by oldflame 20 Replies latest jw friends
I don't really understand the point of this question. What does mental illness have to do with whether a person can become a JW or not? Why are you putting people with mental illness in some kind of special category? If they for some reason did not baptise people based on their mental condition(and who is going to decide that?) then you would be hollering that they are discriminating.
Besides what are they going to do, tell baptismal candidates: "Prove you're not mentally ill!" ???
No Apologies
If they for some reason did not baptise people based on their mental condition(and who is going to decide that?) then you would be hollering that they are discriminating.
The same ones will decide who also determine if one's "heart condition" qualifies them for baptism. Or perhaps a special committee of experienced brothers and sisters should be formed to determine mental stability.
Or would that be judging others????
Funny, I was under the impression baptism was a matter between an individual and God....that's the way it seemed in the Bible.
willow
I have a nephew who was adopted by my JW mother when he was three years old. He is now in his mid twenties. He has lived by the JW laws but yet they have not baptised him. My nephew is mentally challenged and also legally blind with the mind of a seven or eight year old. He is very capable of understanding but yet they will not except him for baptism. I am sure that he would except baptism if it were offered but they will not do that.
I have seen others in worse condition than my nephew but they had been baptised. I always understood that if you had an understanding of their doctrine it made you eligible to be baptised. I also know that the WBTS will go to great lengths to get their numbers up. This is so sad.
Someone stated earlier that it would be discriminative to turn away followers from baptism, It's not really as the society does it all the time.
they had to dunk me a 3rd before it took
Silly girl, they were trying to drown you!!!!
So if a person is mentally challenged but can understand what , why and who they are being baptised for, shouldn't they also be considered for baptism ? Or are they like the little children who according to Christ they already have the gift or promise ?
Yes, they do. And they disfellowship them, too. I saw several mentally ill people get disfellowshipped. Seeing that happen is one of the things that gave me serious doubts about the WTBTS being God's org. It made me feel that the elders who disfellowshipped those people were more like heartless Pharisees than shepherds of God's flock...no tenderness there.
Do you think that the mentally challenged are held accountable for their sin or do they have a free passage. ?
Do you think that the mentally challenged are held accountable for their sin or do they have a free passage. ?
I don't believe in that kind of god.
IMO most mentally ill ppl should be held accountable for crimes in the criminal justice system in some manner. Accountability to God or even to a local congregation is another matter entirely. I don't think they should be pressured to get baptized or made to feel "less than" if they don't. Nor should they be subject to congregational discipline. How inhuman to put a person like that through reproof or DFing.
Let me qualify this by saying all mental illnesses are different with each different person. In this post I'm referring to someone who is unable to fully comprehend and consent to baptism. I agree the elders shouldn't prevent anyone from getting baptized if they come up with the idea on their own and want to. However, putting them through discipline b/c of "wrongdoing" after they're baptized is just incomprehensible.
