by OnTheWayOut 18 Replies latest jw experiences
I'm happy for your mother-in-law it sounds like shes made the comitment she's always wanted too. Do you remember the joy after your baptism, it is a happy time. You may find this is something that that isn't the threat you find it especially if she has been going to meeting regularily for years anyway.
Reniaa
Reniaa, you know nothing of his situation. ANd no, one being baptized into this awful mind control cult is very sad.
You're right OTWO-----your MIL probably was just waiting to retire before she got dunked---that way, the turkeys at the Kingdumb Hell couldn't DF her for working for Babee-lion de Gweat.
It could be that your MIL is getting older and worried about her 'eternal salvation' and figured she should get baptized. Maybe the whole thing was done for convenience sake?
I wonder though, since she has all thse years been an attender but not bound by the rules...how she will do under this regime now that she is bound by the rules?
I am going to address Reniaa, but please don't make this a Reniaa thread everyone else.
it sounds like shes made the comitment she's always wanted too
I suppose from your point of view, this sounds good. You wanted to be a JW only after you went out and did things disapproved by their religion. You now want to be a JW after doing those things, but still don't want to follow their ridiculous rules about staying away from "associations" such as this website. My MIL has been able to do as she pleased, only to get baptized when she's done. She managed to get her one DF'ed daughter to go back beforehand so she won't have any problems with continued contact.
The joy after my baptism was from ignorance. I know better now that I was misled. Had I been fully informed about the lies, the joy would not have been there. My MIL has had the chance to be fully informed, but most posters here know how WTS is like a snake-oil salesman. She hasn't really looked. Why bother? WTS answers all questions with their own data. She joined a dangerous mind-control cult and look how that dangerous cult has gotten you to defend it in the face of real information here on JWS.
You may find this is something that that isn't the threat you find it especially if she has been going to meeting regularily for years anyway.
As long as MIL could do her own thing, the wife had to consider that her mother wasn't committed enough to give up her pension and future in this system of things. That was good. Her baptism represents, perhaps, the end being so close they can taste it.
OTWO, I was thinking too that your MIL evidently was not concerned that the end was going to come during the 20 years she was at a job that the WTS would have required that she quit. Interesting that the final point is the reinstatement of her daughter now opens the doors to "sincere" service to God. What if the end had come ten years ago? How would she answer that.
*** w82 2/15 pp. 28-29 par. 7 "What Prevents Me from Getting Baptized?" ***Perhaps you are one who has been attending the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses for several years but have not yet made up your mind to take the steps of dedication and baptism. When you examine the secret reasoning of the heart, could it be that you are delaying because you see that living as a Christian would impose restrictions upon you? Do you reason that as long as you are not baptized you will not be bound by these restrictions and will have a certain "freedom" to do some questionable things while the old system still exists, hoping to wait until the last minute to take your stand for true worship? Such reasoning can be dangerous, really disastrous! Jesus said: "Pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you as a snare."—Luke 21:34, 35; 1 Corinthians 15:33, 34; Romans 13:11-14.
Blondie, no she wasn't that concerned that the end would come any moment. I wonder if she is now, for she hasn't seemed anymore urgent right up into retirement. She could have retired a few years ago.
My feeling is based on experience with my in-law family and people who live in that rural area. Church is vital to these people. Cousins and brothers and sisters and everyone belongs to some Christian church or another. MIL belonged to the JW's Church, along with a few others and that was their church. Two of MIL's daughters got very far into the church and got baptized. Otherwise, I wouldn't be surprised if she had drifted to another church along the way. She went to the Kingdom Hall long enough to feel that it was "the truth" and now is ready to be more involved.
I hope she hates the cold calling after a bit. I hope she's hounded for field circus time. I hope she hates the TMS.
Nothing personal. I just want her to have some more complaining.
"MIL considered getting into the pioneer work after retirement.... She did stop talking about pioneering,"
I've known so many that blathered on about how they were going to pioneer after retirement. But when "after retirement" arrived... and armageddon hadn't come... they were all, "huh, what? Oh, I can't pioneer because I have [insert health problem here]." And since she'd never even been a publisher before, she was talking total nonsense. This was probably all at the "encouragement" of the PO's wife that has been counting a 'Bible study' with her for the last 20 years.
And, as mentioned, chances are that after some time with zero results in the d2d ministry, she could start finding other activities that take up her time.
Since your wife wasn't bubbling over with dubthusiasm, I'm thinking there's some other problems in 'spiritual paradise' there. As you mention, I find the lack of "grab the camera and first flight 'cause Momma's gettin' dunked!" type of reaction very odd. Dubs are so devoid of anything to get excited about, they look for any tiny event to be newsworthy.
With your reinstated SIL, I'm wondering a couple of things. I have often found that when reinstated, most come back with enthusiasm, but very few stay excited. The whole "restrictions" process can be very discouraging, so that by the time they have the "privilege" of commenting, they don't really care to. And, depending on congregation attitudes, the reinstated are welcomed back... but then treated like "damaged goods". Maybe something is amiss with sis?
B the X
Getting baptised after retirement from BTG seems not a little unlike getting baptised and confirmed on ones death bed, does it? Get all you can out of the world, then give the last little bit to the WT.
