Forest of Dean FHT Forum - Why would anyone be bapised twice

Why would anyone be bapised twice (reply)

abc08 — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:16:19 +0000

I think it ridiculous the Mormon church baptises deceased individuals. If they didn't do it when they had breath in their body it shouldn't be done by a church afterward.

Why would anyone be bapised twice (reply)

Allan — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:58:12 +0000

You are correct in saying that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) baptise not only the living but also the dead. Firstly, the Mormon faith says that baptism is a living ordinance(done by those living) and that a person needs baptism for two reasons, for a remission of ones sins and for entry into the Celestial Kingdom, the highest of the three degrees of glory. This is why Christ himself was baptised since we all know he was without sin. Secondly, if we all need baptism in life, what about all those that have died not having any opportunity to do so.. and would have if that opportunity were available when they lived. Jesus Christ being sinless was able to fulfill the law of justice in paying the price for our sins, and by doing so, invoke the law of mercy on our behalf. This we could not do for ourselves. Likewise, the dead cannot baptise themselves, so Christ allows those living and with the proper authority to act as proxy for the dead in this and other sacred ordinances performed in Latter-day Temples. It is important to know however that although members of the LDS Church are commanded to do this work for the dead(especially their own ancestors), it is also known by them that the deceased are free to accept or reject this work. Also the Mormons have an extraction program,hence a person may have an ancestor who was non LDS,but is listed in the International Genealogy Index,the database for Temple Ordinance Work. Hope this helps.

Why would anyone be bapised twice (reply)

e clarke — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:33:46 +0000

Thanks to everyone who replied to my question, the info was very useful. Liz

Why would anyone be bapised twice (reply)

Roger Griffiths — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:17:23 +0000

Another possibility is due to the Poor Laws. Everyone had to 'belong' to an original parish. If a family moved due to search for work and got 'accepted' in a new parish, children baptized in the old parish might be re-baptized in the new parish to legalize their new domicile. I noticed this a few times during my FH researches.

Roger

Why would anyone be bapised twice (reply)

rookancestrybest — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:57:50 +0000

I endorse what the others have said here. I am not very religious myself but have some knowledge of the subject. Either a home baptism if a child was at risk of dying followed by a formal one, or a change in religious persuasion. The reason why anyone could baptise a child in danger of dying is because of the belief that without being baptised a child's soul would not go to Heaven but would be in a state of Limbo, a "place" or state of existence between Heaven and Earth but not purgatory. This is because the belief is people are in a state of "original sin" until baptised.
Bear in mind too that some non-conformist denominations engage(d) in adult baptism when the person is able to consent to it, not just the Baptist Church/United Reformed Church but others too. So, if someone was baptised in the C of E and then became a Baptist they might be baptised once as a child and once as an adult.
Generally the RC and C of E recognise each other's baptisms and have done for some time but that would not exclude someone being baptised in both of these either. (I think there has been an earlier posting on this but I might have seen it elsewhere).
Baptism is about being welcomed into a Church and an expression of faith and some churches baptise(d) people as a reaffirmation. I used to live in the USA and was present at a baptism in a lake of an adult being baptised even though he had already been baptised as a child. He did it because he was joining his wife's church.
From recently looking at the Mormons/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints my understanding of it is that this denomination actually baptises people after they have died as well as when they are alive. In some cases decades after people died, as well as when they are alive and they have, at least in the past, baptised people as Mormons even though they have previously been baptised into another Christian denomination when people have joined their Church. But correct me if I am not accurate here!

Way back in my family history (not the Forest of Dean line) I have some evidence of someone possibly being baptised twice under two different Tudor monarchs (Henry VIII and Queen Mary) and my assumption is that it was due to the Reformation and the switch back and forth from C of E to R.C.

Why would anyone be bapised twice (reply)

auntiema — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:29:57 +0000

Sometimes if a newborn child was very ill they were baptised at home (seen as baptised privately) as soon as possible after birth & then if they survived they were "welcomed into the church" which can be seen as a second baptism. From family comments I have found that it was not always recorded as 1) private & then 2) welomed etc.
Hope this is of some help,
with regards, auntie Ma

Why would anyone be bapised twice (reply)

djones — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:45:58 +0000

In my tree I have the TROTTER family who were christened in St Mary's, Birmingham. Where their father was from. Later I think after he died they were Baptised in Coleford Baptist.

From CoE to Baptist.

David

Multiple baptism (reply)

slowhands — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:04:18 +0000

Several answers, at least

They were not - it just appears that way in Newland and Bream for instance http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=20848

They were - one as a child , one later perhaps as a non-conformist convert

Why would anyone be bapised twice

e clarke — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:29:24 +0000

This question has probabely been asked and answered before but why would anyone be bapised twice.Can anyone help.Thanks