Baptizing For The Dead

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OK. This should be my last post on baptism.

The Pagan Western Society

I remember when as a fresh Christian, I was told that it wasn't right to pray to God for the people who have already died.  I was not supposed to pray to the dead, or to talk to them.  You know, when we watch Hollywood movies, we always see these "kwei lo" and "kwei por" talking to the dead, and in those days, I always assume that almost every Westerner is a Christian.  This is because Christianity came to Asia through missionaries from the West.

Of course, those were the days before I found out that the Western society today has become more pagan than the Orientals!  Most of those who claim to be Christians only think they are; the fact is that their lifestyles, beliefs, superstitions and actions reveal that they are not. And so, they celebrate the satanic halloween fest, talk to the dead, consult mediums, consult horoscopes, adopt Hindu practices into their Christianity .... the whole works!

Now, if all the above are pagan, how about baptizing for the dead?

Mormon Do Baptism For The Dead

This photo belongs to www.salamandersociety.com

As far as I know, only cults practise this ritual, the Church of the Latter Days Saints ( LDS), otherwise more commonly known as the Mormons being the most noticeable.  Now, let me first clarify in no uncertain terms that the Mormons are not Christians.  They only pretend to be Christians by claiming so, and pretending to be followers of the bible, when in fact they reject most bible teachings.  They use the same Christian words and terminologies with totally different meanings .... so their Father in heaven, Jesus Christ, baptism, heaven, hell, salvation etc are all totally unrecognizable in the bible, for they adhere to their own Book of Mormons.  The preacher James White had this to say "Islam is closer to Christianity than the Mormons", and that is very true!

But one of the things they zealously observe, which is found in 1Co 15:29 the bible is baptism for the dead.  This is what it says:

"1Co 15:29  Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?"

So, the Mormons would ask a living person to stand in for someone who had died before joining the Mormon church, thereby making the dead a Mormon eligible for their brand of salvation.  So, do you know that the Mormon church had baptized Genghis Khan, Buddha, Nazi Hunter Simon Weisenthal, and Pope John Paul II posthumously to become members of their church?  Laugh all you want - that is a fact!  This in fact got many people very angry at them for making their dead relatives Mormons without permission, and a class action suit was taken against the Mormon church.  The Vatican was in a huff ovef them, too. 

But what is baptism for the dead?  When Paul wrote on it, was Paul stating a Christian practice of those days?  Why did Paul mention it?  Do the Mormons happen to do something correct which other Christians have all forgotten about?  No.  Please observe that Paul does not say "we" or "you", which would indicate that he was speaking about a Christian practice,  but "they", because it was the pagans,  not Christians who were doing that type of baptism!

The Best Explanation I Know Of

It is my personal belief that Paul did not elaborate more on the matter when he wrote about it because the practice must have been widespread in Corinth at that time, and known to everybody.  The best information I have about it is that, it was a pagan practice.  It wasn't a Christian practice.  Some Corinthian Christians at that time were apparently showing doubts about life after death.  Paul was using the pagan practice to tell them that, "Look, even the pagans who do not know Christ perform baptism for the dead because even the pagans hope that by their actions, they can help their beloved deceased gain eternal life.  So why should you as Christians have doubts?"

So, Paul wasn't encouraging it.  He was merely making a comparison and using the salvation-disadvantaged pagans to demonstrate to the Christians that they have no reason to doubt eternal life.

The Mormons are in fact pagans, with many of their other rituals being very pagan.  Their temple architecture even includes both freemasonry and satanic symbols.  So it is no surprise that they took to the pagan ritual of baptism for the dead so readily and naturally. 

I am glad to note that no other Christian church is known to do this, except cults posing as churches.  Besides the Mormons, two other known cults, New Apostolic Church and the Old Apostolic Church are known to be doing it.  The last one has not entered into Malaysia as yet.

I hope this explanation satisfies your need to know.

Jesus says in John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free".