Editing Infant baptism (section)

=== Arguments against ===
Critics of infant baptism maintain that the New Testament portrays baptism reserved for individuals who consciously respond to the gospel and profess faith, rather than as a covenantal rite applied to infants.<ref name=":24">(Nettles et al., 2007, p. 40)</ref> They state that the absence of explicit biblical examples where baptism is administered to those incapable of understanding or articulating belief, therefore weakens its symbolic role in affirming Christian identity.<ref>(Nettles et al., 2007, p. 111)</ref>

As for the historical viewpoint, critics argue that infant baptism originated as a post-apostolic ecclesiastical innovation, lacking direct biblical or apostolic authorization, and dismiss it as a human tradition unsupported by divine revelation.<ref>(Nettles et al., 2007, p. 198)</ref>

Regarding consent, [[Mary McAleese]], a Catholic legal scholar and former [[President of Ireland|Irish president]], posits in her doctoral research that infant baptism functions as “enforced membership” within the Catholic Church, raising questions about consent and lifelong obligations imposed on children. She suggests that baptized individuals should later have the opportunity to formally affirm or renounce their membership, aligning with modern principles of freedom of conscience, belief, and religion. McAleese observes that the Catholic Church has yet to fully integrate these principles into its sacramental theology.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McGarry |first=Patsy |date=22 June 2018 |title=Infant Baptism is enforced membership of the Catholic Church, says Mary McAleese |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/infant-baptism-is-enforced-membership-of-the-catholic-church-says-mary-mcaleese-1.3540706 |access-date=16 December 2018 |newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref>