On Baptismal Disputation

I am reading about the purification process for God’s covenant people given by God to Moses.  The blood and the water are sprinkled upon the one in need of purification (Num. 19:17-21).  And I am thinking about  the asininity of one who distinguishes himself or his church from others on the basis of baptismal mode.  It is quite a cartoon;  rather, it is absurd, even downright obscene. There are, surely, more time-worthy fights to be fought.  

None of our children were baptized here in Ohio at WCC.   They were all baptized as infants in Maryland where they wereborn.  And all – except for ourapostatized first-born, who is otherwise an excellent daughter, wife, andproductive citizen – are followers of Jesus and active members of churches.

We came to the Wilmington Church of Christ because no othersin town  would receive us as membersbecause of my notorious reputation as a “clinic bomber.”  (By this term, I refer to those plentifullyextant facilities in every city in the nation where children are butchered byparents or a mother without the consent of the father – “Women’s Rights”don’t ya know!)

Now THAT is an issue worth quibbling over, and how I wish thatmore churches would fight over thatissue – approve or disapprove baby-butchery – rather than whether we ought tobaptize the ones who escape getting butchered by means of immersion orsprinkling and whether or not said candidates for baptism must have reachedsome “age of accountability” before they may be brought to thebaptismal waters.   And let them fightover the issue of now much force is permissible is applying saving action onbehalf of the INNOCENTS!

I don’t bother myself with preferences over mode of baptism.  And I do affirm the “covenant” ideawhereby the children of believers are baptized as parents seize the promise for“you and your children” given by Jesus.  (We don’t bring children into the world invain and hope they escape the terrors of hell. What a cruel and selfish thing to do! Bring a person into the world and hope he escapes eternal hell?  Why take a chance on such a thing?!)

On another subject – but one not to distantly related – what about the indiscriminate killing of babies that has been going on under the cover of law for the past five decades? Any urgency on that matter?  Can we have some discussion on the proper means of closing down an abortuary? Picketing only?  Sticks and stones, maybe?  Anything goes but terminating the murderers?  Termination is okay, but minimize the ammo?  Letters of protest only?  A whole spectrum of options is open for debate. 

Well, we are still grateful for our church and rememberthose sound words of Augustine: semperreformanda, semper reformata.  Thechurch is always changing this world by its message and its works, and it isalways, itself, being changed.  We in thechurch  are sinners in the process ofbeing transformed by His Spirit.

27 August, 2020