1985 and baptism...I wish I had read this before today

by enoughisenough 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  TonusOH

  LongHairGal, I don't think I cared about the format of the questions when I was baptized. I wanted so badly to do it that I would have said yes even if they did not state the question. To me, that part was a formality. Today, it strikes me more as theatre; the group of prospects stands in front and shouts "yes" very loud and everyone gets emotional and applauds. It is a self-reinforcing feedback loop. The chemical reward makes it a very impactful moment for a lot of people for a long time.

  They don't miss a trick when it comes to manipulating people.
• 

  LongHairGal

  TONUS:

  So, it IS said in public right before somebody goes in the water? This is what I’m understanding and I certainly don’t know never having witnessed anybody being baptized.

  Too late for a candidate to back out and publicly disappoint their adoring family and ‘friends’, don’t you think? How sneaky.

  As I said, I was ‘baptized’ before they changed these questions and format. But, it was all a crock of sh#t anyway and redundant since I already WAS baptized Catholic when I was a baby. As far as I’m concerned NOW, that’s the only one that was ever valid or means anything to me.
• 

  TonusOH

  LongHairGal,

  Yes, they ask the questions just before the group is led off to change and get baptized. At that point, if you want to back out you would be doing so very publicly. Now, if they do it the way they did when I got baptized, then in the weeks before the convention, you would have sat down for two sessions with an elder, who will review many of the JW beliefs. They will ask a question and provide Bible texts, and you must answer the question using the texts so that everyone is assured that you have the JW answer for that question. In my experience, the elder is really there to help walk you through it. I don't think they really want to test your knowledge, they just want to make sure that the JW teachings have sunk in.
• 

  enoughisenough

  it is safe to say there isn't full disclosure or no one would get baptized into the organization. They think they are getting baptized in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...( maybe if they have seen a baptism before hand...but would they actually be paying attention to the meaning of the words?) It is interesting how you hear and see things differently once you become "awake" to the game.
• 

  blondie

  "I wonder if I could have refused the role at that moment?" I know of 5 men that turned down being an MS in that meeting, 6 that turned down being an elder. Of course, their spirituality status dropped considerably. Even if an elder says he can no longer handle his family responsibilities, the other elders try to talk him out of it, saying they neglect their families too and that is a sacrifice their family has to make. Also, technically, an elder can't decide on his own to stop being an elder; he has to be permission of the BOE to do so. One elder, said that do what you have to do, but when you announce the start of the Ministry School, I won't get up on the stage, and that will be very embarrassing for you. Well, they decided to give him "permission" but he was viewed with suspicion after that.