What age for baptism?

wozadummy

When I was a mormon I was baptised at age 8.

As witnesses some get baptised pretty close to this age.

When they face all those years ahead with so much of life to learn and understand how can it be right to come down so hard on young people who, when going thru puberty and beyond have to come to grips with all the feelings and mixed up thinking of youth and then fall short of the ideal and ,say ,fall in love with someone and have sex and then face a judicial commitee.

Everyone is different and it's naturally easier for some young ones than for others due to alot of factors and keep on the straight and narrow.

But here is my opinion on things, simply put , Jesus as a perfect man was not called upon to dedicate himself for baptism and full dedication to God till he was 30!

Is it not reasonable to expect the same from imperfect people led by sinful inclinations to make a mature decision when older at 30 instead of a teen or even a preteen and expect full control and even repentence?

blondie

Youngest baptised JW: 6 years old in Chicago about 4 years ago.

(in the US; average by state)

Age for driving a car: 16 (with parents permission)

Age for marriage: 16 (with parents permission)

Age for drinking alcohol: 21

Age to sign a contract: 18

Age to join military: 18 (earlier with parents permission)

BTW does a child need their parent's permission to get baptised? No, the elders can overrule the parent's decision and baptise the child.

Blondie

Mysterious

The younger they get you the more leaving would screw up your life so the "fine examples" will continue. I agree though it's sick sick sick. I wanted to be baptized at 15 but my father fortunately had the forsight to say he as head of the house would not allow it until I was 16. Mom decided it was not unreasonable and didn't defy him on the matter. When I was 16 my mom of all people said she thought I should be doing more to make the truth my own. By 17 I knew I was bisexual and though I was tormented through the entire baptism talk I vowed I would never get dunked. At 18 I had left.

I hate the chain reaction that one youth getting baptized sets off, where they look at you and wonder why not you. Especially if it is somoene younger. This happened to me with talks, with unbaptized publishing, everything. And I hated it when my "example" got parents to push their kids into things.

wozadummy

Thanks and hi blondie

Another thought came to me that shows a teen cannot at times make a well thought out decision to commit is my own where, at age 17, I joined the navy during the Vietnam war not even thinking of the consequences of war, despite my father trying to talk me out of joining for he served in the RAF in England during WW11.

I was thinking of the travel and seeing the world and meeting people etc. After 3 months in I had some special training in atomic warfare and suddenly it dawned on me that I never wanted to kill anyone ,especially for some aged fat cats in government who thought I was expendable. I discharged as a conscientious objector , a mature decision but one that took me thru a rough patch in life .

My point is that to commit properly to avoid mistakes in life one needs to be equipped with knowlege and years of maturity to make right decisions for oneself

Steve

Dansk

Hi Blondie ((((((((())))))))),

You're a marvel with statistics!

Youngest baptised JW: 6 years old in Chicago about 4 years ago.

SAD!

Age for driving a car: 16 (with parents permission)

Far too young!

Age for marriage: 16 (with parents permission)

Same in UK.

Age for drinking alcohol: 21

Very surprised at this considering kids can join the military at 18, fight (and get killed). It's 18 in the UK.

Age to sign a contract: 18

Not sure about this in the UK.

Age to join military: 18 (earlier with parents permission)

About the same in the UK. We have junior soldiers here also, who need parental permission.

BTW does a child need their parent's permission to get baptised? No, the elders can overrule the parent's decision and baptise the child

Didn't know that! That's frightening - and likely done to swell the dwindling figures! Ian

wozadummy

Mysterious

I hate the chain reaction that one youth getting baptized sets off, where they look at you and wonder why not you. Especially if it is somoene younger. This happened to me with talks, with unbaptized publishing, everything. And I hated it when my "example" got parents to push their kids into things.

I know what you mean here as I remember a girl in my congo years ago whose older sister had been baptised for some time and the girl was 19 and still not baptised and many were talking about this in a negative way and I think she knew this. In time she did but I think it was thru pressure and a carrot being held out of going to Bethel to use her special skills that she aquired at college. When they finished with her I guess they chucked her out.

MidwichCuckoo

Age to sign a contract: 18

Not sure about this in the UK.

It's the same in UK - have to be 18 or over to be party to a contract (with very few exceptions)

MidwichCuckoo

Oh - and for the record - I see Dub-Baptism as (mostly) a contract between a minor (which is null and void) or an ignorant individual (duress and/or undue influence etc) and a Cult.

blondie

Very surprised at this considering kids can join the military at 18, fight (and get killed). It's 18 in the UK.

Dansk, the drinking age and the voting age were lowered to 18 during the height of the Vietnam War. Gradually, the states have raised the drinking age to 21 with too many drinking deaths on the road. It doesn't slow down underage drinking much though.......including at Bethel and in the JW congregations. Blondie

sspo

What's up with Chicago? 1978 also they allowed a few 6 years old to be baptized.

What age for baptism?

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