Is this what really happens at a Greek Orthodox baptism?

Is this what really happens at a Greek Orthodox baptism?

Footage from a traditional baptism at a Greek Orthodox church has left viewers concerned for the safety of the baby involved. 

baby crying
Pexels

Depending on how young your child is, getting them baptised can be a traumatic experience. Whether it is your own nerves as a parent, or your child's anxiety about the process, there are a number of things that can add drama to what is actually quite a normal part of many people's lives. 

If you are a member of a Greek Orthodox church, it is possible that you go about baptising children differently.

Footage showing a Greek Orthodox priest roughly dunking a baby into a baptismal font before handing him back to his parents has raised concern among observers online. 

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Some say the priest is too rough, while others believe that this is the normal order of things during a Greek Orthodox baptism. 

Other young members of the church who are witnessing the baptism are seen stepping away from the font as water splashes up from it. The baby's parents are not surprised at all by the priest's actions and take the baby back from him without any protest. 

The baby is, of course, in tears due to the shock of the water. 

The priest's methods may seem strange to those outside of the denomination - observers called it "the most violent baptism", also commenting that it should rather have been called a "roughism" - but there is no reason to believe that the baptism didn't go well. 

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