Can a baptism be overturned?

angeleyes71

Hey to all! I haven't been on for a few months but I had a question. I feel like when I was baptized in 1999, I was pressured by my children's granmother to hurry up and do it for their sake. I was also addicted to pain killers. I was even taking them the day I was baptized. So, my question is...can my baptism be "ruled" invalid and therefore my DFing?

penny2

I do know someone whose baptism was annulled but I don't know any of the circumstances. Being disfellowshipped might make it more difficult - they may say you just need to "humble yourself and come back to meetings."

No harm in trying though. Tell them you didn't dedicate your life to Jehovah and didn't know what you were doing when you got baptized. The only alternative is to attend meetings until you get reinstated and then fade (slowly drift away).

penny

MMae

I know that they used to allow persons to be re-baptised if there was a reason that the original baptism wasn't done 100% properly. I wouldn't get your hopes up if you are looking to have your df'ing annulled, though. Angel, what are you hoping to achieve? (Do you think you would be welcomed with open arms?) I went back and read your previous posts. They were similar in thought to a current discussion in another group in which I parcipitate. Please pop in!:

http://exjw.meetup.com/409/messages/boards/thread/4330227

See you there!

Malinda

monophonic

i was asked once if i felt i needed to be rebaptised when i got suckered into a love study.....i said no.

but, if i would've said yes, i doubt they would've written off that i was already baptised if they decided to take any action against me.

and, since the new "wording" of 'no longer a jehovah's witness', i also doubt it makes a difference....they have their legal asses covered and that's all they care about.

fade out if you can.

lisavegas420

I think anyone that was baptized before they became an adult, should have the option of having their baptism overturned.

It kinda pisses me off that my parents shun me, my children and grandchildren because of a decision I made, to make them happy when I was 14 years old.

lisa

OnTheWayOut

Lawyers can work these kind of wonders occasionally, but otherwise face the facts.
Unless you are desirous of reinstatement and kissing their asses, aint nobody in this
cult cares why you got baptized or whether it was ligitimate or not. They will just
leave you in your DF state until you get back into their graces.

tak

I remember when I decided to get baptized that I had to write a letter to the church that baptized me as a baby. I did this basically asking them to take my name off of their records as a baptized catholic. Then I got baptized as a JW, now I am disfellowshipped. I wonder if I write them a letter the same as I did to the catholic church asking them to take me off their records as a baptized JW would this in essense destroy any standing I have in that faith! That would be a good thing then, I would be just like the world (freeeeeee from them).

What do you think?

WTWizard

I very seriously doubt that a baptism can be annulled. They are very careful in that cult to make it impossible to back out of the bad decision they pressure and/or defraud you into making. And then they make it miserable if you quit or do something wrong.

Unless you have family in, your best bet is to stay disfellowshipped. You will get zero houndings (save for the yearly hounding that they are instructed to do, if they ever get around to it). You have the opportunity to join a real church, or simply stay religiously neutral. As long as you are officially out (and you can tell them that you know where the Kingdumb Hell is if you ever decide to go back), they cannot hound you into doing what they want you to.

However, if you have family in, you might have to get reinstated. That could take as long as they see fit. You will have to attend all the boasting sessions for a period of time that can be from 6 months up to 10 years, or more, depending on how they feel. You will be hounded during that time to quit doing whatever you got disfellowshipped for in the first place, and they might even dig deeply to make sure you are complying. Then, once you are back in, you will probably be watched closely since they know a lot of people that go from reinstated to inactive in a short time. If you do what you got disfellowshipped for in the first place, they will pounce and make you wait even longer the next time.

Additionally, once you are back, you will be hounded. You will not be able to pioneer or handle "privileges" for a year after reinstatement. After that, look out! And, during that time, if you miss too many boasting sessions or turn in the obligatory hour of dummy field circus, they will hound you to make sure you are not doing the original (or a new) sin again.

My opinion is, unless you have a good reason (family in, etc.) to want to go back, just stay out. Chances are, if you are going to lose a job or house along with your religion, you have already lost it and would be wiser to look elsewhere than to get reinstated to get back what you lost.

angeleyes71

Thanks to all who replied, I feel "better". I had a moment I guess. No, my family are not witnesses and I actually have a relationship with some of them now. Malinda, how do you access that Meetup group?

MMae

Malinda, how do you access that Meetup group?

Either you simply double-click on this address: http://exjw.meetup.com/409/messages/boards/thread/4330227

Or, If that doesn't work, simply double-click on this address: http://exjw.meetup.com/409/

Or - I have not a clue (after just spending a significant amount of time trying to test the link.) If the above didn't work try this:

1] Highlight this address by dragging your curser over it: http://exjw.meetup.com/409/ 2] Click on your browser's "edit" button, and then on "copy" inside the "edit" menu. 3] Click your curser onto your browser's Intetnet's search/address line. (Where it says: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/154396/2826171/reply.ashx) (If clicking there does not automatically highlight the JW address, highlight it with your curser.) 4] Click on "edit" again, and then on "paste" inside the "edit" menu. 5] click on "go" or "search" (whatever term your browser uses) at the search/address line.

If all goes well, that should take you to the welcome page. There will be a red button on the page that says, "sign up for this meetup." Click it and you will be "in!" The message boards can be accessed by clicking on the "message" button on the left side of the page. The discussion titled, "Does anyone else struggle with this?" is the the one of which I was thinking.

If that doesn't work out for you, let me know. I'll figure it out!

Can a baptism be overturned?

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