Respecting personhood in baptism

A response to greig’s “No exceptions”

Abstract

I argue that it is out of respect for the personhood of people who are profoundly cognitively impaired that we do not choose for them, just as we do not choose for infants or people with dementia. And just as with infants or people with dementia, we know and celebrate that people with profound cognitive impairments are not only a beloved part of our community but also beloved children of God. I argue that alternative rituals to baptism can profoundly express the will of the community in lieu of the consent of the individual.