A baptism question for Morbidzbaby (and the rest of ya'll).....

Mr. Falcon

I read Morbidzbaby's comment on the post http://www2.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/206838/1/A-question-to-the-ex-JWs were she said that she got baptized "hoping that it would sort everything out". This got me thinking about the whole JW ritual of baptism and dedication. I look back and recall that I never privately "dedicated" myself to anything or anyone before taking the "dip".

The WT teaching is that a person should privately dedicate (via prayer) themselves to Jehovah BEFORE publically going through the ritual. I was wondering.....

How many here actually "dedicated" themselves in this manner, and how many here just went through the motions of this ritual? Also, how do you feel about this practice?

completely unrelated, gratuitous photograph.

Morbidzbaby

Woohoo! Giggity @ the photo... lol

Okay, getting serious now, I was only 13 years old when I got baptised. I had quit praying a long time beforehand because I just never thought anyone was listening. I had been through too much and seen too much in order to think there was an invisible dad who had my best interests in mind. I was already giving my mom a hard time when it came to having my weekly study. Sometimes she'd go months without it and then decide she was going to interrupt my weekly ritual of watching Dawson's Creek with my dad in order to force-feed me WTBS BS. I hated it. But I sucked it up, finished a zillion books (Bible Stories, Great Teacher, Live Forever, Truth, Knowledge, etc.), and declared that I was ready (even though I wasn't).

My brother had just been disfellowshipped. My mom was heartbroken. My dad was worldly. I thought that maybe if I got baptised it would make her happy, make me accepted in the KH, and maybe I'd get some sort of miraculous enlightenment and this would all become real to me (hey, I was 13, cut me some slack lol). Every other girl my age in my KH was doing it, so I decided to go for it. They were popular...maybe they'd accept me if I was their "sister".

I didn't even KNOW I had to make a personal dedication in prayer before the big dip. Not a clue. I went through my questions, but couldn't answer more than half of them and they let me get baptised anyway. I still can't figure that one out.

I have a huge problem with child baptism. HUGE. The WBTS makes a big deal out of waiting "until you're past the bloom of youth" to get married. Yet, marriage is not considered the MOST important decision of your life in their eyes. But they'll let a CHILD as young as 8 years old make such a decision. It makes no sense. And besides...hardly anyone waits until after the bloom of youth because the JW's are such a puritanical religion that the kids are hopped up and horny and they know the only way to get over that is to get hitched lol. but that's a whole different subject lol.

I personally don't subscribe to Christianity. So the whole baptism thing is moot. Some feel it's necessary because it was Jesus' command...and that's fine. But I think the WTBS is over-the-top with it's criteria. Jesus set out simple requirements. He didn't sit there and ask a million questions to make sure the person had been thoroughly brainwashed lol. This is just another case of them going "beyond what is written".

Mr. Falcon

thank you for sharing that, Morbidzbaby.

I can relate to the misleading impression that JW baptism leads to acceptence, friendship and support. I also agree whole-heartedly with your disdain of adolescent baptism. This custom is an absolute crime. I attended a Circuit Assembly recently and among the group of baptism canidates there was a 9 year old girl. Now do you mean to tell me that this 9 year old child can comprehend what it means to be dedicated whole-soully to anything, or for that matter what it means to be legally, contractally bound to the WTBS????? Or the fact that if she makes any mistakes, her family may be forced to shun her? Just say that in 3 years she tries a cigerette (I'M NOT ADVOCATING CHILD SMOKING, JUST USING IT AS AN EXAMPLE) does she realize that she could be subject to a JUDICIAL COMMITTEE? What kind of sick psychos would put a 12 year old girl on trial???

What happens in a few years when she suddenly develops an interest in boys? It has been demonstrated by psychologists that we develop different goals, desires, and needs throughout each phase of our life. What a 15 year old girl thinks about is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY different than what she thought about or understood at 8. And she thinks even differently at 23.

