My Mom always kept to the belief that Christ was the example and he was an adult before he got baptized. She felt we had to be of a mature, adult mind-set before making such a serious commitment.
Thank you for this! Now I have an actual line of logic when explaining why I won't let my kids get baptized at 8 years old! Awesome!
Morbidzbaby, sorry. here....
i read morbidzbaby's comment on the post http://www2.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/206838/1/a-question-to-the-ex-jws were she said that she got baptized "hoping that it would sort everything out".
this got me thinking about the whole jw ritual of baptism and dedication.
i look back and recall that i never privately "dedicated" myself to anything or anyone before taking the "dip".. the wt teaching is that a person should privately dedicate (via prayer) themselves to jehovah before publically going through the ritual.
I read Morbidzbaby's comment on the post http://www2.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/206838/1/A-question-to-the-ex-JWs were she said that she got baptized "hoping that it would sort everything out". This got me thinking about the whole JW ritual of baptism and dedication. I look back and recall that I never privately "dedicated" myself to anything or anyone before taking the "dip".
The WT teaching is that a person should privately dedicate (via prayer) themselves to Jehovah BEFORE publically going through the ritual. I was wondering.....
How many here actually "dedicated" themselves in this manner, and how many here just went through the motions of this ritual? Also, how do you feel about this practice?
completely unrelated, gratuitous photograph.
i'm curious about what made you realize that your ex-religion was not "true"?.
i've had discussions with many religious people, and they're always trying to protect their beliefs, rather than allowing anything i say challenge what they believe.
was there ever something someone said to you, or something you read that maybe made you doubt your beliefs for the first time, or had a similar effect?.
Truth is something you feel inside, that is personal to each one of us, and that grows day by day as you live life. It is not something you learn from a question-and-answer discussion of badly written books with pictures of lions and beachballs. ~ Millions
AMEN! *thunderous District Convention applause*
...oh my.. i am not trying to start a creation vs. evolution debate, but something else really did stand out in my mind upon reading this "infamous" book.
and that is that the theory of evolution is a very complex and at times, logically interesting theory.
it makes valid points as well as asking fair and legitimate questions of the theory of creation.
Massey - The fact that their first reaction to your statement was to immediately question you as to whether you believe in God is the typical Pavlovian response that betrays a fundemental lack of education. If it's not cited in their blue book from 20+ years ago, then you, sir are a liar and a cur.
If it's ain't done printed in Brooklyn, then it's a dang-blasted lie from the Devil!
Lunatic Faith - Sweetheart, if you're father was a doormat, then my father was a driveway.
Babiyan - ahhh, the ol' "when you become a JW life will be FANTASTIC" sales pitch. Good to see you managed to keep your head together in the end.
Heaven - Sorry about your old man. I guess he ran as long as he can but they finally caught him. Those JWs are resiliant, I'll give them that. I did get "dunked" but for me it was just another meaningless JW ritual. I never privately dedicated my life to God or solemnly swore to be His "Witness".
Unfortunately, at the time, I was too young to realize all the serious implications that go along with that ritual. If I had known that I would have ran like I stole something.
"Mr. Falcon, aren't you gonna stay for the baptism talk?"
"Ummm, I think I left something in my car....."
as a jw, the definition of spirituality is very limited and narrow minded.
but i have realized that i'm a spiritual person even as an agnostic.
watchtower's use of the word is completely wrong, and only used to benefit their own agenda.
Heaven is 100% correct.
JWs believe "spirtuality" is measured in how active you are in performing mundane JW tasks like knocking on doors, cleaning KH toilets, RBC projects, and other pointless, Sysphean exercises. I always found it odd how they admonish in their literature to "meditate" but I'd venture a bet that 98.997% of JWs are incapable of any kind of deep, meaningful thought. If they did, they'd have a hard time staying in the "Truth".
But they are quick to criticize any "worldly" person who lives a life that focuses on doing good and being a thoughtful person, simply because that person isn't attending KH lectures.
In my opinion, being spiritual and being religious are two different things. It's like if someone is smart AND funny. A person can be funny but not smart, or a person can be intelligent but not funny. They are two different qualities. But if they are together they have a chance to enhance each other.
I need a drink.
how wonderful would it be to put this handy little guide in the elder's manual..... this is for all of you guys who have had to sit through an elder's, co, convention, rbc, whatever meeting and there's 500 "brothers" asking the stupidest questions ever.. .
.
haha I know. Now, to be fair, ANY kind of meeting (work, church, etc.) will have idiots raising their hands. But this chart reminded me of elder's meetings and other "thinks we're important" meetings that basically was a bunch of elders & MS's asking the same stupid question that was just asked and answered 30 seconds ago, just to hear themselves talk and think they "contributed."
i'm curious about what made you realize that your ex-religion was not "true"?.
i've had discussions with many religious people, and they're always trying to protect their beliefs, rather than allowing anything i say challenge what they believe.
was there ever something someone said to you, or something you read that maybe made you doubt your beliefs for the first time, or had a similar effect?.
ditto on what punkofnice said.
i'm curious about what made you realize that your ex-religion was not "true"?.
i've had discussions with many religious people, and they're always trying to protect their beliefs, rather than allowing anything i say challenge what they believe.
was there ever something someone said to you, or something you read that maybe made you doubt your beliefs for the first time, or had a similar effect?.
I'm still in technically, but my mind & heart are far, far away.
But to answer your question, what made me realize that it's a joke is when I started to see that when you get a glimpse at what goes on at a administrative level (elders, MS's, departments, etc.) you see that in reality it is no different than any other man-made institution. Maybe Russell had good intentions, maybe not. But either way, like any human organization, once it gets to big, it turns into the very thing that it was against when it started. I realized that this is why Jesus told his disciples to be "no part of the world". He was pointing out the danger of human institutions, especially those who profess to channel God's will. I'm not saying that other religions are any better or worse than JW (although Christmas sure looks fun) I'm just saying that when you really look at it logically and unbiasedly, it's the same ol' formula:
1st Man tells 2nd Man that God speaks through him only, 2nd man believes it and gives first man all his money and allegiance.
