Originally Posted by
MelissaTC
If a baby passes before being baptized, he or she would spend eternity in limbo, not hell.
The Catholic Church no longer teaches that unbaptized children go to limbo. This was once a theory, but it was never solid doctrine. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says this:
"As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: 'Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,' allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism. " (paragraph 1261)
God gave the Church the sacraments are for the good of its members, but God is not limited by the sacraments. He can save whomever He chooses, regardless of baptismal status. Even so, Catholics believe that there are strong spiritual benefits to baptism. It erases original sin, provides sactifying grace, creates spiritual bonds among Christians, and put an indelible mark (character) on the soul. For these reasons Catholics believe baptism is important.
You and your DH need to discuss what baptism means for each of you and if you plan to raise your child in the Catholic faith, the Methodist faith, non-denominational, or something else entirely. This will be just the first of many decisions in this area. What will you do about Sunday School? First Communion? etc.
Gena
DS, age 11 and always amazing
“Autistics are the ultimate square pegs, and the problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole is not that the hammering is hard work. It's that you're destroying the peg." - Paul Collins, Not Even Wrong