by Fr. Sergei SveshnikovNowadays, children get baptized for any number of reasons: because their family is Russian (Ukrainian/Greek/Serbian, etc.), because it is what they have “always done,” because the grandmother insists, because the parents want the child to be able to take communion or to go to … [Read more...]
What Happens to a Child in Baptism?
by Fr. John HainsworthAbout What Happens to the Child in BaptismIS BAPTISM JUST A SIGN?Everything I have said assumes that baptism is more than just an outward expression of an inward acceptance of Christ. Of course, baptism is an outward expression in that physical hands are laid on a physical … [Read more...]
Will Unbaptized Children Go To Hell if they Die?
by Fr. John HainsworthOften on the heart and mind - will unbaptized children go to hell?No. The Orthodox Church does not believe that children are born guilty of Adam’s sin and that unless freed of that guilt through baptism and communion they will die without God’s mercy. Such a notion is … [Read more...]
