Is having a baby dedicated wrong?
Question:
I have found on your site when searching that several have asked this question, but I can't find an answer to this question. A friend, who is a Nazarene, is having their baby dedicated. Is this wrong?
Thanks.
Answer:
In the Nazarene Church, a dedication ritual a vow that parents take that they will raise their child in the Christian faith. It is sometimes accompanied by a baptism of the child as well, though the baptism is done by sprinkling or pouring water on the child's forehead.
There is no command in the Bible for a dedication ceremony of children. Since Christians parents are already commanded: "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Vowing to do something you are already obligated to do is at best worthless. At worst, it is stating that you only obey commands that you agree to keep.
Christ strictly forbade implementing man-made commands (Matthew 15:1-9) and is repeated by Paul (Colossians 2:20-23). Since this is an unauthorized ritual, it is wrong.
Response:
Thanks and God Bless.
