Infant Baptism and implied consent

De Maria | 03/01/2016

Earlier this year, we went through our annual first aid and CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) training. And, for the hundredth time, they mentioned a concept which I had heard before, but which I hadn’t connected to our faith before.

Implied Consent

Implied Consent, is the assumption, that a person who is injured but incapacitated and incapable of communicating his desires, will reasonably prefer to be saved than to be left unaided.

A person who is unconscious, yet bleeding, would reasonably prefer that someone might stop him from bleeding to death.

A person who is unconscious, and having trouble breathing, would want someone to help him breathe.

If someone is unconscious and his heart stops beating, would want someone to help revive him.

Do those assumptions sound reasonable to you? They do to me.

Baptism

Baptism is, in a metaphorical sense, Spiritual CPR. It goes beyond ordinary bandaids and aspirins because we aren’t born with a small scrape on our soul. We are born in spiritual death. Our souls do not come to life until we are washed in God’s Sanctifying Grace of God. Baptism is God’s CPR on our soul.

Who wouldn’t want that?

Who wouldn’t want to be washed in God’s grace?

Who wouldn’t want to be joined to the body of Christ?

Who wouldn’t want to be one of God’s children?

Who wouldn’t want eternal salvation?

Scripture alone vs the Wisdom of God

People who believe in the doctrine of Scripture alone, deny these truths because they don’t see them explicit in Scripture. But we don’t need Scripture in order to see the Wisdom of God

which is taught and practiced by the Catholic Church.

In Short

We love our children and we want them to be saved. And we can reasonably assume that they will want to live in heaven with God for eternity. Therefore, we, like the good Samaritan, should assume that our children will want to be Baptized, in order that their souls may come to life and be born again in the newness of the life of Christ.

More Stories By De Maria:

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust

Jesus Christ established the Catholic Church as described in the New Testament

What is the cup of God's wrath? How does it differ from the chastisement of God's children?

Do you believe that Jesus Christ promised to lead the Church unto the end of the world?

Do we kill Jesus over and over again, in the Mass?

Where do we find the Immaculate Conception in Scripture?

What Scripture does not say

That you glorify God with one mind and one mouth

About the Author

De Maria

website

My name is not, De Maria. But De Maria is who I am. About 30 years ago, the internet was new. And many of us, including my wife and I, considered it the Beast of Revelations. Therefore, we stayed off of it. But, one day, after experiencing a very powerful conversion back to the Catholic Church and the Spirit, being strong within me, made me yearn to teach the Faith. Little did I know, how little I knew about the Faith I practiced.

Becoming a Catechism teacher took me back to the days when I was young and hungry for knowledge. But in those days, no one wanted to be bothered answering my questions. And I believe that is one of the reasons why I fell away. No one could explain the Faith to me in a manner that was satisfactory. I didn't want to be that type of Catechist. I wanted to understand so that I could pass on my understanding. But it soon became obvious to me, that I didn't understand very much at all.

Then, one day, someone said, "why don't you ask for explanations on the Internet? There are lots of knowledgeable people there." So, I investigated. And, thanks be to God, I found a now defunct website for Catechists. I learned so much from them. I can't ever repay them.

But, back to my pen name, De Maria. Back then, most of us distrusted the Internet. And this forum for Catechists did not permit us to use our real names. They required pen names. So, since I love Our Lady, I took her name. (I am a guy, by the way.) In the grand tradition of male Saints who have adopted Our Lady's name, for instance, St. Louis "Marie" de Montfort and St. Alphonsus "Marie" de Liquori. And that's who I am. I believe that I belong to Mary and that I am sent by her to preach about her Son.

Besides this website, I have two more. Washed, justified and sanctified in the Sacraments of the Catholic Church and CatholicBibleTalk.