by Marvin Shilmer 16 Replies latest jw friends
Watchtower — baptizing young children
Today I uploaded a new article to my blog addressing further the subject of Watchtower and baptism of young children. The sweet little boy you’ll see in this blog article had no capacity whatsoever to understand the commitment he would be held to.
My article is titled Watchtower — baptizing young children and is available at: http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com/2011/08/watchtower-baptizing-young-children.html
Marvin Shilmer
Well done Marvin..a comment has been added. NB Could you tell us on here how to create a name when commenting, rather than just being "anonymous"
That may be an old picture, but I've been present at conventions where 6-year-olds were getting baptized. They're very good at imitating/absorbing what's around them, including recitation of their beliefs, but nobody can argue that a 6-year-old should be agreeing to a life-and-death contract. It's wrong.
--sd-7
Wow, I was just thinking about this on my lunch break. JWs attack the notion of infant baptism and then turn around and let children 10 or younger get baptized!
SD-7 is right. It is preposterous to think that a child that young can comprehend the weight of the decision to get baptized as a member of the Jehovah's Witness organization. After all isn't that supposed to be the most important decision in their lives?
I once saw a 9 year old girl get dunked. Surely, if she is mature enough to make such a monumental decision, nobody should think it weird if she decided to get married before her 10th birthday. And clearly the 6 year old who SD-7 saw get baptized should also be given a driver's license and a firearm. Why not? If they can get baptized, than I can't think of a good arguement against letting these children have these other things.
It seems a tad bit cultish. Yes, yes?
The GB of the WT's agenda on; underage baptism...
1) Hook'em while their young and inexperienced,
2) Work on their minds so they'll talk peers into getting baptized,
3) A useful tool in encouraging parents to "stay in the truth"
4) Build up your numbers as adults in the US are becoming aware
5) Provide adulation for the elders so they won't leave the org,
6) Have more kids preaching than the Mormons!
I remember an elder countering about young jws getting baptized, "Samuel was 5 when his mother took him to the temple to be with High Priest Eli..........."
Watchtower 15th March 1988 page 14 paragraph 20 says
Baptized at What Age?
Jesus' words at Matthew 28:19, 20 show that it is those who have been made his disciples that should be baptized.
Hence, it follows that no infant or small child could meet the Scriptural requirements for baptism.
An infant could not exercise faith in God's Word, in God the Creator, and in his Son Jesus Christ.
An infant could not understand that the holy spirit is God's active force; nor could it repent of past sins and make a solemn vow to do God's will.
But seven year old children can.
It goes on,
But it seems that some among Jehovah's people have gone to the other extreme.
Many Christian parents let their children wait until they are in their late teens before broaching the subject of baptism.
Time and again, we hear of youngsters making a valid dedication solely on their own initiative.
For example, the preteen son of an elder sincerely wanted to get baptized. So his father had three other elders discuss with the youngster the questions designed for those contemplating baptism. Their conclusion was that, though quite young, he qualified to be baptized as an ordained minister of Jehovah God.
Why, attending the Pioneer Service School in the Bahamas recently was a ten-year-old baptized girl, the daughter of two full-time ministers!
