“It’s About What Jesus Thinks”: Christian Mom Slams A Vicar Who Refused To Baptize Her Baby Because She Is Not Married
REAL LIFE
“It’s About What Jesus Thinks”: Christian Mom Slams A Vicar Who Refused To Baptize Her Baby Because She Is Not Married
In Christianity, having a baptized baby is considered a great privilege by parents as it symbolizes that their sins have been washed away as they start a new life. For many Christians, a baptism can never be denied by the church and it remains one of the few privileges they can always rely on.
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A disappointed mom went public when she slammed a vicar for refusing to baptize her 9-month-old son because she was not married to the baby’s father.
The vicar believes that “marriage is God’s way”
Heather Lawrence was a disappointed mom when her local vicar, Reverend Tim Hayes of St John’s Church, Dunkirk, Manchester, told her that her baby could not receive a baptism. For the 30-year-old mom, the reason behind the refusal was because she was not married to the baby’s father.
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According to the Church of England law, a child can only be denied baptism as the church prepares the parent or the guardian for the secret tradition. Daily Mail reported that considering the church’s law, it’s only understandable why Heather expected her baby Roman to be baptized in the first place.
In my eyes if you are not baptised you can’t be brought into the church and you’re not one of God’s children.
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But according to the 52-year-old Tim Hayes, who has been a vicar at the church for 21 years, the policy at the church has always been that a child can only be baptized if the parents are married.
I believe marriage is God’s way… [but] it’s not so much about what I think, it’s about what Jesus thinks.
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So if marriage is the only impediment to her child’s marriage, why didn’t Heather consider it? The 30-year-old mom, who has been in a close relationship with Roman’s dad for 4 years revealed that she is yet to marry because they cannot afford it.
Hayes, who is also a father to 2, added that if money was the only problem for Heather and her husband, then in his capacity as a vicar, he could offer them a wedding ceremony for free!
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But as they considered the priest’s decision, Heather worried that not being baptized might make it hard for her son to secure a good education. Some schools demand that children should be baptized.
People had mixed feelings about the vicar’s decision
When people read Heather and her baby’s news, they had mixed reactions, some opposing the vicar while others stating that he was “biblically correct.”
What do you feel could have been the best decision in this case? Do you think that the vicar was right to remain true to the word? Or do you feel that it’s wrong to deny innocent children salvation because of their parents?
