baptism.....again

claudia

Hi, i dont know how to tell my family that i dont wish to be baptized yet, I want to be baptized to serve Jehovah, but i am unsure about being baptized as one of jehovahs Witness. why cant i just be baptized like it says in the bible? what can i tell my family? thanks in advance

spectromize

Claudia,

You should let no one pressure you to get baptize our feel pressured by family to do so. I have known a lot in the organization that got baptize because their friends were getting baptized or the family was putting pressure on them. Jehovah knows the heart, we can't fool Him if we are not truly dedicated to Him.

Claudia, I just want to encourage you study hard as far as the Bible goes and get all of your questions answered especially the ones that the organization is afraid to answer. If we really do have the truth we should welcome scrutiny without fear.

A word of caution about your questions, there are many who will consider them apostate questions so be very careful so that you don't becoming marked and shunned by immature brothers or sisters. When you are ready you will know when to get baptized.

claudia

Spectromize, I am afraid you hit the nail on the head when you said....."If we really do have the truth we should welcome scrutiny without fear" Then maybe someone can tell me why scrutiny is not welcome, and i see fear?

Ben

You're not the only one that feels that way, Claudia, even some of us who have been in this for a very long time do not like this growing paranoia.

Martini

Hi Claudia,

I'm sure you can appreciate that it's difficult to give advice without knowing certain particulars about a persons circumstances and background so please accept our comments as general suggestions.

You asked, "how do I tell my family that I don't wish to be baptized yet?"

I believe you can tell them in those exact words. Of course your tone of voice here is very crucial. It must be said in a calm,
respectable and non-arguementative manner. Remember nobody accepts changes over night, so you may have to repeat your position often. Perhaps others in your family or congregation of your age group were/are already baptized at your age ,thus setting the standard that your parents are looking to for you also. They may not at this time accept a deviance from the norm, but if you stick to your guns, eventually they will adapt to your point of view towards a later
baptism.

Then you said,
I want to be baptized to serve Jehovah, but i am unsure about being baptized as one of jehovahs Witness. why cant i just be baptized like it says in the bible? what can i tell my family? thanks in advance

I agree with you here that the scriptures do encourage Christians to be baptized. However
the WTS has made it so that JW's are also baptized into the Organization, especially in view of the current baptisimal questions.

Again if your unclear about 'belonging' to the WTS Organization (and I mean this in a VERY literal sense)then it would be wise to wait until you are more certain, before taking this huge step of baptism. The WTS claims baptism is only a normal progression in our dedication to GOD however baptism into the Organization binds you with many extra-biblical resposiblities exclusive to JW',and I think you know what these are.

All a person can say is he/she is not ready,
all the while revealing little by little what your true feelings are, and remaining hopeful that your family will accept you for who you are. At least if you should decide to leave the Org. they will not have to shun you, like they would have to if you were baptized and later disfellowshipped.

Wishing you happiness.
Your friend,
Martini.

Frenchy

Claudia, Martini has given some good advice here. May I ask how old you are? The reason I'm asking is because you will have to be ready to respond to pressure that will be constantly applied to you both by your parents and by well-meaning elders and perhaps even the C.O. Now your decision should be yours and yours alone and you must remember that. Jehovah would not want it any other way.

claudia

Thank you all, this is a very kind bunch. Frenchy, i am 37(mentally 15 yrs old). Up till a few yrs ago I was athiest. My mom and sis converted to jw well after i had left home.I will tomorrow tell them I wish not as of yet to be baptised, thanks,

Ben

You're welcome, Claudia, for whatever small help I have been. I was concerned that you may have been a teenager and of the parental pressures that would certainly have been brought to bear against you. That doesn't mean that there won't be a constant effort to persuade you but as an adult you are certainly more capable of following the dictates of your own conscience.

Be prepared to get the 'cold shoulder' from some once it's known that you don't desire to get baptized. It's not really their fault, it's the conditioning. BTW, there's nothing wrong with having a child-like dispostion, attitude, and outlook. I've been ten years old now for forty-two years and I'm not budging!

Seven

Claudia, I can really relate to your feelings on the subject of baptism. I am studying hard, but I
have many questions I'll never ask for fear of an
inquisition. I live with the suffocating pressure
from my parents and the elders. I wish they would back off. This is between Jehovah and myself. I'm
just not ready.

My parents converted from the Baptist religion to JW's when I was 14. I was already baptised and speaking in tongues before I ever set foot in a Kingdom Hall. As a witness I carry a lot of guilt because of my past beliefs. There is no one in the
congregation I can talk to about this. They wouldn't understand and end up causing me more grief than what I'm experiencing now.

7of9

Ben

Hello, Seven, I hope you're over your flu. My mom begain studying when I was about eight and I was baptized by the time I was fifteen so I really can't say that I know how you two are feeling. You're doing the right thing in not allowing yourselves to be pressured into doing something that you're not comfortable with. In a lot of ways this is like getting married, it's not as easy to get out of as it is to get into. In both instances, the person should make sure that this is what they want.

I'd like to hear about your experiences speaking in tongues if ever you're inclined to share.

baptism.....again

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