Torture vs New Life

    I had some time the other day and was just walking though a mall. And shat did my eyes see? A t-shirt comparing the torture practice of water-boarding to baptism. I started to text some of my theologically minded friends the slogan along with "thoughts?", because I was so taken aback that my mind couldn't put what I was thinking into words.
   Now I by no means think water-boarding and baptism should ever be talked about together, but at least the fact that I was given pause, taken aback from words, made me sit down in order to reflect on what I truly believe about baptism.
   I believe that baptism is s gift from God, an outward and public sign that you are a child under the claim of God's goodness and grace.
   I believe that baptism cannot be forced on anyone. I am in a denomination that does practice infant baptism as a sign of adoption into a local body of Christ who promise to take care of you and seek your blessing in congregational life until such time you make a commitment to Christ yourself. But that is not the same as using baptism as a bargaining chip: such as be baptized or be banished or be baptized or be damned.
    I believe that baptism cannot be earned.
    I believe that it doesn't matter at what age or how much water is used, it's about the heart.
    What do you believe?


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