Infant Baptism
My own denomination, The Wesleyan Church permits the baptism of infants, much to the dismay of some fellow Christians. We do not require it, nor even promote it, but for Christian parents who are very serious about their commitment and covenant relationship with God we permit infant baptism. Why? Of course the easy answer is our heritage--our denomination sprang from Methodism, John Wesley and the Church of England. But there are other reasons beyond our historical heritage. Here are some of them.
1. We believe babies go to heaven.
Wesleyans have a strong view of God's grace. Not only is God's grace powerful enough to "save a sinner such as I" but it so powerful that it extends to every child who has not yet reached the age when he or she personally rebelled against God. Thus we believe if a baby dies he or she will go to heaven. No exceptions. We reject the notion that some babies go to hell and others to heaven depending on God's pre-determined choice somewhere in the past. We believe that all infants go to heaven if they die. In that sense they are in the kingdom just as you and I, until they choose to leave, or refuse to personally believe when they reach the age where they can. This view of the "grace that goes before" is much more than a souped up "common grace" as proposed by John Calvin, but is a powerful grace that reaches into the life of a child and offers atonement for the fallen nature inhereted from our first parents. Since we believe this powerful and extensive grace extends to babies, and if they died these babies would be in God's eternal kingdom, we baptize them now.
2. We believe grace is resistible.
Wesleyans believe that grace --even saving grace--is not irresistible. That is, God has extended His grace to all men and women everywhere, not just to some He selected beforehand. So why are not all men and women saved? Some resist this grace. They refuse God's grace making it of no (personal) effect. Although babies are self-centered and cranky at times, we do not believe they are mature enough to have refused or resisted God's grace. Not yet, at least. Having not refused God's grace they are "covered by the blood." They are encompassed by God's mercies until they personally come to the age of accountability for their response to God. Then they might refuse or resist God, or continue in grace. After all Lucifer refused God's grace at His very throne in heaven. Having not yet resisted God's grace, babies are candidates for baptism in my church. This is not to say that one can come to the Father except through Christ; Christ died for all humanity and infants are redeemed persons, not an exemption--it is not just an exception clause of God.
3. We believe grace is revocable.
Wesleyan believe it