Sheperding call imminent, some advice needed

by Glorfindel 16 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  thecarpenter

  
  Hello glorfindel and welcome!

  You mentioned that you are a active witness and from your profile, you are 17.

  Also, I do not plan on getting thrown out of the WT just yet, because there are some in my family who are witnesses, and I have no intention of forcing them to shun me. I know that despite my secrecy, there are ways to find out just where I am generally.

  When you talk like this, it show me you have serious doubts about the organization, you really shouldn't even be thinking about baptism. Once a baptized witness is disfellowshipped, the brutality of the arrangement shows full force and takes many people by surprise. As some of the other posters mentioned, don't let the elders know where you are getting the organization history from. Just one or two questions and then mention you don't feel ready for baptism. (they will try to pressure you but don't fall for it).

  I hope you start looking for friendships outside the organization, maybe with other conscientious youths your age. Look hard, you will find them.

  And one more thing, keep studying and checking up, this is how you protect yourself from tragic mistakes.

  good luck
• 

  Forscher

  If you are not baptised you should stay that way and there is nothing they can do to you they can't disfellowship or shun you.

  
  I thought that comment worth repeating. I can't think of any reasons why you might want to raise those issues. If you do, be prepared for anything in the way of response from seriously trying to answer your questions to the type of defensive responses have been mentioned. The key here is that your questions tells me that you are not sure if you want to go through with the committment represented by baptism or not. If thet is the case, then you are not.
  I know that you will be pressured to go through with it. There is alot of pressure within the organization to get the numbers up. But you are not a number. And baptism is not a committment to be taken lightly. It is a lifetime committment to follow the directions from the "faithful and discrete slave", the Governing body, as far as Jehovah's Witnesses are concerned (and I am trying not to bash them here). The consquences should you decide to try and leave the organization later on are drastic, to say the least.
  So if you are not sure, then don't do it. You can always get baptised later on if you decide that life is for you.
  Forscher
• 

  Glorfindel

  Thanks all of you for your advice, i really appreciate it.
  

  You are right that I have doubts about baptism, because I have doubts about the org. It was mentioned to the elders by my parents that I was interested in baptism; I thought, "why not?" at the time. It was only after that I decided to research on my own that I've found stuff that I can't resolve.

  Serendipity: Hmm, I didn't know they treated DF'd and disapproved ones differently. I always assumed all, whether unbaptized or not were treated as if they were DF'd. I will think about what you said.

  I agree too that discussing too many things will be highly suspicious, and I think asking too many qns could be judged as fault finding, thanks yesidid for pointing that out to me.

  I think I will do my best to delay baptism. I'm too logical to blindly accept anything.
  Also, I think it's extremely ironic that some of you here do not straight out criticise baptism, even encouraging me to go with it if I feel it is right. I cannot imagine any JW telling me it is okay to leave the org if I feel it is right. Thanks again.
• 

  jwfacts

  Welcome. Your are questions at the right time, before getting baptised.

  The elders aren't seeing you to learn from you, but to teach you. So you need to ask questions, rather than tell them things. Let them get in a mess. You question about disfellowshipping is very good, why get baptised if you are then a potential disfellowshipping victim. When they show you Corinthians ask where it says not to even greet a person. When they then refer you to 2 John make them read the entire portion that shows this is talking about AntiChrist. You could end by saying that you are not convinced you may not a some stage change your mind and because of the unChristian stand on disfellowshipping you are thinking of waiting till you are no longer a minor.
• 

  hamsterbait

  I finally took a deep breath, and got baptized at 17.

  I rue the day.

  HB
• 

  Honesty

  Ask them if they mind if you get married on the same day that you get baptised.
• 

  Glorfindel

  "Ask them if they mind if you get married on the same day that you get baptised."