I think most people who get baptized before they are legally eligible to enter a contract should be able to say that they were being unduly influenced by parents, friends, congregation members, WT propaganda. As a matter of fact, because of the highly controlled flow of information to potential recruits in favor of the WTS (which prevents critical information from outside sources), I would venture to go as far as saying that ALL of the WTS baptisms are invalid because those going into baptism are not making fully informed decisions.
May 7, 06 WT Study - Invalid Baptism
by Gander 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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garybuss
There's only one person who decides if I'm free. Me!
I say I'm free! -
blondie
I look very closely at all the WT studies filtering them through my 50 years association with the WTS, 35 of them baptized. I have also looked at the next week's article. I pointed out that the picture in the article on 5/7 showed a very young girl being baptized. The WTS is setting up parents to pressure their children to be baptized and for the elders to approve it.
I don't think anyone should be baptized before they can take total responsibility for their actions. Even 16 year olds can drive and marry only with parental permission. I wonder if elders would baptize a 16 year old if their JW parents said their child was not ready?
The thing is that baptism is practiced by many Christian religions and being 18 is not a requirement. In the US, the government is very reluctant to interfere with the religious beliefs of individuals or groups unless it is something like rape or murder. It's not impossible but highly improbable that the WTS will annul a baptism. I have never known it to happen in the areas I lived. If a developmentally disabled child were "mistakenly" baptized by some local elders, I could see that as being a viable situation.
It is easier to "fade" than to try and get the WTS to annul a baptism. Most BOEs interpret a requet for a baptism annulment as being a request to disassociate oneself. If the goal is to continue to have some "normal" contact with family and friends, I would go with fading. Remember that the WTS also teaches that non-JWs are bad association, and contact with "worldly" people should be very limited.
Blondie
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jwfacts
This is an interesting line of reasoning and may be accepted.
Remember that the WTS is a high control group that is only interested in protecting its own interests. The history of disfellowshipping shows it is getting stricter. They now cover annulments by announcing xxx is no longer one of JWs for d/f, d/a and annulment. That way they can get around the law and also have people regardless of reason being shunned. So the end affect is the same.
Even 'worldly' people are bad association, so if the WTS could have its way the members would not speak to everyone that was not a JW (except when preaching to them). -
AK - Jeff
I wonder if any have successfully just plain denied that they were ever baptised and asked the elder's to please produce at least two witnesses to the fact?
I doubt two people can recall my baptism - I was not a highly visible one in our congregation at that point. And no family was present.
Jeff
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Scully
I could probably get away with saying my baptism was not valid. They say that a person's entire body has to be immersed, right? Well, it's clear in the photograph that one of my boobs didn't get entirely immersed. As I'm exiting the pool a "dry spot" is visible on my bathing suit.
Really.
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AK - Jeff
Well Scully - you are 100% witness with the exception of that boob!
That one boob can participate in oral sex for example - or other non-Christian activities without being reproved, reprimanded, disfellowshipped - but not the other one.
Jeff
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Dr Jekyll
The question is though, would skullys one dry boob have made it through Armegedion. Or would Skully have to have gone the Matt 5.29 route
If, now, that right eye of yours is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you. For it is more beneficial to you for one of your members to be lost to you than for your whole body to be pitched into Ge·hen´naAlso, if your right hand is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you. For it is more beneficial to you for one of your members to be lost than for your whole body to land in Ge·hen´na
Matt