I remember when I was like 8 or 9, I would boldly declare that I would NEVER sin against Jehovah!!!!!!! Perish the thought!! What the hell did I know at 9 years old??? Well, when I was older and the first brunette unbuttoned her shirt in front of me, well everything I thought about or believed years ago went flying out the window. I wasn't thinking about my dedication or knocking on doors, "overturning deeply entrenched things".

Crank!!!

Yeah I was Baptised at the age of 10. The year before my Book Study Conducter said that if you are old enough to understand what I am saying, and the end comes and you are not baptized you will be desroyed with the rest of the world. That really makes an impression on a 9 year old! And everyone knows how the rest of the story goes.

Morbidzbaby

It's so true...our way of thinking, our goals, everything changes throughout each phase of life. I remember begging my mom to let me get baptised at 8 years old. By 10 years old I was already declining in my interest in religion and god. Now imagine if she had allowed it...I probably would have been DF'ed (although, truth be told, I should be right now lmao) a long time ago.

That was one thing I was very plain with when talking to my ex. He wants the kids raised as JW's. He doesn't want me interfering. Okay, I'll give him that. The way I see it, my brother and I were raised by a JW and an unbeliever. Neither of us remained with the org. Just like me, my brother had too many questions, too many issues to keep up appearances. So my hope is that when my kids visit me, I can encourage them to just be free thinkers. They'll have stretches of time that they don't have to go to meetings or service. As the teen years come, those things will be less appealing to them. That is where I need to do the work. Just getting them to think and reason for themselves. And then, it's just a matter of hoping. But I made it clear to him that I do NOT want them being encouraged to get baptised at a young age. I actually discussed this with him rationally and all the points I made, he agreed with. He agreed not to encourage or allow them to get baptised until they are mature...so hopefully that buys me a lot of time to work with them. I'm not going to speak against the org, but I'm going to get them to use their noodles and really THINK about everything. Critical thinking is a necessary skill that gets squelched in JW kids.

Mr. Falcon

I'm not going to speak against the org, but I'm going to get them to use their noodles and really THINK about everything. Critical thinking is a necessary skill that gets squelched in JW kids.

This is my planned strategy, too.

DesirousOfChange

Morbidzbaby said: Every other girl my age in my KH was doing it........

That was the reason my group of peers all got dunked (me included), we were all too young/immature to grasp the reality of it all. Part of the right-of-passage as a born-in.

The WBTS makes a big deal out of waiting "until you're past the bloom of youth" to get married. Yet, marriage is not considered the MOST important decision of your life in their eyes. But they'll let a CHILD as young as 8 years old make such a decision. It makes no sense.

SO TRUE.

s0rt3d

I did pray and dedicate my life to Jehovah but there was no warm feeling that a loving god was listening. I thought that by going through with it and being baptised I'd then feel his love and direction. When it didn't happen I thought something was wrong with me. But I persevered and tried to be the best JW I could be.

Nothing worked or helped.

Then I woke up and realized that there is no Jehovah. That realization and the sense of relief and freedom it brings has changed my outlook and I am DEFINITELY a happier, more hopeful person.

highdose

"I remember when I was like 8 or 9, I would boldly declare that I would NEVER sin against Jehovah!!!!!!! Perish the thought!!"

hahaha yes thats exactly what i thought! I never did any sinning until i realised that Jehovah didn't exsist. And the so called "special relationship" i had with him was nothing, i was praying to nobody.

But yes i did deicate myself to god privatly with heartfelt prayer... looking back now, i was the only one who heard that prayer. I too was told that i would be destroyed at Armargadeon if i didn't get baptised. Then there was also the hudge peer pressure, it was like "everyone else is getting baptised! what will they all think if your the only one who hasn't!?!" and then there was also the constant nagging at the assemblies to get baptised.

Aged 14.... stil playing with dolls... what chance did i stand?

Lunatic Faith

I was baptized at 15, and in my 20's when I heard there was a difference between water baptism and dedication. I had no idea I was supposed to make some sort of prayer of dedication.

Baptism was a 'protection' for me though--I was very experimental before baptism. Now I can be experimental again!

A baptism question for Morbidzbaby (and the rest of ya'll).....

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