Why Does the Catholic Church Baptize Babies? Part 3 of 3

Part I; Part II

3) Why do Catholics baptize infants?

To answer this question, it is essential to look at Parts I & II (especially 2). In those, we discussed how baptism brings us into the family of G-d, how it has a salvific aspect, and how baptism opens the door to the other sacraments. What do these mean to Catholic parents? Why would they baptize their babies? How hard should a Catholic parent push to have their child baptized if their spouse wants to wait?

The first reason that Catholic parents baptize their babies is because of that salvific aspect that we already talked about. If "baptism now saves you", then why would you want to withhold that from your son or daughter? A Catholic parent has three goals that they, by nature, dedicate their life to: 1) To get their soul into Heaven; 2) To get their spouse into Heaven; 3) To get their children into Heaven. Baptism begins the child's walk with Jesus, which (hopefully) continues throughout life. A parent wouldn't keep their son or daughter from Church or from prayer. Why would they keep their son or daughter from the 'circumcision of the soul'?

The second reason that Catholic parents baptize their children is to bring their children into the Catholic Church. As mentioned in the previous posts, baptism is the circumcision of the New Testament. It brings us into the family of G-d, and unlike circumcision, baptism is meant for both men and women. My father and mother didn't wait until I was 18 to ask me if I wanted to join their family. Instead, I was their son by virtue of the waters of the womb; so too, I am G-d's son by virtue of the waters of baptism.

This leads to the question of how far a Catholic parent should push for the baptism of their child when their spouse is a non-Catholic. While obviously every situation is different, general ground rules must be understood. The first is how opposed the non-Catholic spouse is to the child's baptism. Is this going to ruin the marriage, or is it just going to be really uncomfortable (but won't end the marriage)? Is this a long term issue, or will the spouse be less opposed to the idea in a year or two? These issues must be weighed against the aspects of baptism (salvific, familial, and opening to the other sacraments).

One point that should be made to one's spouse is that you made a promise to raise your children Catholic to the best of your ability... and your non-Catholic spouse knew when you made that promise. You made a promise to raise your son or daughter in the Catholic faith, and your spouse should have been aware when you made that promise; baptizing your child is an important aspect to raising them in the Catholic faith. In fact, it is a vitally important aspect. Your child cannot receive Confirmation without being baptized, and the other sacraments that are so much a part of the Catholic life are also closed. A son or daughter can be taught about the Catholic faith without receiving baptism, but can't be 'raised' in the Catholic faith without this vital sacrament. If you're engaged or just seriously dating a non-Catholic, then please talk to him or her sooner rather than later. It won't get easier as time goes on, because the 'stakes' will be higher the deeper you are into the relationship. It's not something to just be discussed later, but is an important part of the discussion of marriage.

So, the question for you: What aspect of baptism is most important to you? Is it the familial? The sacramental? Is there are particular part of baptism that really speaks to you? Let's hear it!