How old were you when you were baptized?
I was 12 years old.
Baptized
by nibbled 21 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Defianttruth
I was forced at the age of 14. I wish I would have just taken the ass beating now. I really miss my siblings and would love to meet their children.
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label licker
At thirteen but they lost my cards and then thirty-three years later did it again. And because of this site where I read that we were baptised in the name of the father, son and organisation and the fact it was in a still water hole, I will be getting for REAL this time in flowing water like a river!
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LoisLane looking for Superman
A people pleasing innocent 13 year old child.
Just Lois
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nibbled
@labellicker is your name dirty? fine. I asked. I see what it says, but I hear something in my mind when I read it.
Anyway, I was going to say skip the water baptism, seek drinking life's water free, which will end you up drenched in spirit. Let me see if I can find a recent email I sent. Wonder what this crowd would think?
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nibbled
My Life in Jehovah’s Spirit-Directed Organization
Later, at the suggestion of a friend of the family and with the approval of the school principal, the parents decided to put the youth in a clinic for the mentally ill, thinking that psychiatric treatment would make him abandon his faith. The clinic personnel took the boy 60 miles [100 km] away in a car and injected him with huge doses of insulin and other drugs until he lost consciousness. Upon awakening, he was completely disoriented, did not know anyone, and suffered partial amnesia. After many studies the doctors could not find any mental disorder in him. But the clinic went ahead with the treatment. When conscious, the boy prayed continually to Jehovah not to abandon him and begged him for the strength to endure. Jehovah did protect him, and eventually he was released from the clinic. — Watchtower March 1, 1992
Jehovah’s Spirit-Directed Organization
Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in association with God’s spirit-directed organization?
The phrase "spirit directed" occurs as many time in the scriptures as the phrase "holy spirit-directed organization" occurs in the Watchtower's literature (WTDVDROM)—not once.
While the Watchtower never claims to be a "holy spirit directed organization" the literature shows 23 references to their being a "spirit-directed organization", and the references to "God's spirit-directed organization" are only found in the baptismal candidate questions used as of 1985 (quoted above).
"Only if the individual answers in the affirmative and also understands that his dedication and baptism identify him as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in association with God’s spirit-directed organization can he acceptably undergo water immersion. — What Prevents You From Getting Baptized?w89 1/15 p. 13 par. 18
So we know that the Watchtower claims to be a spirit-directed organization, but has never claimed that it was "holy spirit-directed".
"There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life." — 1 Corinthians 8:5,6
The Watchtower claims that it is "God's spirit-directed organization", yet as Paul acknowledged that there are many gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship these god's.
Since we cannot be certain that this is an organization which is directed by holy spirit, as the Watchtower themselves has never claim to be holy spirit-directed, then we must wonder which god does this spirit-directed organization belong to?
The Watchtower is clear that it is Jehovah's Spirit-Directed Organization.
Serving Along With Jehovah’s Organized People
Jehovah has a people on this earth, and he expects us to serve him along with them. This brings us to the fourth requirement. We must serve Jehovah with his spirit-directed organization.
How, though, can God’s organized people be identified? According to the standards set out in the Scriptures, they have real love among themselves, they have deep respect for the Bible, they honor God’s name, they preach about his Kingdom, and they are no part of this wicked world. (Matthew 6:9; 24:14; John 13:34, 35; 17:16, 17) There is only one religious organization on this earth that has all these marks of true Christianity—Jehovah’s Witnesses! — What Does God Require of Us? w97 1/15 p. 22
The Watchtower sets up Jehovah with his spirit-directed organization above all other religious organizations on this earth, claiming that only Jehovah's Witnesses have the marks of true Christianity.
Paul warned that the man of lawlessness "will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God." — 2 Thessalonians 2:4
Certainly if Jehovah's Witnesses feel superior to all other Christian organizations on earth, it follows Jehovah's spirit-directed organization openly "opposes and exalts itself over everything that is called God or is worshiped".
The Watchtower's world headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses are in Brooklyn, has been referred to as "Brooklyn Bethel" more than 500 times in the Watchtower literature. According to the Insight on the Scriptures book, Beth′el means "House of God", and defines temple as "A divine habitation, sacred place or sanctuary, either physical or spiritual, that is employed for worship."
Thus, in as many words, The Watchtower has defined itself as Jehovah's spirit-directed organization openly "opposes and exalts itself over everything that is called God or is worshiped" and has set itself up as Bethel (God's House or temple, his divine habitation), proclaiming itself to be God.
The Insight on the Scriptures book continues regarding the temple, "This “man of lawlessness” is an apostate, a false teacher, so he actually seats himself only in what he falsely claims to be that temple."
The Insight on the Scriptures book concludes regarding "the man of lawlessness": "By his lying teachings contrary to or superseding, as it were, the law of God, ... he is a hypocrite, a false teacher claiming to be Christian, he “sits down in the temple of The God,” that is, what such false teachers claim to be that temple."
The Bible pointed to the rise of Christendom’s clergy, describing them collectively as “the man of lawlessness” and “the son of destruction . . . whom the Lord Jesus will do away with . . . and bring to nothing by the manifestation of his presence.”—2 Thess. 2:3, 6-8.
According to the Watchtower, "True Christians have been separated out from the “weeds” of Christendom." — Jehovah's Witnesses do not consider themselves part of Christendom, but "invite others to 'go up' to the exalted worship of Jehovah God."
Apostates can present yet another threat to our spirituality. The apostle Paul foretold that apostasy would arise among professed Christians. (Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Thessalonians 2:3) In fulfillment of his words, after the death of the apostles, a great apostasy led to the development of Christendom. Today, there is no great apostasy taking place among God’s people [Jehovah's Witnesses]. Still, a few individuals have left our ranks, and some among them are bent on defaming Jehovah’s Witnesses by spreading lies and misinformation. A few work with other groups in organized resistance to pure worship. In doing so, they side with the very first apostate, Satan.
Some apostates are increasingly using various forms of mass communication, including the Internet, to spread false information about Jehovah’s Witnesses. As a result, when sincere individuals do research on our beliefs, they may stumble across apostate propaganda. Even some Witnesses have unwittingly exposed themselves to this harmful material. — w00 5/1 pp. 8-12
The Watchtower itself warns, "If anyone who professes to serve God relies on his own ideas instead of adhering to the Bible... he becomes “mentally diseased.”
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Ucantnome
I was baptised at 13.
I wanted to be baptised but i didn't want what came with it. Opening the meeting in prayer, reading the Watchtower, doing parts on the service meeting.
I remember sitting there at the hall one Sunday thinking one day I'll be an elder, it felt like knowing you were going to die.
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Gojira_101
I was 10.
Like a 10 year old could really understand what they were doing.
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Gopher
I waited until the ripe old age of 16. That's way too young to make a lifelong decision like who to marry, but probably a little too late (by JW standards) to make a "lifelong" decision to serve an organization.
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coffee_black
8
Coffee