Should mentally challenged be baptize as JW's

spike

We have a son of legal age,only mentally 5-8 years living with JW relatives. He studies with the presiding overseer in the knowledge book and goes in service. He wants to get baptized like his older brother. This disturbs us greatly. Any suggestions?

JW72

Getting baptized makes no difference, if he's a JW anyway, he's gonna act like one, whether he gets baptized or not.

Even if he gets baptized, he can still change his mind, as long as he's not COMPLETELY brain-washed.

Chris

willy_think

We have a son of legal age,only mentally 5-8 years

there is no legal age for MR people with the mentallity of a 5-8 year old.(at least in my state) if you are his guardian it's up to you.

Patriot

Maybe you should ask him WHY he wants to get baptized. Is it JUST because his brother is? or is it because he really fully understands what it means as far as a JW is concerned?

Does he understand that he HAS to go out on service, at least of some type( going out with others at least) show up to all the meetings and make some type of effort to show his zealousness.

There is a brother in the cong. I use to go to and he is about 24 now. He is retarded but only as far as his mobility, speech and thinking is concerned. He still gives 5 min talks and goes out on service.

But he is still treated like any other and on several occasions was the victim of a Judicial commitee. We always wondered how the elders would justify that. He has made some bad judgement calls but we always knew that is was because of his problem.

Still that did not "fly" with the elders and he was reprooved, marked and damn near disfellowshipped once.
All I'm saying is that there will be a time when he might do something and the elders will not want to hear any excuses.

The society is a cold and ruthless organization. I have seen it with my own eyes.

Maverick

JT

Spike

you truly are in a very difficult situation- since your son is studying and going out in service- it will in my view be worthless to just out right tell him not to

one of the first things that wt does is instruct all new potiental converts that YOUR FAMIILY MAY OPPOSE YOUR DICISION TO SERVE JAH

so he has been Prep to expect any rejection of his choice as persucution - in fact it is as if he needs to tell you "Satan get behind me"

mindset has set in

you may try to test the waters to see if he is open to any discussion

in my exp more likely he is not

it is truly sad to have to watch a person literally walk off to the arms of a cult or high control group

this is one of the reason why so many have no belief in a "Loving God"

one can only imagine how many times this exact thing plays out around the earth each day year in year out and the "Loving Go" watches as his mentally retarded child are sucked up into groups like this

while here we have you a "Powerless" person who is truly concerned and yet for all practical purposes can't do a thing

while the "Loving God sits on his throne Sipping Lipton Iced Tea

how sad

but like i said you may want to try and test the waters to see if you can reach him

but the Elder and the congo have filled a need MADE HIM FEEL SPECIAL

i recall seeing so many young folks get baptized casue the saw the special treatment a baptized person got on the day of thier baptism- yet little do they know that in a yr or so they are just another publ who needs more time

i feel for you and i wish you the very best

but you can always keep in mind we will support you here - i watch family memebers go to meeting each week to get the Ass beat, complain about it and go right back the next week
it reminds one of an Abused Woman always feeling that she deserves being treated like dirt

same with jw the Guilt and Worthless is unreal

just my 2

james

philo

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Preston

Hi Spike, I just wanted to tell you the experiences of a person I knew who had a mental disability from a car accident and got baptized. My friend Barry was a sweet, caring, loving, trying person in my congregation. He had a passion for the ministry, and he loved God. He went for special schooling in the area that I lived, and every time he had a talk, I helped him prepare it. I was one of the few people he knew in the congregation as a friend because many people felt uncomfortable being around him. I was upset that he had problems fittting in. I took him out in service many times and I took him out to lunch becuase I wanted him to make him feel a little better about himself. At the time though, I didn't spend that much time with him becuase I was starting college and my social life wasn't exactly the most exemplerary. On more than one occasion he would tell me how upset it made him not to have any friends in the congregation. You wouldn't believe how bad this made me felt. He eventually got baptized at the peak of his desire to derve God forever. On the night of the meeting where his baptism was announced several persons came up to him and shook his hand. The sad truth is, I never saw him as happy after that. In the next months he became bitter and told me that he wished he never got baptized. It made me seriously wonder about the whole baptism process that he went through. Since then his mother died in a car accident and he's changed congregations. Now I can only wonder why I didn't try to reach out to him more. Barry, where are you?

JT

Preston says:

On the night of the meeting where his baptism was announced several persons came up to him and shook his hand. The sad truth is, I never saw him as happy after that. In the next months he became bitter and told me that he wished he never got baptized. It made me seriously wonder about the whole baptism process that he went through. Since then his mother died in a car accident and he's changed congregations. Now I can only wonder why I didn't try to reach out to him more. Barry, where are you?

#########

truly DEEEEEEP i fully understand the feeling- i often to wonder about all those friends over the yrs i too tried to help fit in since no one else would invite them over or include them in thier activities

my wife and i always made a point to include the outcast in the hall

it is so sad that all the good decent and caring jw are leaving and the only thing left behind esp when it comes to elders will be fools and jackasses to beat the poor jw who already feel like outcast

so sad

james

alamb

I plan to use this approach with my children, although not mentally challenged, not of age:
Since the change in baptismal questions in '85, they would be joining a legal organization. I would try to block, with the aid of the courts, them joining an organization before they are of legal age.

p.s. Another prerequisite: Read 2 little books for me.

logical

Fred Hall was baptised so there's obviously nothing stopping the mentally challenged getting dunked.

Should mentally challenged be baptize as JW's

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