A Venerable Tradition

February 17, 2013

Infant baptism has been performed for over a thousand years. Not all Christian denominations subscribe to the tradition---there are theological arguments pro and con---but it has been a practice of Anglicanism since the church's founding. Maybe it will wane as the danger of infant mortality recedes. (But the U.S. has a long way to go before that risk is eliminated; we rank 50th in the world, "nine spots below Cuba.")

Whether the newly initiated are children or adults, baptisms are cause to rejoice. Families join together, the baptized are welcomed into the community of believers, and often there is a party afterwards. More importantly--and it does sound quaint to say it out loud in the 21st century--the baptized person has begun the journey to salvation.

[Elsewhere in San Mateo County, someone showed how it's not supposed to be done. Headline: "Man to trial for stabbing at baptism party"] © 2013 Stephen Yuen