How long can you go to the meetings and not get baptized?

JH

Usually, adults who attend meetings regularly and aren't baptized yet are encouraged to do so. Usually after 1 or 2 years a person who attends meetings regularly will get baptized.

I wonder what would happen if a person would go to meetings for years and not want to get baptized. Would the elders finally brand them as evil or start shunning them somehow?

slimboyfat

I know an unbelieving husband who has gone for 30 years. I think that does happen sometimes.

Slim

JH

know an unbelieving husband who has gone for 30 years

He seems pretty believing for attending meetings for so long.

There is this one woman who continues to attend my former congregation for the past 25 years. She is an on-again off-again study. Never would get baptized. Since she has been there for many many years, everyone calls her Sister XXXXXXX. Wow! Being a part of the flock and identified as one too without getting dunked.

Her daughter and grandson even studied before, but no longer go to meetings. Needless to say, they never got baptized either.

Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)

JH

I recall elders saying that if a person attends meetings for a long time, many years, and still doesnt want to get baptized, they will eventually lose privileges or be shunned in certain activities. They would pay for it somehow...because they are setting a BAD example.

greendawn

There is no limit to this one can attend their meetings for ever and not get baptised. As long as that person doesn't get involved in preaching there is nothing they can do about it they have no hold over them. If they don't act well morally the dubs will simply not talk to them.

Jourles

I wonder how they would treat Jesus if he were born into a "jw family" and he was to wait until he was 30 to get dunked? The sisters would be going nuts over this "perfect" brother but their parents would still tell them they couldn't date him because he wasn't baptized yet.

Yeah, it would suck to be Jesus. No "jw" poontang until he gets wet, head-to-toes.