by free2think 29 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I was just wondering when you where going through the questions for baptism did you know you had to dedicate yourself to Jehovah before hand or did you lie?
I didn't know i had to so when i went through the questions I had to lie and say i had. I always felt bad about it afterwards and quickly did a little prayer that night. Oops.
I dont remember, I was 13..........and Im an old fart now!
LMAO Butt. That was young. I thought I should quickly do it before I got too old, so i got dunked just before i left school, which was a bit old in dubland.
I was 14, at the time I didn't know I was supposed to either. I just knew my 12 year old sister was getting baptized and I was supposed to have been baptized already but couldn't stay out of trouble. When I went over the questions I was completely unprepared but somehow they let me get baptized anyway. I never felt guilty that I said I had, I was too busy being in shock- they were actually going to let me get baptized.
It's so funny isn't MissA, i was really surprised they said yes to me too, lol.
Good question. Here's my take on it:
At the time, I had been led to believe that what I was doing was dedicating my life unreservedly to do God's will as he revealed it to me through the action of his holy spirit.
At the time, I had not been allowed the benefit of unbiased research and therefore, the decision was a flawed one, based on misrepresentations and outright lies.
Once I realized that there had been misrepresentations, I considered the dedication to be nul and void, because I would not have made the same decision had I not been fraudulently misled and lied to by Jehovah's Witnesses.
It would be the same kind of deal breaker as if I had married someone who had misrepresented themselves to me, whose goal in marrying me was to defraud me of my resources in some way - my time, my loyalty, my expertise, my finances. That is exactly the kind of fraud that JWs perpetrate when someone gets baptized, believing they are dedicating their life to do the will of an imaginary entity, when in reality they are signing up for slavery to a book publishing company.
I was also 13 when I was baptized. I remember studying the questions in the "Lamp" book like I was trying to pass a test at school. I was convinced I knew what I was doing. So much for the wisdom of a 13-year old!
I just posted on another thread - I was 13 (15) don't remember exactly, did it because I had no choice. Dad said "get baptized or get out" so I got dunked!!
And I was too young to have any idea of the possible consequences!
nj
I was never asked if I did 'dedicate myself', but when I heard it being mentioned in the talk for my baptism, I remember sitting there quickly trying to say a silent prayer saying, "I do", but I didn't, so I guess I lied. I didn't have a clue what it really meant anyway. Give me your life, or else? That's what I felt.
It would be the same kind of deal breaker as if I had married someone who had misrepresented themselves to me, whose goal in marrying me was to defraud me of my resources in some way - my time, my loyalty, my expertise, my finances. That is exactly the kind of fraud that JWs perpetrate when someone gets baptized, believing they are dedicating their life to do the will of an imaginary entity, when in reality they are signing up for slavery to a book publishing company.
Very true Scully. I like that illustration too.
I was also 13 when I was baptized. I remember studying the questions in the "Lamp" book like I was trying to pass a test at school. I was convinced I knew what I was doing. So much for the wisdom of a 13-year old!
Me too 38 y I wrote all my answers down, then the dub asked me what does such and such scripture say and I was like um i can't remember when really i wasn't even sure if i looked it up. Whoops.
And I was too young to have any idea of the possible consequences!
Exactly NJ I had absolutely no clue of the consequences or that i shouldn't have been taking it so lightly.
I was never asked if I did 'dedicate myself', but when I heard it being mentioned in the talk for my baptism, I remember sitting there quickly trying to say a silent prayer saying, "I do", but I didn't, so I guess I lied. I didn't have a clue what it really meant anyway. Give me your life, or else? That's what I felt.
4jwy im so glad i wasnt the only one, lol.
