ANABAPTIST

BY GARY TOOLE

Some folk tell me you can find the most amazing things on the internet and I don’t doubt that, but I wonder if they have looked at the dictionary lately. In being a writer I use the dictionary a lot. In fact, I actually study the dictionary. Really! And let me tell you that you can find the most interesting things that really enlighten your understanding of things of life. I was surfing my dictionary and ran across something I think is very noteworthy. I found the word, “Anabaptist.” It means, “A sect that arose in Switzerland about 1520 who rejected infant baptism and limited church membership to adults baptized after a confession of faith.” And so I began to ponder over that and this is my conclusion. I believe in infant dedication, but I’m not too sure about the infant baptism. Some folk think that one sprinkle seals them for life and that’s just not true. But they went too far when they limited church membership to adults baptized after a confession of faith, because many children accept the Lord at an early age and want to join the church. Can you just imagine how that would affect a child if you told them no? But I think they were right on track when they said, “Baptized after a confession of faith.” Young or old that is necessary otherwise they will go down a dry sinner and come up a wet one and the whole thing is in vain. Just a ritual!

I think it is better said this way, “Any person of any age with a knowledge of the truth and a basic understanding of what baptism is all about that has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and wishes to be baptized and join the church, then so be it.” Can you say amen?

PD. ADV.