The Morality of Teenage Baptism part2

by metatron 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  metatron

  Witness teenagers are subjected to unrealistic standards and demands. They are often
  cut off from family association by Watchtower extremism, at a time when guidance is
  sorely needed.

  Such young people are frequently set on a course of personal disaster because of
  cruel, reactionary attitudes encouraged by the Watchtower.

  Common Example: a Witness kid, after years of being watched, unbraided, and dominated
  lets it be known that he has no interest in being one of Jehovah's Witnesses, often
  after committing a "serious" sin. He is rejected by his parents and may be thrown out
  of the house. His (or her) return will be smugly awaited after he runs out of money, gets
  pregnant, gets arrested, takes drugs, or generally makes a wreck of his life.
  This is often seen as inevitable, that "Satan is after our young people".

  Is this really necessary? What is the fruitage of an extreme outlook that "demonizes"
  ( literally!) all life "outside the truth"? Could a less extreme set of beliefs
  create a less extreme outcome?

  More than this, is it fair to young people when circumstances have changed in modern
  society?
  Go to Yahoo, in the Health/Science section and note the headline:

  "Age of First Period Continues to Decline".

  MANY YEARS AGO, a girl might have reached sexual maturity and gotten married
  in the same year. It was not uncommon for girls to marry during teenage years
  and have her young husband become another 'hand' on the farm in a large extended
  family. THE GAP BETWEEN PUBERTY AND MARRIAGE WAS OFTEN ONLY MONTHS.

  TODAY, you may have a young person reach puberty at 11 (12 is now the average for
  girls ) and then marry in their mid twenties - because MOST OF US DON'T LIVE ON
  FARMS ANYMORE and it takes time to build an education and career.

  The gap of time separating puberty and marriage has become enormous
  and the 'spirit directed' idiots STILL hold to the same standards of
  no fornication/masturbation til marriage.

  It just isn't fair to young Witnesses.
  It isn't realistic or practical either - as shown by the mass exodus of young
  kids 'out of the truth'.

  metatron
• 

  NotBlind

  My favorite ax to grind regarding marriage/dating in the JW's had to do with the chaperone thing. Even when two adult JW's wanted to go out together, they had to have a 'chaperone' to make sure they didn't do anything. How insulting!

  The NO MASTURBATION idea seems ridiculous too. I can't see how the WTS rationalizes spending TWO WHOLE CHAPTERS on a topic that isn't even mentioned or condemned in the Scriptures. The WTS seems to be intent on driving their young followers crazy.
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  butalbee

  no fornication/masturbation til marriage.

  So once married, wanking off is acceptable?
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  twain30

  The policy of encouraging children (teenagers) to be baptized is one in which a young person is made to feel forced in order to be socially accepted within the Witness frame work. A 15 year old is un-baptized and is asked questions like, "Why Not?" "Haven't you made the truth your own yet?" "There must be something wrong with you, can I help?" "Look at all your friends-this one was baptized at age 11, this one at age 13, and your best friend so and so was baptized at age 12, so what's wrong with you?"

  Here he's never been on his own, has up to this point lived a sheltered existence, for the most part only knows what he's been taught by his parents and is somehow made to feel pressured into this critical, binding decision. At the assemblies most who are being baptized are children Unfortunately this has alot to do with unhealthy types of pressure.
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  goatlike

  it says, "deaden your body members" doesn't say anything about other peoples body members

  the teenage baptism thing is incredible.

  find a kid at his most hormone-riddled. (confused/angry/horny/afraid)

  Drop him in a pool before thousands of strangers and almighty god.

  Tell him that his decision will affect his own salvation, the creator is watching and waiting with baited breath, and after this you'll have to save the world...literally...WHAT! you're not even legally bound by your signature if you're a minor!

  i'm grateful that their rate of suicide isn't nearly as high as that of their mental illness.
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  goatlike

  should be considered another form of child abuse

  Edited by - goatlike on 7 October 2002 12:39:9
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  metatron

  oops, that should read "no sex 'til marriage, no fornication/masturbation"

  I must be losing my eyesight (can i do it until I wear glasses?)

  metatron
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  heathen

  I don't think young teens are emotionally mature enough to be ministerial servants.The purpose of baptism is an appeal to God for a clean conscience so you can preach the gospel before God and men with soundness of mind and all seriousness.
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  metatron

  "a clean conscience"
  "with soundness of mind"
  "and all seriousness"

  See anything here that applies to a minor, a hormone charged
  teenager?

  metatron
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  Jourles

  I was recently talking with my little bro-in-law who is in his early teens. We were talking about the usual guy stuff and he brought up that he is planning to get baptized at one of the next assemblies. He asked me how old I was when I was baptized and did I do it because all of my friends were doing it or was it out 'of love for Jehovah?' He's a fairly smart kid, but dumb naive in other ways. He asked me how old should he be before he gets baptized. He said that his mom told him that as soon as he can answer all of the questions in the "book" he can get baptized. I asked him how he felt about it and he said he didn't really know what to do. I got the impression that his folks are putting the pressure on him to get baptized, and knowing his mom, she is the one laying it on.

  I asked him how old Jesus was when he was baptized. He said 33, and I told him he was pretty darn close, how about 30? "Ooops, that's right, I should have known that." I asked him if he thought he was old enough to get married. He said, "NO WAY!" How about driving a car? "Huh uh." Buying alcohol? "I wish."

  Me: You realize that getting baptized is the most important and life changing event that will happen in your life, right?

  Him: Yeah.

  Me: Everything you just answered to me was No. If getting baptized is more important than getting married, and you just said you are not ready to get married, then where would that place getting baptized?

  Him: What do you mean?

  Me: If you're not old enough to get married, and getting baptized is more life changing than getting married, where does that put you?

  Him: I don't know. Wait until I get married to get baptized?

  Me: Don't count on that happening. What I am trying to tell you XXXXXX, is that you should wait until you are a little more older before making any life-altering decisions. Don't get baptized just because your parents want you to or your friends are getting baptized. Wait until you know for sure that this is something you have to do.

  That was basically our conversation in a nutshell. I didn't want to push him into searching the web on anti-jw stuff just because his dad monitors his online activity and would probably thump his skull(and mine) if he knew what he was looking at.(more like, "just do a search on jehovah and read what you find") I wanted to get him to think about his present age and where everything else stood in relation to age and the responsibilities that come with it. I figure he will try to spread his seed in a few years and I wouldn't want to see him get df'd and kicked out of the house over it. It would be best if he wasn't baptized and he made it through his late teens without giving it up. Once he is old enough to move out on his own, he will be better off making his own decisions. I do not think he will make it that long without being baptized though, which is a shame.