Are 8-yr olds able to decide to be baptized?

[_bcspace]

I don't consider directing a child to baptism at 8 is unreasonable or a case of forcing them. Do we not also direct them to go to school? D&C 68:25

I would like to know if anyone knows of active LDS parents having an 8 year old that refused to be baptized?

This happens often when the parents are ambivalent about religion, "social Mormons" etc., and then give the decision to the child.

[_Maxrep]

I don't consider directing a child to baptism at 8 is unreasonable or a case of forcing them. Do we not also direct them to go to school? D&C 68:25

In what way are education and baptism on the same playing field?

[_MrStakhanovite]

How did these children make any decision to be baptized?

They cannot, for precisely the reasons Jersey Girl laid out. I'd like to see a well reasoned justification that a typical 8 year child has any kind of real agency, but I have the feeling that the only responses you are likely to see are the kinds BCSPACE and why me gave.

Any serious treatment of Free Will/ Agency require persons to be of a certain epistemic and cognitive level, I wonder how LDS reconcile the conflict created by this.

P.S. Did the early Church baptize children that young, or is this a recent turn of events?

[_Yoda]

Did the early Church baptize children that young, or is this a recent turn of events?

Children being baptized at the age of 8 has been a tradition since the early Church. (D&C 68:27):

27 And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands.

As far as my feelings on 8 year olds being baptized are concerned, I agree with Ms.Jack. It really is not any different than infant baptism. Children at this age are not making a true, independent choice. They are abiding the tradition that their parents have instilled in their household. Now, do I see any harm in this? No...but at the same time, I'm calling it for what it is.

Thanks again, Jersey Girl, for all of the interesting child development studies. Great stuff! :)

[_zzyzx]

27 And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old
------------------------

This one has been brought up before and the answers are still as varied this time.

Emphasizing the 'remission of sins ' as a reason for baptizing an 8 year old is stupid and sends the message to the newly baptized 8 year old that there is something wrong with them. Per LDS teaching they are incapable of committing sins before 8 years of age(or at least incapable of being responsible for committing them) so the heavy emphasis at so many baptisms is really sending them the wrong message. "Baptism by emersion for the remission of sins"... and here you have a kid hours or weeks past the age where they are 'sinless'.

The whole thing is wrong. Let them be old enough to actually make a decision AFTER classes and preparation for a year before asking to join at that age or older.

[_Jersey Girl]

Jack

My husband doesn't like it, but 12 is the minimum age that I'm willing to let our daughter choose a church to be baptized in.

You are right on the money, Mom.

:-)

[_Jersey Girl]

I don't consider directing a child to baptism at 8 is unreasonable or a case of forcing them. Do we not also direct them to go to school? D&C 68:25

I would like to know if anyone knows of active LDS parents having an 8 year old that refused to be baptized?

This happens often when the parents are ambivalent about religion, "social Mormons" etc., and then give the decision to the child.

At least you're honest in admitting that it's not an authentic decision.

[_zeezrom]

Jersey Girl and others,

Thank you for the time. This may just be something to pursue. It has been on my mind for some time because my next opportunity is coming up next year.

This is one of those social suicide moments. Making a stand on this issue would create a lot of trouble with family. I could envision what extended family would be saying.... "You mean Zee is not baptizing our grandchild? Heaven forbid! The poor child is going to hell because of the sins of the parent! Zee is destroying his own family. Maybe we should jump in there and help his my wife..."

I know a lot of BYU students major in child development. Do you think this issue begins to trouble them?

[_Blixa]

Here's a slightly related question. When did baptism become the big hoopla that it is now? I'm thinking in the last few decades, but does anyone have more specific information about how and why?

When I was baptized around 1964, it was kind of no big deal. My family were pretty much inactives, but all my friends at school/in the neighborhood were doing it and since I sporadically attended primary and sunday school, of course it seemed like the thing to do. There was no discussion or "shame" attached to the fact that my dad wouldn't be baptizing me: I think the bishop baptized most, if not all, the 8 year olds who had birthdays around the same time. Of course, it was talked up a lot at church, but not as though it were some gigantic fuss, just what you did when you were 8; something along the lines of graduating to a different primary class or something.

I did have a bit of trouble at the bishop's interview over the nature of Jesus's divinity---I was a very literal minded child who was always suspicious dinosaurs weren't in the bible---but ultimately it was no big deal.

Now days it seems like baptisms are a gigantic social ritual with relatives flying in from out of state, lots of presents and hoopla surrounding the child and plenty o' guilt if Dad can't dunk ya.

More post correlation fallout? Or just regional SLC culture? Anything ever declared about this over the pulpit--on in the pages of that doctrinal arbiter, The Ensign, in the last few decades?

[_zeezrom]

It's giving me that cultish feeling. No big deal.