Was I Truly Baptized?

TOTH

I have been running this through my head now and again for decades. Was I truly baptized as a jw?

I ask because although I WAS dunked at a da in El Paso, TX in 1981, I never prayerfully dedicated myself to anyone, including Jah. I simply went through the motions, said yes to the questions and got dunked in the motel swimming pool while wearing an OPEC tee-shirt. I think it read Over Priced Energy Countries or something like that. LOL

I never truly felt connected to anyone but my Mom, Dad, Brother, and Sister. I got baptized so the elders would get off my folks' back and so they would then get off mine. Isn't that ridiculous?

Over the years I was pressured to go to service which I resisted. I was also supposedly being GROOMED to be a ms, but never remember reaching out for such a position. I am 6'2" and in my younger days weighed in at about 235 lbs so I was attendant and parking lot duty material. I enjoyed the parking lot so I "Reported" my obligatory 10 hrs in service and I did aux pioneer when work was slow so I could try to build a relationship with the org. But I only made a couple of nice service buddy's as friends for the duration.

I totally felt WEIRD.

Anyone else been through something like this?

N.drew

Was I truly baptized as a jw?

No, I think you are not baptized.

I am.

I have dedicated my life to God three times. Once at a Youth Retreat, that didn't work! Once on my own, all alone, that was weird. And once for Jehovah's Witnesses. I don't have much to say about that.

Will I be headed for another baptism? I don't believe so. (I was baptized only once as an adult and once as a baby, but not dunked)

Baptism is an outward sign of dedication to do God's will. So then if you have never dedicated yourself to do God's will then your baptism has no meaning. But it was a bold thing to do for your family's peace of mind.

Band on the Run

Different faiths have different standards. I am suprirsed that they let you baptized while wearing that T-shirt. Your politics are cool. Perhaps they had no idea what the T-shirt's message was. My mom asked an Anglican priest and she was told she was b/c the Witness formulation was the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Now I'm wondering if I heard correctly. Depending on the church, baptism may have greater significance.

My view is that your baptism was a contract between God and you. The Witnesses merely provided a process. Only you know what it meant in your heart and mind. The Witnesses only have legitimacy if you cede it to them. If you believe the Witnesses have no legitimacy, that they are NOT the only way then what does it matter in their eyes. My mom announced very early that we could not be baptized until we were well into our thirties. She was baptized at 13 and regretted it b/c it had a hold on her. She said it was mature and serious commitment. Marriages can be annulled, why not a baptism?

Do you think God will fling you into eternal hell b/c of a baptism?

TOTH

Band on the run...No, I don't believe in hell. Except for the ones we willingly toss ourselves into by making dumb choices. I just feel weird about the whole thing.

N.drew...Thanks, I never looked at my action as having been bold. It was done mainly to ease the pressure from those maniac elders.

Pams girl

You may have said yes to the 2 questions, but if you didnt make a personal dedication to Jah, I dont see how you can be.

Whats your next move?

truth_b_known

Remember, baptism symbolizes your dedication to Jehovah. It would be assumed by others that if you were baptised you dedicated yourself. However, only you would know if you truly dedicated yourself.

When I was about 14 or 15 my father told me he felt I was ready for baptism. As an elder, he would get in trouble for saying certain one were not ready and he was usually right. He told me I should tell the Presiding Overseer I want to get baptised because a Circuit Assembly was coming up.

The next meeting I went to I was shocked as the Presiding Overseer came up to me and said,"Your father tells me you want to get baptised. Is that true?"

What was I supposed to say?

So, I never dedicated myself. I did it because I didn't want to piss off my father. Therefore, I was never dedicated.

TOTH

Pams girl...I have been fading for a long time. My wife too, but since her family is such a controlling and judgmental bunch of jw's we are being pretty quiet. She is using her illnesses as much as she can to avoid meetings and service, but they tend to shun anyways. I am having a hard time keeping my mouth shut and really try not to mess things up for her. Just in a holding pattern for now.

TOTH

Truth _b_known...

Have you felt weird all this time or not so much?

Phizzy

TOTH, I totally empathise with the feeling weird bit, it felt that way all the time I was in, I rationalised it by saying to myself "well it would be weird in relation to the rest of the world that does not know jah".

As to your baptism I don't think it had any real meaning, so it is up to you in the future what you do about that, no hurry though.

As to the JW's, especially Elders and the WT itself, they will view your baptism as totally valid as you accepted "priviledges" . They do not care if you were a very young person at the time of baptism, with no concept of what you were doing, and really didn't mean what you said, you validated it later in their eyes.

So any fade will have to be conducted in a most circumspect manner, unless at some stage you decide you do not give a flying f**k and speak out and get DF'd.

Good luck, my unbaptised friend !

Chariklo

Toth, I think you were baptised, when you were a baby. Once for all.You can no more be baptised twice than you can drink the same glass of water twice. You can go through the motions, and certainly you can make your own public dedication in whatever way you choose, but as to being baptised, in my view you were, and you can't be UNbpatised.

It all depends on what you think is the meaning of baptism. Some think it is a public symbolism of one's own dedication, to God or Jehovah God according to belief. That's a very Protestant view and JW's have it but have made it even more defined and exclusive to themsmelves. Most Anglicans, many Methodists and all Catholics would say it is an entry into God's family, and that the promises made on behalf of a baby are valid. So, my answer betrays my background. I just temporarily lost sight of it while I was being messed up by JW's.

You must decide for yourself, but actually to make up your mind for yourself, since you are in doubt, you might need to find out more about what your original denomination or church believed and why.

All interpretations of baptism seem to me to presuppose that God, however we see him, loses interest in those who are not baptised, and i just don't see that as valid any more. It makes God petty-minded, in my view, and I don't see how a God who is almighty and created everything could be petty-minded.

My guess is that you'd have to be pretty wicked to get rejected totally by such a God, so all these legalisms are just a load of self-protective bigotry.

But that's just my point of view. Make what you will of it.

Was I Truly Baptized?

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