however, focuses on God. "This is a sign of God's Grace toward man." 

   The New Testament points to Old Testament examples of Christian Baptism: Noah's ark, and Israel crossing the Red Sea.  Noah and his family entered the ark, by way of God's commandment, and passed through the falling waters by God's Grace.  This is God's picture of baptism as per Romans, coinciding with Genesis chapters 6-9.  There are many, many figures in this, but suffice it to say that the flood was God's great judgment upon the wicked, who were submerged and drowned.  God washed the world of ungodly men with the great waters from heaven, and saved eight, passing them through the waters by way of His mercy. 
   As for Moses and the children of Israel, all passed through the waters of the Red Sea.  In Exodus 12:37, we read that there were "about 600,000 men on foot, besides children."  Chapters 13-14 give the account of the Red Sea. 

     Each time, God initiated a conduit through which man was saved from the waters of His wrath; and in that conduit is the sprinkling of the Holy Spirit, to which baptism is also linked.  In each case, baptism was a sign of God's covenanted children, whom He promised "an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled..."
     Baptism is not a sign of individual salvation - if it were, how can we read that some who are baptized receive the Holy Spirit afterward?  Can one be saved without the Holy Spirit of God?  I should say definitely not! 

   Therefore, baptism is a sign of God's Grace to man - which is promised to our children (Acts 2:39, 1 Corinthians 7:14, Genesis 9:9, Genesis 17:7, Isaiah 59:21) - and not of man's individual experience.

   There is a certain common misunderstanding of the New Testament accounts of baptism.  Some claim that no infants were baptized, but that is adding in what the Bible does not say.  One thing is clear.  The commandment is to "Repent and be baptized."  Just as all are commanded to repent, all are commanded to be baptized.  One Apostles even says, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the Holy Spirit."  (Acts 2:38)  At this gathering, which was Pentecost, there were commanded to be men with all of their sons! This would have been the first New Testament occurrence of infant baptism, as we can understand from Peter's next sentence which proclaimed, "For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." 

     God's signs never point toward God's people, but always to God's Grace - that is, to Christ, who is our Baptism,  our Circumcision, our Passover, and our Bread of Life. 

Baptism is a symbol of your child's faith in God, and God's grace toward your child. 

I grew up in the Baptist tradition, and always believed in what they call "believer's baptism."  I struggled for a little while when i first started attending a church that practices infant baptism.  But then i remembered something: God is "bigger" (for lack of any other word) than we are.  God exists outside time and space.  "When" a child is baptized is arbitrary.  Just because the child was baptized before he came to a faith in Christ, does not mean that baptism is any less a symbol of that faith and the grace he has received.

After i realized that, something else hit me: The only difference between the Baptist tradition i grew up in, and the Congregationalist tradition i was called into, was when the water came into play.  In the older traditions, a child was brought before the congregation, prayed over, dedicated to God, and sprinkled with water; and then, later in life, the child is confirmed into the faith.  In Baptist and similar traditions, a child is brought before the congregation, prayed over, and dedicated to God, and then, later in life, the child is confirmed into the faith and dunked in water.  Same events, different order.  In debating the finer points of the execution of the ritual, we are missing the Point entirely, both of the sacrament of baptism, and of the Christian walk altogether.

If you do not believe in infant baptism, then just look at it as a bath and a blessing, believing that the baby's true baptism will come later.

I'm sure it's been said, but I, personally, align w/ the Baptist Church's beliefs regarding this issue.

In the Baptist Church, babies are NEVER baptized. Why? Because it's symbolic. It's a choice each individual needs to make on his or her own - not their parent's choice.

Baptism, I believe, is not the saving grace - Jesus is. Someone pointed out though, that we are called to be baptized (I need to read further into that though...). Anyway, it's an act which shows some kind of reverence to God. It is also a more "formal" way to "publically declare the faith".

Anyway, I think you two should discuss this further and not just assume things about the other person and their beliefs (not saying you are, but religious beliefs are a pretty big issue that often lead to quarrels if not talked about!). You probably will need to find a compromise (I guess this is why the Bible says not to be yolked with unbelievers? It's not the exact same thing, but kind of. It's hard to be with someone who believes differently than you on issues such as these - ones that affect how you might raise future children). You'll need to come to some kind of agreement.

Maybe go w/ what the Baptist church does? The baby will receive a blessing when he/she is very young. Then, when he/she is old enough he/she decides on his/her own accord to turn to God and take the "final step" of publically annoucing his/her decision through Baptism.

*shrugs* Good luck.

I was baptized by the Catholic church as a baby because my dad agreed with reasons #1 and #3 that your boyfriend presented (my mom didn't but went along with them), and it didn't have any negative affects on me.  What's the big deal?

And sure, maybe they're not the best reasons, but why do so many Christian denominations hate on tradition so much?  I see this all the time.

Every man and woman entering this world are a son of Adam or a daughter of Eve. From the bible we know that sin is passed from generation to generation through the seed. Baptizing an infant or even a young child does not fulfill the requirement spoken of by Jesus in John chapter 3 "one must be born again to enter the kingdom of Heaven" of (Spirit) and of (Water).....We can not be born of the spirit if we do not Repent of the sins, get to know Him and choose to follow Him. Clearly this is something a child can not accomplish. A child does have a free pass into Heaven if the child were to die young though. Clearly Jesus states you cannot enter Heaven unless you are childlike. It is truly a sad thing to think that tradition and rituals will save you. It is those very traditions and rituals that have steered multitudes from the truth. My recommendation to you is to find a quiet place and begin to read the Holy Bible start in John the baptist Chap 1 it will start like such "In the beginning was the Word" Spend some quiet time with the Lord and read this chapter and allow time for the Holy Spirit to guide you on this decision for your child. I allways advocate reading the truth for yourself rather than relying on man to steer you. When you pray to the Lord do not be so quick to say Amen and get up, spend some time listening for the Lord to give you an answer..