A bunch of half naked young people wait in line, holding towels. Their demeanor is commonly that of kids in High School waiting in a cafeteria line. One by one, they get dunked under water and are thereafter responsible for total sexual fidelity - and a long list of other rules - even though none of them is of the legal age of consent for sexual intercourse - and some of them may not have even hit puberty yet.
Are you f**king kidding me? Really? And supposedly sane and mature adults think this is a rational, effective ritual?
It's pathetic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rite_of_passage
I call Watchtower baptism a rite of passage because it certainly isn't an adult dedication or decision - especially given the recent encouragement for young kids to get baptized. You don't need mature, adult judgement to do it.
Let's contrast this with a Bar Mitzvah. You get celebrated as part of an extended family and an old religious culture. You may get some 'gelt' to help you on your way to becoming a doctor or lawyer. It's practical.
In WitlessLand, you might not even have real extended family to be interested in you. They may have chased them all away by 'preaching' to them or just forgotten them by Not Observing Any 'Worldly' Holidays.
(at this point, fade in the music from Harry Chapin's "Cats in the Cradle" and think about how it applies to Witnesses and their Pagan Holiday attitude).
There are also Mormons who have great personal pride in their 2 year 'mission'. It's how Mitt Romney learned French.
Since Watchtower Baptism is mostly for Witness kids and Not A Matter Of Real Adult Judgement, they need to acknowledge it and do something with it
-or just continue to pretend that All Is Well In WatchtowerLand..........
Why are Witnesses shocked when Witness kids get dunked one month and sent to a Judicial Committee the next? (Duh)
metatron