Thanks so much for your notes to us here at TruthBook.com. You have written your question to a site that fosters and promotes the teachings of The Urantia Book, and so my response is from those teachings. If you are not yet familiar with The Urantia Book, I recommend that you consider looking into it.
Just to be clear, here is my understanding of the issues: First of all, baptism and christening are different words that mean the same thing; i.e., it is the religious ritual that involves the pouring of water over the head of subject, and is meant to signify the washing away of original sin, which is thought to be present at birth in the soul of everyone. In the Catholic Church, baptism usually takes place soon after birth, and requires no agreement on the part of the baptized person, although it can be performed at other times, also. The child is represented by godparents, who take vows for them, and promise to bring them up in the faith.
Confirmation is a different ritual and it is the time when a person is fully admitted into the Catholic Church … usually around the age of 13-15 years of age. The initiate usually adopts a new name, and is anointed with a group of others; there is a recitation of intentions to be followed as a Catholic person from that day forward.
Both of these ceremonies are beautiful rituals in the church (probably other churches besides Catholic have their versions of these rites, too). But, are they necessary for salvation? If you ask someone in the church, they will likely tell you that baptism is certainly necessary, but did Jesus say that baptism was necessary for salvation? No, he did not.
One of the main reasons for baptism in the Church is that Catholics (and others) believe that all people are born in sin – steeped in “original sin,” the result of the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden. And baptism is seen as the way to erase that sin.
In The Urantia Book, we learn the true story of Adam and Eve, and their role in our history. It differs significantly from the story that we have always been told in Scripture, and does not include the concept of “original sin.” Neither does it confirm the idea of a “fall of man.”
Further, Jesus never taught the doctrine of original sin. In fact, when Jesus was here, he redefined what sin really is. Sin is never something that can be placed upon your soul by the acts of another person; sin is a deliberate decision made by a human mind to go against God’s will. Read Jesus’ words about evil, sin, and iniquity (from PART IV of The Urantia Book) HERE
When Jesus was on earth, John the Baptist went before him, baptizing with water and exhorting his followers to repent of their sins. And when Jesus submitted to John’s baptism in the Jordan, it was not that he should be cleansed of sin (as he had no sin) but that he should be an example for others to be willing to repent and start fresh in the Kingdom. You can read many details about Jesus’ baptism HERE
But Jesus was clear about John’s baptism. He said:
137:8.10 “John did indeed baptize you in token of repentance and for the remission of your sins, but when you enter the heavenly kingdom, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
In other words, Jesus did not teach that water baptism was necessary for salvation. He recognized water baptism as a pleasing, “token” ritual, but not a requirement.
Confirmation probably has it’s counterparts in other religions…Even in Jesus’ time, young boys went through a sort of ritual ceremony in which they became consecrated “sons of the law,” too, and full citizens of Israel.
But all of these rituals, although pleasing and meaningful for the initiates and others, are simply outward signs. The real work of salvation in the individual is through simple faith, and not through rituals:
Melchizedek preached it: HERE
And, Jesus proclaimed it HERE, when he said:
“When men and women ask what shall we do to be saved, you shall answer, Believe this gospel of the kingdom; accept divine forgiveness. By faith recognize the indwelling spirit of God, whose acceptance makes you a son of God. …
“Salvation is the gift of the Father and is revealed by his Sons. Acceptance by faith on your part makes you a partaker of the divine nature, a son or a daughter of God. By faith you are justified; by faith are you saved; and by this same faith are you eternally advanced in the way of progressive and divine perfection. By faith was Abraham justified and made aware of salvation by the teachings of Melchizedek. All down through the ages has this same faith saved the sons of men, but now has a Son come forth from the Father to make salvation more real and acceptable.”
When Jesus had left off speaking, there was great rejoicing among those who had heard these gracious words, and they all went on in the days that followed proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom with new power and with renewed energy and enthusiasm. And the women rejoiced all the more to know they were included in these plans for the establishment of the kingdom on earth.
In summing up his final statement, Jesus said: “You cannot buy salvation; you cannot earn righteousness. Salvation is the gift of God, and righteousness is the natural fruit of the spirit-born life of sonship in the kingdom. You are not to be saved because you live a righteous life; rather is it that you live a righteous life because you have already been saved, have recognized sonship as the gift of God and service in the kingdom as the supreme delight of life on earth. When men believe this gospel, which is a revelation of the goodness of God, they will be led to voluntary repentance of all known sin. Realization of sonship is incompatible with the desire to sin. Kingdom believers hunger for righteousness and thirst for divine perfection.”
Here are other questions like yours already answered on our site. Maybe you’d like to read them, also…
Thanks so much for writing…I hope this reply has been helpful
