by JWdaughter 8 Replies latest jw friends
I read this in an article speaking about Mark Lester being named the godfather of MJ's kids during a private baptism at a catholic church.( This is the guy who despearately wanted them raised JW-according to Firpo Carr-the little weasel man.
http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20287787_20296936,00.html
Yes, I read stupid tabloid reports.
Maybe he was covering all his bases? The Catholic christening is not really a baptism, but a sweet ceremony where the parents dedicate the child to God.
Jermaine Jackson said that the kids will NOT be raised as jws because they are used to having birthdays and Christmas, when he was interviewed on Larry King the other night.
MMmm, last I checked, the catholics baptise their children and consider them baptised. They do confirmation later, but still, baptism/christening is the same thing in the catholic world I am familiar with.
The catholic church here won't let parents have kids baptised unless BOTH parents attend a weekly class for a few weeks previous. For EACH child (or baptism session-if two kids were being baptised at the same time, just one class) My husband is catholic, which is how I know this.
Good for Jermaine, but his mom is JW and my experience on a personal level is they don't mind pulling that particular rug right out from under you.
I've read that once a child is baptized Catholic, it is Catholic its entire life, even if it leaves and gets baptized in another church. You are Catholic for life. If you want to return, you are welcomed back as a returning member. You name is never removed from the roster.
With a family as large as the Jackson's, so many of the not JW's, and Gramma so old, I imagine they will have their holidays. Good for Jermaine!
Part of all the 'being excommunicated' and still being catholic is this; ex-communication to a catholic means that they are in a sin that keeps them from communion. Remember when the pope or a bishop said that certain acts would keep a person from taking communion? Like voting for abortion or some politician? That is an acknowledgement of the scriptures regarding not even eating with such a man, and not partaking of the lords supper unworthily. Going against church/bible teachings would keep them out of comunion. When you see people not partaking at a catholic church it might well be that they haven't been to confession and/or realize that they are under a serious sin that they need to overcome or discuss with a spiritual leader to ensure they are right with God-so to speak. Officially, excommunication doesn't remove a person from the catholic church, it keeps them from being in communion with other christians-they don't get a free pass even WITH confession. Officially adultery USED to keep a person from communion for a certain period of time, while they were still expected to be at mass and stuff.
The catholic church may count you as a catholic forever, I don't know anything about that. Numbers on a page don't count as much as the butts in a pew do. Most polls are done with the attendees who declare their own religion, so high counts by the church doesn't do anything real to boost numbers/tithes/attendance.
I am more familiar with Lutherans. They baptize/christen their infants also. The child later attends classes for 2 years once a week and then makes their own choice to get baptized/or not. This is at the age of 12/13. They call it confirmation.
I have a sister who is Catholic who cannot take communion because she got divorced and remarried. It doesn't seem to bother her, she still goes to church. I guess there is no way to fix that one, huh?
I think celebrity families like the Jackson's don't always play by the jw rules. Money has its privileges. Michael's kids have already been exposed to a lot and I imagine they will continue to be exposed to different views in that family.
Oops, I forgot to say that Lester believes he is Paris' father. He wants to be part of her life. What a jumbled world those kids are going to have.
Look at it this way:
RCC Infant baptizim = Jewish circumsion rite
Confirmation = barmitzvah
;)
