NO
-Sab
Do you think your baptism is still valid?
by karter 32 Replies latest jw friends
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Podobear
YES.. I agree with Truthlover. Although only 15, I made a contract which I understood. But, THEY have changed the wording of the baptismal vows, not me. So, THEY, have invalidated any contract with them. I choose to be an eternal romantic, and my baptism was a symbol of my First Love.
I am not affiliated to any Religious Group.
By the way, whilst we are on the subject, has anyone ever started a thread on early Christian baptism? It would appear from my research, that though the command was given to baptise in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit... the early records show the Apostles and Disciples baptising in the name of Jesus only. Why?
Podo
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agonus
No easy answer to this question.
My personal response? Yes and no.
Yes in the sense that (so far as I can remember) I was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I still don't have any real moral objections to that.
No in the sense that I stood up in front of a crowd of thousands of people and answered an unscriptural question in the affirmative: "Do you understand that this identifies you as one of Jehovah's Witnesses IN ASSOCIATION WITH JEHOVAH'S EARTHLY ORGANIZATION" (or whatever the hell the post-1980 questions were)
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Lozhasleft
Possibly but who knows?
Loz x
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allelsefails
I have a niece who got married at the age of 16. My sister had to sign off on it because everyone realizes that a 16 year old can't make a decision like that on there own. I heard no end of how awful it was that she got married so young and didn't know what she was doing and it would turn out badly.
I have since told everyone who I trust that baptism as a teenager (or earlier) is EXACTLY the same as marriage. Making a lifelong committment at the age of 15 (like me) or earlier is ridiculous. Any who would criticize the idea of a 16 year old getting married, but accept a 16 year old getting baptized is a hypocrite in my book.
That being said, I feel my baptism @ 15 is a contract with a minor. No legal entity in our country would uphold suchn a contract. Therefore I don't feel it has any validity.
Allelesefails
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agonus
Excellent reasoning. Why does the WT encourage young people to wait until they're past "the bloom of youth" to marry (due to issues regarding maturity) but pressures kids as young as 7 or 6 years of age to get baptized (which is a commitment at least equal to marriage)?
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dogisgod
The sister and brother that studied with me asked me, who will surviv Armegeddon? Ans....The Great Crowd. Ques. How are individuals identified as members of the great crowd? after much prodding I finally came up with, you have to be baptised. So they said, You are not baptised so you will be destroyed. I went with them th next day and got baptised...didn't even tell my mom.
Do I think being scared into something is valid? No
Am I going to live my life by a scared 16yr olds decision? No.
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But(t)wiser
NO. I didn't answer any of those two questions asked from the stage (just stood still there). I didn't even say my prayer of "commitment" before. And during the act of baptism I fully concentrated to kick the baptist "accidentally" in his leg so he was unable to lay me fully under the water. I went through this just to shut the mouths of my parents, elders and other "loving" brothers and sisters in the congregation. I was a little hypocrite from my official Day 1 as a member of the Org
Excuse my English
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nelly136
nah.
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Mall Cop
The Bible speaks of different kinds of Baptisms good and bad, water and fire etc.
I don't believe that the Bible is from God, that it is a product of man and his history.
So, baptisms of any kind are not valid, billions have never been baptized.
Baptism will not take away or wash away or put you in any special relationship with anyone.
It's a doctrine put in place by pontificating.