Baptism of the Barbaric Tribes

Centuries ago, when missionaries went amongst the barbaric tribes of western Europe and converted whole nations, baptisms of thousands of people at one time was a common occurrence. One thing the missionaries found was that many of these barbarians insisted on keeping their right hand out of the baptismal water when they were plunged beneath its surface. They were willing to become Christians in every aspect except one; they wanted their strong right arm left free to kill enemies and to use as they please. (Encyclopedia of Illustrations).