Interesting question. All it represents to me now is the day I gave away all my power to a human organization. If it weren't for that day, my father would still be able to talk to me without a crisis of conscience.
Does your JW baptism still mean anything to you?
by JH 56 Replies latest jw friends
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Calliope
well... i was 17, that's nearly an adult. but then again, it was more a competition between myself and my sister, to see who'd get baptized first. and besides, i was a smoking, drinking, pothead who a month later, nearly had sex with a 42 year old. so, to answer the question: i didn't mean much then, and now that i've nearly come full circle, it has lost much of its import.
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tetrapod.sapien
welcome to the board calliope!
stick around. read lots. post lots. may your journey be as fruitful as many of ours has!
cheers,
TS
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JH
JH, you must have been baptised before 1985.
Nope, in 1988
Guess I took the decision to get baptized, because Jesus asked of it, and didn't listen to the JW last minute questions...saying I was getting baptized into a man made Org.
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knothead34
Herein lies my problem. I want to get baptized, but now that I've learned all the "truth" about the Witnesses and their "faithful and discreet slave", I can't. Not into the JW organization anyway. My question is, can I get baptized elsewhere and it still be valid. I don't really agree with any organized religion 100%(maybe around 60%), so would my baptism be valid in God's eyes? Has anyone else had this problem and if so, what did you do?
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JH
so would my baptism be valid in God's eyes?
Sure
Although the Watchtower identifies the Catholic religion as part of "babylone the great", or false religion, they ACCEPT their power to marry people.....
I mean, if a religion would be false, why would the JW's recognize people being married in a false religion.
So if it's good for marriage, it's good for baptism too.
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jaffacake
Caryl
Baptism Questions 1956 & for years later with only minor variation
- Have you recognized yourself before Jehovah God as a simmer who needs salvation, and have you acknowledged to him that this salvation proceeds from him the Father through his Son Jesus Christ?
- On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for salvation, have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightenment of the holy spirit?
New Questions from 1985
At the close of the convention baptism talk, the baptism candidates will be in position to answer with depth of understanding and heartfelt appreciation two simple questions that serve to confirm that they recognize the implications of following Christ’s example. The first question is:
1. On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?"
2 . Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in association with God’s spirit-directed organization?
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greendawn
They were also good enough to select the genuinely inspired books of Christian Scriptures out of the many "inspired" books circulating in those days, to produce the New Testament as we know it.
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JH
It's funny that people get prepared to get baptized months ahead of time, but just hear these 2 very important questions just a few minutes before getting dunked....
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jaffacake
Caryl,
You may wish to look up the quotes & questions:
Watchtower Quotes:
Watchtower 1 July 1955 page 411
“A Christian cannot be baptized in the name of the one actually doing the immersing or in the name of any man, nor in the name of any organisation, but in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This shows, amongst other things, that Christianity is not a denominational affair”.
Watchtower 1 October 1966 page 603
“We do not dedicate ourselves to a religion, nor to a man, nor to an organisation. No, we dedicate ourselves to the Supreme Sovereign of the Universe, our Creator, Jehovah God Himself. This makes dedication a very personal relationship between us and Jehovah.
Holy Spirit, 1976 pp148
Baptizing In The Name Of The holy spirit, which Jehovah prophesied that he would pour out in the last days, has not ceased to operate, for the remnant are still baptizing disciples of Christ in the name of that spirit.
According to Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus Christ told his disciples to baptize persons “in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” In the Apostolic days, Peter and others called on people to “repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
People were baptized into Christianity in similar ways to this for 1,900 years. For more than 100 years the Watchtower followed this Scriptural example.
Why, in June 1985, were the questions changed to remove “the Holy Spirit” against Christ’s clear command? There was no explanation, just a comment in the 15 April 1987 Watchtower that the questions were “simplified” and reference to person being baptised “coming into intimate relationship with God and his earthly organisation.” Scriptures stress that baptism is into Christ only, and excludes earthly people, even the Apostles:
1 Corinthians 1:13
“Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?”
So why the reversal from the scriptural position stressed in the 1955 and 1966 Watchtowers and the 1976 Holy Spirit book?
Why is an earthly organisation led by fallible men now inserted into the “personal relationship with Jehovah”?
Should we really ignore Christ’s command and replace the Holy Spirit with a human organisation which claims to be spirit-directed?
Is this another reason why millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Watchtower leaders are now acting as idol gods?
Matthew 12:32
“And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”