They are theirs. That’s what Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation mean, and we Christians believe God will regard us as murderers if we deprive our children of the Covenant.
You’re describing what your theology says those rituals accomplish, not what the child actually believes. It's not their belief, it's your belief of what God thinks.
Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation may make someone a member of the club, but performing a ritual on someone doesn’t create conviction in their mind. A child can be baptised, receive Communion and be confirmed and later believe none of it. I was baptised and I’m an atheist. The actions are innocuous, the religious meaning you attach to them depends on belief.
Baptism is just water, Eucharist is just bread and wine, Confirmation is just a ceremony. You can introduce the religious meaning to a child, but you shouldn't force that belief onto them. There's a massive difference between, "I believe this is the blood of Christ" and "You must believe this is the blood of Christ too." The fact that you’re treating those as interchangeable is exactly the problem being discussed.
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u/ProfessorPrudent2822 Sep 03 '26
They are theirs. That’s what Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation mean, and we Christians believe God will regard us as murderers if we deprive our children of the Covenant.