Legal question

In Between

Get this. My X wants my 9 year old daughter to get baptized. My X claims that my little girl bugs her all the time to get baptized.

I told my X no, she's too young. My X claims a recent WT study supports the idea. Anyway, I'm kinda stuck because she lives with her. Now my X is claiming she will hold off to the next C.A. She claims she talked to her elders, told them I think my daughter is too young, and they said they didn't want any problems from me. (Never heard that one before.)

I was wondering if anybody knew of any legal recourse to stop this from happening. There has to be some cases somewhere with all the split JW families. Anybody have any ideas?

Thanks

Uzzah

You could try the argument with your ex (and a threat to the elders if necessary) that your daughter is not able to go into a leglly binding contract with teh organization for which extreme penalties are associated.
When she is old enough to enter a binding legal contract (18 yrs in most states) then you will support whatever decision she makes. Until then you oppose any pressure being applied to her.
The threat is that should she go behind your back and get baptized, any penalties arising from that decision will be follow-up with a lawsuit for the Borg entering and enforcing a legal contract with a minor.
I am not a lawyer but what could it hurt to try?
Uzzah

sandy

I don't knoww . . . If not maybe you could set the precedent.

nicolaou

Write to your X's elders and ask them for the date, time and venue details as you've arranged for the news media to cover the happy event of your daughters baptism.

candidlynuts

the watchtower condemns other religions for baby baptism. 9 yrs old isnt much older than a baby!

sspo

I don't know of the legal stuff but remind your x that almost 80 per cent of young witnesses, Teenagers and early 20's decide to leave the truth, primarily because when they got baptized they were too young. many get DF and then rejected by their families.

Remind your wife it could happen to her daughter,why take such a chance, wait until she is at least 16 and if she understand what serving her God is all about and the consequence of ever doubting the Watchtower,then she should. No one should pressure a young one to take such a step at 9 years old.

Many get baptized because they want to carry the mikes in the cong.

RaceBannon

For me, baptism was about PEER PRESSURE - you know - that thing that JW's are supposed to avoid. Its very tough for a young person to see all their friends getting baptised, makes you feel left out or inferior, not making the grade.

MidwichCuckoo

My X claims that my little girl bugs her all the time to get baptized

I've heard this recently too - that children are begging their dub parents to be Baptised, but the parents are insisting they wait(!). At 9, your daughter has the majority of 'input' from her Mum, and, I imagine a majority of dub associates. Even if your ex ISN'T trying to 'force' your daughter into Baptism, she is still receiving a lot of 'subliminal' messages which may be making her fearful.

OR, is your ex the 'emotional blackmail' type? I think a lot of youngsters get Baptised to try and gain the love of a parent - ''My Mum will love me more if I please her''

Dansk

Candidlynuts is right!

I remember all too well how the first couple I studied with (he was the P.O.) were quick to run down other religions for infant baptism on the grounds that, in the Bible, Jesus and John the Baptist only baptised adults. A child hasn't the knowledge or life's experience to fully understand what baptism means.

Ian

core

At 9 years of age a child cannot make contracts, sign cheques, obtain credit so why anyone thinks they are able to make other "life" decisions is truly amazing. In reality Baptism by JWs is an irrelevance that may be an issue now but as a child grows older and understands - "sees the world" ...then 50 baptisms will not stop a teenager leaving the truth - its no big deal

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