One baptism...

NeverKnew

I just realized, I have to explain the joke so you guys will get it. *sigh*

In some churches, communion is open to anyone who has been baptised regardless of denomination or church affiliation at baptism. So, even though one may be confirmed or baptised at one church, it can be acceptable to go to another church and receive communion.

So I could go to the Memorial as an invited guest and ask an elder, "Uh, you DO believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins here, right? Yes? Oh thank goodness, I can receive communion then. THANKS! I feel better."

What could he POSSIBLY say? NO? HOW??? He'd have to explain this "144K-JW-only" heaven REALLY fast! And I might get REALLY loudly confused. "HUH???? You mean you invited us all here to tell us we weren't WORTHY of the sacrifice Christ made??? You're kidding me, right???? WHAT KINDA CHURCH IS THIS???" Every non-JW would be offended if they realized what failing to partake REALLY meant.

Retrovirus

As another non-jw, I think this be interesting. Any thoughts from jws and ex-jws?

Retro

Tiktaalik

Seriously, why bother?

MrFreeze

NeverKnew... don't even bother going to the Memorial.

I doubt he will answer yes. He will probably give you some convoluted answer about having to baptised as a JW. That is unless you give him no time to answer.

Mum

Hmmm . . . I haven't been to the "Memorial" in more years than I can count.

I hope this is not off-topic, but I joined the Episcopal Church in 1984. At that time, only baptized Christians (not necessarily Episcopalians) were supposed to take communion. I missed church for several years and recently started attending again. Everyone was invited to take communion, as the priest said, "It is the Lord's table, and all are welcome." My Buddhist friend took communion along with everyone else.

Wholly

I've never been baptized into any religion, do I qualify?

NeverKnew

Mum... I have a secret. I was confirmed Episcopalian. I was educated in a Presbyterian middle school and a Catholic High School and college (Duquesne University). My best friends are Baptist and my parents sent me to Jewish summer camps. I never realized that I had known absolutely nothing about the Jehovah's Witnesses' faith - until I met my boyfriend - THAT'S when I started learning and became overwhelmed with all of this. Being here has helped tremendously.

Wholly: Nobody would know if you were or weren't, nor would they require you show proof. That's between you and your Lord. :) I really mean that.

steve2

Why knowingly feign such ignorance of JW doctrine to the JWs in their own place of worship? What would you accomplish apart from some story to tell to your own fellow believers? Now if JWs approached you on the street and, unsolicited, boldly declared your baptism to be invalid, your reaction would be understandable, but to visit them presumably as a guest and feign such upset reeks of rudeness and insincerity - and like an attempt to mock their beliefs to generate some humor.

Retrovirus

Steve2 said

Now if JWs approached you on the street and, unsolicited, boldly declared your baptism to be invalid, your reaction would be understandable

But . . that's what they do, isn't it? Except for the "boldly" part. They accost people in the street and at their doors, unsolicited. They disguise the message "you are not a true Christian" until they have established ascendency in a "bible study". They invite unsuspecting believers and atheists to their "memorial" as a first step to telling them how bad and wrong their belief system is. And . . .is the baptism of a non-jw ever regarded as valid?

In my case their only interest in my beliefs was to pick them apart and try to convince me of flaws. Of course, it wasn't a reciprocal exchange of views.

Showing them how their beliefs and practices look to an unindoctrinated outsider might just give them a glimpse of the real world.

Retro

mP

Baptism is pagan.

One baptism...

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