Can Baptisms be anulled?

Azalo

I was baptised when I was 12 years old and I dont feel like at that age I was mature enough to take such a drastic step. I dont think its right to be df'd for something that i never really did since the baptism is really only a symbol of the dedication and i never did that. I just was going along with the flow. To former elders: Has anyone ever used this argument and what have you done in those cases? I would think it would happen a lot since many children get baptised and most of them probably dont realize the significance and all the potential consequences of that seemingly simple action.

refiners fire

Well I got baptized twice after telling the elders I felt my first baptism was invalid. So I guess they "annulled" the first one yes?

Holey_Cheeses*King_of_the juice.

Azalo,

I dont think its right to be df'd for something that i never really did since the baptism is really only a symbol of the dedication and i never did that.

I am having difficulty understanding this statement. Do the elders want to DF you for something of which you say you are innocent? Baptism is the outward display of your dedication - So, were you never baptised? or, you were never dedicated leading up to baptism?

If you are baptized, you can either 'fade away', disassociate, or have the elders disfellowship you. Your choice.

cheeses (of the-one-who-gets-confused-at-times-class)

Englishman

I did once receive a visit from the elders, who informed me that I could be reinstated after just 2 months meeting attendance because my baptism would now be considered as invalid. I was baptised at 12 also.

Englishman.

refiners fire

..."I could be reinstated after just 2 months meeting attendance"...

You must have considered that a very tempting offer, only having to go to meetings and being treated like a CRIMINAL for 2 short months before everyone was allowed to LOVE you again.

Azalo

what i meant was I dont think a person should be df'd who has never actually dedicated themselves as a JW even if participated in the symbol of the water baptism

BTW I faded away a long time ago and if I have been DF'd I dont know about it but it always has bothered me that they allow children to get baptised and I think that they should have an alternative way out without having to be completely shunned by their families. I mean when I was in I heard stories of 6 yr olds getting baptized, thats just ridiculous.

refiners fire

..."they allow children to get baptised and I think that they should have an alternative way out without having to be completely shunned by their families"....

But this is why we call it a CULT brother. Cults dont make peoples lives fullfilled, they make peoples lives a misery. So to expect that there will be anything other than guilt, fear,mental pain and emotional suffering for members is pointless. If it didnt do those things it wouldnt be a cult.

RAYZORBLADE

I do believe that this has been brought up before, but I didn't pay careful attention to the topic when I first visited this forum.

It's interesting, an annullment (baptismal).

I never gave it much thought. Personally, I would not seek it out.

It would mean having to have contact with the JWs again, and I seriously do not want to do that.

Just wondering, would you feel some sort of release from the WTBTS by being able to do this? The angle I'm coming at is, if you're DF'd/DA'd, and you go back, generally speaking, you don't have to get re-baptized for reinstatement.

If you do attempt this, I hope the results are favourable. But I have a feeling it's not an easy task.

refiners fire

..."if you're DF'd/DA'd, and you go back, generally speaking, you don't have to get re-baptized for reinstatement."...

Rayzor. This is getting complicated. If your baptism was invalid then your being disfellowshipped must be invalid to. After all, you cant be DF unless your baptized.

LittleToe

RF is right on the money, with this one. Is he jaded? Well, maybe a little , but he's right!

Trying to annul a baptism is like trying to take back running off a cliff. Gravity doesn't care if you get hurt, and neither (it would appear) does the Watchtower.

I personally don't think that "cult" is too strong a word. I can think of a few extra adjectives that I'd like to precede that label with!!!

On the subject of baptism as a meaningful ordinance, if you have left and don't believe in God, it's no big deal.
If you have left and [still believe / now believe] in God you can probably get baptised properly by most churches.
If you were baptised by a church, prior to becoming a JW, then your original baptism still stands.

I suspect that God isn't so petty as to hold the mistake of getting dunked by the wrong people, against you .

Can Baptisms be anulled?

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