Validity of JW Baptism (page 3)

The Finger

JW baptise into the name of a Jesus as representing the Archangel Michael. A form of creature worship

5thGeneration

These are the little things I used to ignore but now eat me up inside.

It could so easily be scripturally accurate:

(1) On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?

(2) Do you understand that your baptism is in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and identifies you as one of Jehovah's Witnesses?

zzaphod

DC, no I do not view infant baptism by (for example The Chuch of England) as invalid.

It`s just that in my case I was never baptised as an infant, If I had been, then the Jehovah`s Witness baptism I underwent as an adult, would have been in my opinion, superfluous, to what I believe today.

As it is, I have only ever been "dipped", by the Jehovah`s Witnesses, and at the time I was baptised "In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit", I view that as acceptable. If I had been baptized under the current wording "...........God`s spirit directed organisation", I would not be happy with viewing that as acceptable to me today.

I hope that makes it a bit clearer for you my view.

All the Best

PAul UK

designs

One Denomination's superstitious practices vs another Denomination's superstitious practices.............you're saved, you're not saved because you didn't do it the way we do it.

Do you see why Christianity became a big sad laugh.

......but you can do a little good each day

RR

While agree the questions are odd, and actually makes the baptzee making a dedication to an organization. We shouldn't get bent out of shape over the "father, Son and Holy Spirit." because you will be hardpressed to find that formula in the Scriptures. NOne of the baptism were done in the name of the Father, Son and holy Spirit. They were ALl done in the name of Jesus.

Either way, the Society does neither. Instead of being recognized as a Christian, a follower of Christ, you are identified as a JW in association with an organization.

justmom

That explains how the JW organization disfellowshipped us 12 years ago.

We showed them some scriptures. I said "if you are asking me to take what the watchtower says over the Bible...I cannot do that. You taught me the wt is not inspired and the bible is.....so you know what I will believe FIRST". HOW IS THAT APOSTACY?"

They told us that we had apostacized from our baptism. Meaning that we would unconditionally agree with the society that provided spiritual food at the proper time. And now we were disagreeing and talking against it.

So you ARE baptized into the name of the organization(corporation) not into the father, son and holy spirit.

.......a couple years later we were rebaptized properly. That was just a personal decision. Our three sons wanted to be baptized also since they were never baptized inside.

just athought

justmom (kim)

cameo-d

What words were used by the one who originated the practice? Did John the Baptist dunk people using special incantations? Did Jesus baptize in his own name? On another thread, Alanv asked a really interesting question, wondering what gave John the Baptist the idea to start this ritual. Here is an excerpt from the thread.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/191266/1/John-the-Baptizer-Mystery-and-Folklore

I have never seen a solid, logical answer as to why John used this ritual nor what inspired him to come up with the idea. But I can guarantee you it must be something very simple and fitting to his times. I can tell you what I think it's all about.

The masses were superstitious people, no different than many people today. They were brow beaten and guilted into giving most of their income for sin debts and to "give more" to please God when they needed to ask for divine favors. Maybe even giving free labor to the church. The church beat them psychologically and sucked them dry for whatever they could take from them. The church has always been a business.

I imagine that John, and later Jesus, persuaded the people to believe that they did not have to accept the guilt and punishment from the church. All one had to do for forgiveness was "go to their brother" with an apology or restitution. They could take matters up directly with "God" and so Jesus taught them how to pray so that they would not need the holier than thou Pharisees as their intercessor. And to seal the deal that they were remorseful for past deeds and would try to live a better life, the baptism was an outward show of "becoming clean". It appealed to their superstitious nature of needing to have some type of ritual of confirmation that they had been forgiven. I think that is the key to it. Wiping the slate clean, leaving behind the baggage, and making a fresh start in life. It also gave them independence from the heavy yoke of church doctrines and rituals. They no longer needed the church.

There were also secret society groups even before Jesus's time. And during Jesus's lifetime, I find evidence that leads me to believe the secret societies had infiltrated the Sanhedrin. Sometimes the common people are recruited into a lower rank of these secret groups because the elite need spies and footsoldiers where they cannot go. For those members, it was especially dangerous to make an outward show that they were breaking their bonds of an oath sworn on their own life. But it was an opportunity for them to free themselves from the darkside. Superstition played a part even with them as they believed the act of baptism would bring them under the protection of a God more powerful than the brotherhood.

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In my opinion, organizations like WT have turned baptism into a legalistic manuever, which is not what it was ever intended to be.

Religions have changed what was intended to be an expression of freedom from the bondages of religion, to an incorporation of legalism. It is only through the act of baptism, that you now become a church member or a WT slave. It is because of baptism that the state and courts cannot help you out of any matters dealing with abuse from religion. The baptism of today has become a visual oath, a seal of contract, that you now, willingly, give your religion and it's declarations, authority over your life. This is why you are expected to write a DA letter to "break your contract". And guess what? Without written acknowledgement and acceptance of your DA by the other party, you are still considered under contract! It must be reciprocal to be legally broken.

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Validity of JW Baptism