When I wanted to get baptized they kept coming up with different reasons why not. First my field service wasn't at the national average or above, and then no that's still not good enough because you MUST voluntarily comment a certain number of times each meeting, and so on. Then they would get on the platform and bleat about how you mustn't compare your service with anyone else's because whatever you can manage is acceptable to God and so really what prevents you from getting baptized... bleh.
Baptism talk this week at meeting
by Bonnie_Clyde 14 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Billzfan23
The speaker in our hall was so rediculously unprepared it made me sick. He pretty much just read the material right from the WT and had a couple of little comments along the way. Everyone's eyes kind of glazed over, like... "Is someone talking?"
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JWdaughter
My congregation was very much NOT into baptising young. I was 15 when I left and 15-16 was around the average age of baptism for those raised up as JWs. A few friends had been baptised, but not many.
My mom was one of the delayed baptised ones-she was in her mid 30's and had been associated since she was 4 or so. I actually think that is the WORST time to be baptised-headed right into the late teen independance phase that results in so many baptisms that are (sadly to say) regretted by JWs who believe it but aren't 'perfect'. I always feel bad for those kids who don't know better and have no idea what to do when they are disfellowshipped. I think it is those kind of disfellowshipments that likely lead to all the dissolute living that the WT talks about . . .I don't think those kids are usually unrepentant sinners, but after being DF'd, whats to stop them? They should not baptise people who are at such a vulnerable stage in life. But then, I don't really think they ought to be baptising anyone, so I do have some bias, here.
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Michael1Walter1
I am new to this forum with this first post: There was a lot of talk about me being baptised when I was about 14. Many of the boys my age were being baptised then. I felt it was too early, even though I was very devout, so much so that I read all of the old (Rutherford) books that were in the library. (Which later also turned out to be my undoing). As a result I never did become baptised and one year later I had very serious doubts and I stopped going to the Kingdom Hall over the objections of my father.
It was a very fortunate thing however as it turned out, or otherwise had I been disfellowshipped would have presented a far greater problem for me and my family. And that was 37 years ago.
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mrsjones5
Welcome to the board Michael1Walter1