Interesting Take on Vows

by konceptual99 12 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • konceptual99
    konceptual99

    So yesterday was the WT on vows.

    It spoke, in part about two vows. The vow you make in dedication and the vow of marriage. Here's how it describes them.

    The most important vow that a Christian can make is the one with which he dedicates his life to Jehovah.
    There is no way to undo a dedication vow....He will be accountable before Jehovah and the congregation for any serious sins that he may commit.
    The second most important vow that a person can make is the marriage vow.
    their marriage is meant to be a lifelong bond.
    couples entering marriage must have the view that divorce is not an option

    Both seem pretty serious, yes? Both should require much thought, care and consideration, yes? Both should require a level of maturity and experience before being entered into, yes?

    This certainly is reflected in how marriage is portrayed.

    Here is the image of a couple getting married.


    Both clearly not late teenagers or even young adults. They have used similar images in the past - here's one from August 2016. Again, clearly a mature couple.


    So that's the second most important vow one can make sorted. How about for dedication and baptism - the most important vow you can ever make? What are the images like for this?

    Here's one from 2015...


    Is that a person of marriageable age or a young person having made the most important vow they can ever make?

    This is an image from a recent JW video aimed at very young children...


    Clearly this is setting out the scene that it's perfectly OK for a young child, perhaps only around 10 years old or less, to get baptised - which by implication means dedication.

    This is complete double standards on the part of the WTS. On the one hand, they stress the importance of not entering into marriage lightly, something that should only be done once past the "bloom of youth" yet are more than happy for total minors to take the most important vow they will ever take.

    Of course kids can answer the questions before baptism. They can also say "I do" really easily too.

    How can the most important vow be taken by someone incapable of taking the second most important vow? Easily if you live in WT World.

  • smiddy
    smiddy

    I have said it before and I will say it again .

    Jehovahs Witnesses speak out of both sides of their mouth .

    You cant trust anything they say or even what they put in print because they will change it given time.

  • TheWonderofYou
    TheWonderofYou

    Is it necessary to be baptized to get a Kingdomhall approved marriage? Two 19 year old couldn't marry withought beeing bapized?

  • oppostate
    oppostate

    Double standards are part and parcel of a WT controlled life.

    Excellent topic, K99!

  • konceptual99
    konceptual99

    It would be very rare, if not unheard of, for two unbaptised publishers to get married in the hall.

  • wokeup
    wokeup

    It's been awhile since I've posted, but I have to comment on yesterday's watchtower. Dedication vows and 'living up' to that vow is NOT Gods' plan of salvation. It is not a Christian teaching. Neither is baptism a 'symbol' of a dedication according to all the scriptures pertaining to Water baptism and is not reflective of the baptisms in the book of Acts both by Jews and Gentiles.

    The organization's leaders quote Jesus out of context at Matthew 5:33 with a snippet to give the impression Jesus supports making vows or swearing oaths. In verse 34 Jesus instructs his disciples NOT to. And the governing body knows that.Yet they persist in perpetuating falsehood. Christianity has nothing to do with vows or oaths that was practiced in ancient times.

    A matter fact, Jesus concludes the matter in verse 37 that vows/sworn oaths originated with the wicked one.

  • label licker
    label licker

    There were two unbaptized that got married in the Elmira, On kingdom hall. they were only a year in the religion. An elder said it was better to marry them soon or they were afraid that this couple would have sex before marriage. They were only nineteen years old. After four years, the kid was made an elder.

    Anything goes when the elders like you.

  • label licker
    label licker

    Forgot to add that this couple was fresh out of the world.

  • Spiral
    Spiral

    The whole thing is messed up on a practical level. We all know JWs who are on their second or third marriages, elders included.

    Baptising children used to be almost unthinkable (it's gone back and forth) but if they can't buy alcohol or drive they certainly shouldn't be making a lifelong vow of any sort - baptism or marriage. Ever. It's just ridiculous.

    The whole thing is just a set up for failure. But the high emotion/trouble/failure/confess your sin/beg for forgiveness/back into favor cycle is a part of the control of the JWs. Ask a JW why this is a healthy way to live and you'll get a blank stare, or they'll run out the door.

  • FatFreek 2005
    FatFreek 2005
    Clearly this is setting out the scene that it's perfectly OK for a young child, perhaps only around 10 years old or less, to get baptised - which by implication means dedication.

    Yes, less!!!!

    There are no less than two examples, WT yearbooks no less, of 6 year olds getting baptized. A 6 year old is much closer in age to an infant than to those adults getting married.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit