I would like to know your thoughts on dedicating infants to God during a church service. My husband is concerned that it is somehow unbiblical. His thoughts are more that the responsibility is that the child would see the Lord in his or her parents' lives and therefore be drawn to living his or her life for the Lord. Do many churches have dedications? Are there any scriptures in the Bible that would support or speak against this? If you have any other thoughts, we'd love to hear them. -- Katherine Gray
The New Testament neither commends nor condemns the dedication of infants. (This, of course, is not to say anything about infant baptism, a sort of dedication ceremony certainly not warranted by the scriptures.) Dedication ceremonies are quite common. Often I have seen newly adopted children 'dedicated' before the church. Yet to make a law or try to bind a tradition where the Bible has not spoken I do think is wrong.
I agree with your husband that the primary influence in a child's life is that of the parents. Parental example can attract or repel. That's the way it is, and I am sure you would agree that no ceremony can change that!
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