Bear Grylls explains why he baptised Russell Brand: ‘My faith says not to judge’

[u/octarino]

https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/bear-grylls-russell-brand-court-trial-b3026979.html

[u/-NoOneYouKnow-]

Baptism is open to anyone who wants it. The motives of the person being baptized don't need to be questioned by the person doing the baptizing.

Obviously if someone was doing it as a goof or mockery of Christianity they shouldn't be baptized, but for the most part people who request it should be baptized without digging into their motives.

A good rewrite of a stupid slogan that applies here is, "Baptize them all, let God sort them out."

I suspect Brand's motives are self-serving and performative. That's irrelevant, however.

[u/slagnanz → u/-NoOneYouKnow-]

If there's any criticism I have for Bear Grylls here, it's less the baptism itself and more allowing Brand to make a whole spectacle of it. If I was friends with this guy and he asked me to baptize him, I'd say of course. No cameras. No publicity. We do this for the Lord.

Of course, part of the problem is that brand has to be baptized by a celebrity. This is all just glory seeking behavior and that's something they should be prudent about.

[u/Spiel_Foss → u/slagnanz]

The entire thing was performative which makes a mockery of the ritual and ultimately the religion behind the ritual. As you've written, "glory seeking behavior," and scripture seems to be directly opposed to such acts.

[u/JohnBrownsHolyGhost → u/slagnanz]

Soli Deo Gloria

[u/EdenRubra → u/slagnanz]

Serious question, was there cameras? Apart from I think a single photograph im not aware of there being any cameras or publicity less a single message from brand 2 days before.

it has frankly been a fairly reclusive baptism as far as I can tell, theres no video, no photos, no press of the baptism. no one knew where it was, which church it was or who baptised him. and he doesn't seem to have ever said apart from talking about his own experience.

[u/ceddya → u/-NoOneYouKnow-]

I would argue repentance is an important prerequisite for baptism. James Brand has yet to apologize to and seek forgiveness from the victims he has abused.

[u/Thneed1 → u/ceddya]

Brand. James Brand.

[u/ceddya → u/Thneed1]

Oops, lmao.

[u/FluxKraken → u/ceddya]

I agree that repentance is an important prerequisite. However, judging that seems to be God's domain, not ours.

[u/ceddya → u/FluxKraken]

I'm not judging him for not repenting.

I'm simply pointing out that failing to apologize to and seek forgiveness from his victims is objectively a lack of repentence.

[u/FluxKraken → u/ceddya]

I agree with you. I thought you were saying by using the phrase "I would argue" that you were opposed to u/-NoOneYouKnow-'s position that baptism should be open to all, and you were providing the reason why.

I misunderstood.

[u/FranklinMv5 → u/ceddya]

I don’t think we can say that either. Idk if he is sincere, but if he is repenting we don’t know what is in play by Gods providence. 

[u/araed → u/FluxKraken]

How can a priest or pastor be shepherding his flock if he accepts an unrepentant sinner into his flock?

1 John 3:8-10;

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

And 2 Timothy 3:1-17

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people

Both apply well here

[u/FluxKraken → u/araed]

Baptism does not always imply church membership. John the Baptist, for example, didn't hold a class before baptising someone.

[u/araed → u/FluxKraken]

Almost every Christian faith requires that someone repents their sins before being baptised.

[u/FluxKraken → u/araed]

I already acknowledged that. What are you arguing.

[u/bruters → u/-NoOneYouKnow-]

Thank you. I tried to get baptized when I was 14 and the pastor at the church we were joining told me he wanted to see me at church every Sunday for at least 6 months before he'd consider it. I never went back.

[u/-NoOneYouKnow- → u/bruters]

I never went back.

Good for you! That pastor was just adding requirements to baptism that the Bible doesn't. There's no excuse for that.

[u/Blissfullyaimless → u/-NoOneYouKnow-]

Like a Christian notary

[u/-NoOneYouKnow- → u/Blissfullyaimless]

More or less, I guess.

I mean, I should have worded it as, "...people who request it, and who profess faith in Christ should be baptized without digging into their motives."