Opinions on Age of Baptismal Candidates (page 2)

finnrot

What the hell???? I really did use spacing and paragraphs in my last post. What am I doing wrong?? Are my posts becoming Demonized???

When my son was about 17, one of the sisters at our hall asked me why my son wasn't baptized. I told her that he apparently wasn't ready. She said he should get baptized as that was a "protection." I said, "Jesus wasn't baptized till he was thirty years old." She didn't say anything more, but at the next service meeting one of the elders mentioned that we should never take the attitude that a person has to wait til they are thirty to get baptized. You can tell that I got reported. Anyway, my son did get baptized at age 18. However (years later) the sister and the elder are no longer attending meetings. My son goes to very few meetings. He is married with a family and I really believe he and his wife have one of the happiest marriages that I know of. I asked him the other day if he knew of any happy marriages in the congregation, and he said, yes, the ones who go to very few meetings.

BluesBrother

Hey E Man, you beat me by about a year . I was dunked in the loacal swimming pool. At the time I really thought that I know that I was doing but come on, what does any one know at 13.. If it is really such an important step as it is made out to be, then it ought to be undertaken by those of marriageable age ..

One wise cong servant in the old days used to discourage young ones, in case they acted as a "Typical Teen" and then had to be d'fd. But he could not stop the tide of official encouragement from the Publications.

It is also ridiculous that little boys suddenly have a status as 'brothers' and able to do things like saying a prayer ahead of their mothers.

These days congs are desperate for new publishers and baptising them younger and younger is one way to achieve that

FairMind

How many young ones get baptized simply to please others? Far to often I have seen kids 14 -18 get baptized and within a couple of years become involved in drugs and sexual immorality. Dedication to God is something that should come from the heart and not from peer pressure.

FM

garybuss

The reason juveniles are pushed to be baptized by the Witness people is the "family merit" doctrine. Children are only protected from being murdered by God under "family merit" until puberty. I am always surprised that people who were Witnesses did not know about this teaching. Just do a search on the words "family merit" on the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation produced cd.

Soledad

In a conversation with a newbie (last 5 years or so) JW he mentioned how he was glad he had known what he was doing when he got baptised because he appreciated what he was doing, unlike in infant baptism.

this brings up an excellent point. JWs love to criticize the Catholics for baptizing infants, yet they cheer when one of their 6 year olds gets baptized. How much of a difference is that, really?

toladest

I was baptized at 14 years old. I was trying SO hard to be liked and accepted. One of the primary people that pushed me towards baptism has since been convicted of child molestation. But then I was a child that was trying so hard to be loved. I did not have emotionally present or attentive parents. My mom had too many younger children to care for (5 younger that were 9 and under at the time) and my dad ( a non-JW) was an alcoholic and work-oholic.

So I got baptized, and became an auxillary pioneer often going "out in service" with the child molesting pioneer/ministerial servant. I had no clue what I was doing. Everyone at the hall was SO proud of me though as I was SUCH a good example to the other young ones. Funny that most of those people would not come to my wedding even though it was in a Kingdom Hall, because I was only 17 and "too young to make such a big decision". When the elders were DFing me for questioning the handling of the child molester and the WTS's decision to stand by him, I tried to tell them that it was that very man that presueded me to get baptized and I did not do it for Jehovah. I said that my baptizm should be voided rather than being DFed, as I was not old enough to make such an important decision in my life. They did not agree, and so I was DFed.

I am still very happily married, but not still a JW. Go figure.

Poztate

What are your thougts on allowing the young to make such a life-altering decision at a very young age?

To me it's really quite simple. If you are old enough to say NO and quit the truth you are old enough to be baptized.

codeblue

How old was Jesus when he got baptized? Wasn't he 29?

We are suppose to be his foot step followers....so we should be the SAME age he was when we get baptized!!!

Just a logical thought to me. As stated by someone else, you should be old enough to make a "life long decision".

CodeBlue

czarofmischief

I was 12.

Live and learn. Irrelevant, now, really, although I personally believe that God accepts most dedications - but that the relationship with the dubs is not necessary and is often an impediment to spiritual growth.

CZAR

Opinions on Age of Baptismal Candidates