Myths about Penicillin, Bacteria, and Baptism

The following is from the book Myths: Fact and Fiction about Teaching and Learning by Israel Galindo. How well do you know fact from fiction?

MYTH: Penicillin kills bacteria.

TRUTH: Technically, penicillin does not kill bacteria—it inhibits the reproduction of the bacteria and allows your body to catch up and fight the disease.

MYTH: Baptists are called such because they believe that the only true baptism is through the mode of immersion. That is why the Baptist Church does not sprinkle or baptize infants.

TRUTH: While total immersion is the preferred method in Baptist churches, the mode of this important rite is not the primary concern. In addition, there is no such creature as “the Baptist Church”— there are only Baptist churches, each being autonomous in nature. Most Baptists give primary emphasis to “believers’ baptism,” believing that baptism is a personal and conscious response to the reality of God’s redemptive presence in the life of the believer. Immersion is the preferred mode of baptism, but is secondary to the reality behind the symbol.

Immersion depicts dramatically the death to the old self and the resurrection to the new way of life in Christ which is the reality behind baptism. Since baptism is a conscious personal decision to discipleship most Baptists do not baptize infants (I say “most” due to the practice of some Baptist churches of baptizing very young children). They prefer to wait until the “age of accountability” when an individual child, grown sufficiently into self-awareness and accountability, can decide for him or herself how he or she will respond to the call of God to discipleship. In addition to the personal dimension of believer’s baptism, this rite also represents the formal entry into the life of the Church, the Body of Christ. This is why baptism normally is followed by a formal acceptance into church membership. Therefore, it is more helpful to recognize that baptism is a rite of corporate concern, not primarily an individual one. Rightly framed, baptism, like any other communal rite, communicates clearly that “this is not about you this is about the community of faith.” But we’re talking about Baptists, here, so check with your local Baptist congregation, or your own denomination, about its beliefs and practices.

You can order a copy of the book Myth: Fact and Fiction about Teaching and Learning by Israel Galindo (ISBN 0-9715765-4-8) directly from Educational Consultants.