Its scary to think of a 10 or 11 year old being batised. It seems to me that the point of babtism is the point where you are no longer allowed free thought.
I remember years ago a person could be an approved associate, and could lose this status for wrong behavior, but now it seems you must be babtised before judical action is taken. Am I wrong?
Where have all the children gone?
by ozziepost 16 Replies latest jw friends
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blindfool
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ozziepost
It is much more common to see 10 and 11 year olds getting baptised than it was in the past.
Seems to me......
.......... there's not much difference between infant JW baptism and infant Church baptism (christening)
Cheers,
Ozzie"If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."
- Ron Hutchcraft Surviving the Storms of Stress -
jayhawk1
Although I do not have the numbers to back it up like you do, the same can be said for here in the middle of the U.S.A. I know for a fact that the Elders had a sort of "pep rally" to get the younger men interested in "reaching out" for positions in the Congregation.
They just can't find the young men around here to take the lead. The young men are too busy trying to provide for their families. And what little time they have left is for recreation, not JW activities. Before I left for good, the Elders were even begging me to shave my beard so they could use me. My response was, "It is your problem if you can't use me with a beard."
Shame of it is the average age of Elders around here has got to be 55 or older. In the local Congregation they have 1 in his mid 80s, 3 in their mid 70s, 3 in their 60s, 1 in his 50s, and 1 who is about 40 years old.
Not too good for them.
Is this a light saber in my pocket or am I just happy to see you?
"Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford
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Gopher
Blind fool (you are seeing clearly), you said:
I remember years ago a person could be an approved associate, and could lose this status for wrong behavior, but now it seems you must be babtised before judical action is taken. Am I wrong?
You are correct! They redefined "approved associate" at some point in the 80's to mean a baptized one. Additionally, the WTS was forced to see how foolish it was disfellowship ones who never committed to their doctrine via a baptism in the first place!! Methinks they were legally vulnerable in this regard. So to protect themselves, they removed the silly rule and quit disfellowshipping non-baptized ones.
J.R.Why shouldn't truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense.
Mark Twain (1835-1910) -
gambler
I think 50% of jw kids end up leaving is too conservative.From my own experiance its more like 75%.
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plmkrzy
Gopher:
You are correct! They redefined "approved associate" at some point in the 80's to mean a baptized one. Additionally, the WTS was forced to see how foolish it was disfellowship ones who never committed to their doctrine via a baptism in the first place!! Methinks they were legally vulnerable in this regard. So to protect themselves, they removed the silly rule and quit disfellowshipping non-baptized ones.
Thats exactly where I was but I really had no idea that was the norm for all congs. I went through the shunning thing many years ago and it was extremely hurtful then when I attended the same assembly two years ago as oodles of people from my old Kong. (I purposely went to that one instead of the one my current Kong was assigned to so I could see my dad) It was a bit overwhelming I wasn't expecting to see THAT many from the past. Blast To The Past!! AAHHHhh!! My Dad ofcourse was real happy I was there and flag'd down people before I new it there were all these people all around us that I had not seen in more then twenty years. I think out of fifty or more only 4 hugged me and acted happy to see me again and two of them were friends of my Dads that I JUST met. Sadly mostly everyone only came over to give me the once over the one where your looking right at them square in the face and their eyes are to busy looking you up and down while their talking AT you reciting the usual questionnaire style acceptable conversation "Oh how nice to see you Are you BACK IN the Truth Again?" It somehow manages to always be the FIRST question to address. That sets the table for the proper mingling. Overjoy'd for your reinstatement or just a quick acknowledgment a HIbrow followed by a condescending, But polite, dismissal then immediately directing there attention away from you. It's pretty cool how well so many get that down. One-second your talking to mrs.C from "Happy Days", You blink once and your talking to a "Stepford Wife".
My Dad must have forgotten and then suddenly remembered, maybe not I could have just got paranoid about it but we ended up leaving during the lunch break and going for a long walk away from the assembly where it was quiet.But of all the ones I ran into that I grew up with, they had few children. Not like it was when we were kids. I think Half of the KH's must have been small children and teenagers.
The last time I went to a few different congs. they were all mostly old people and a few couples with a couple of kids. Almost baron compared to what I remember.
No get togethers either like in the old days. No baseball games, No BBQ's at the beach or mountains. No POT LUCKS!! Not much of anything. No swim partys.BLAH.Sorry I couldn't sleep. I guess i'll go back to bed now.
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jesussaves
My baby brother is seventeen. He got baptized a couple of years back. I begged him to reconsider, but my grandmother was really on his back. He told my mom that he's leaving and not coming back once he turns 18. He already celebrates all of the holidays at my house. He has a 'worldly' (I hate that term, but you guys know what I mean) girlfriend and plans on going to college (hooray!). I still wish he had never gotten baptized.