Can Dogs Be Baptized?

Can dogs be baptized? Yes, this is a question we have pondered lately. (This one certainly goes on the list of things you never thought you would say! Joel & I have talked about starting an actual list of these phrases; I'm sure it would be fun to read 20 years from now.)

Let's start at the beginning of the story.

At our church fall festival CJ won a door prize and it was book about baptism. The book was written from the perspective of grade school aged kids being baptized in a water tank. Among other things, the book talks about how it is similar to taking a bath. We read the book a few times to CJ after Halloween and it has been sitting on the shelf for awhile.

Around Thanksgiving Joel said he was going to give the dogs a bath. Later in the conversation, CJ asked if he could watch when the dogs were baptized.

At first we couldn't understand why he was asking about dogs being baptized, but then we remembered the baptism book we had read earlier that month. I have to say that it sounds funny, but I understand why he made the connection...it's a valid question to ponder, especially for a little guy who is in the beginning stages of his faith.

I was telling CJ that being baptized is a whole lot more than taking a bath (i.e. it's about God's love for us, etc.). I don't think I explained it very well in 3-year-old terms though because the next day he was still talking about the dogs being baptized!

I'm sure with time CJ will begin to understand the full meaning of a baptism, but for now we can have a little chuckle about his cute questions.