Childhood Baptism

torn in two son

Today, one of the few JW friends that I'm close to got baptized.

I always knew he was a little more into it than I was, but I thought that with High School coming for him (I'm a year older than he is), maybe it would open his eyes a little, and he would see the world differently. With little contact with him because of seperate schools for the past year, I didn't find out the news until just before our convention started. When he told me, I had this singular moment of panic and deflation, but I gave the guy a big hug and squeaked out a "Congratulations" knowing he's two hours from shooting himself in the foot. With near-makes-no-difference, 1000 people cheering and applauding for the one of only two candidates, he felt pretty fantastic. He's thirteen. He has "secret" crushes he doesn't tell his parents about. He thinks he's a ladies man. The hormones are just starting to kick into overdrive. I can only see a crash course ahead.

So my fellow JWN posters, what do you think of baptism at such a young age?

Torn In Two Son

nugget

It's a mistake and cruel. The organisation says that this will protect him from future temptations. What they mean is threat of disfellowshipping will make him think twice before committing a sin. It is so wrong, he is basically giving up his right to be a teenager and make mistakes, there is no reprieve and noone is tried as a minor in a JC he will receive the full penalty of the Org if he puts a foot wrong.

The other argument is that he has gone through the questions so knows what he is signing up for but I would argue that he is not making an informed decision. He may have chosen JWs but at 13 he has not rejected anything since he has not really understood what rejecting the world means. He has barely discovered girls, limited experience and knowledge of alcohol, what he wants out of life, what career he wants to follow, what he is good at. Since he is still being formed as a person he is really in no position to make this commitment. At 13 you rarely have a conflict with beliefs, religon is often easy, doing what makes your parents happy. What were his parents thinking, it may come back to bite them.

torn in two son

I'm barely a year older than he is and, on my own, figured out for myself that JW's have some explaining to do. With a little push from my dad, well it's just been a snowball effect from there. I'm seriously worried for him, espcially with girls. He's so convinced he has it under control, and nugget, you're completely right, alcohol, drugs, sex, pressure for all of those will be escalated to an all time high. But don't worry, he's got his future figured out, Bethel will take him in like a baby bird with a broken wing, nuturing him with spiritual food. Until he's kicked out of it with NO college education whatsoever, and told to figure it out on his own. I've hardly gotten my plan for high school figured out - somewhat. With this step he's got to plan his whole life. What hurts the most though, is I know that I don't DARE try putting doubts in his mind, ESPECIALLY because I'm nothing but a lowly unbaptized publisher. Today was pretty tough to watch.

Torn In Two Son

lingno2

my son is 11 yrs. old so eager to enter the cult

lisavegas420

I was baptized at 14. My thought process between the ages of 14-16 was entirely different. At 14 I was trying to make my parents proud. At 16 I though I had a short time left to live, and wanted to enjoy as much of life as I had left before I was destroyed.

lisa

carpediem

Baptising children is an issue that makes my blood boil. Your friend has my sympathy, and more of it should he ever decide to leave and be shunned by all those who cheered him on as a minor!

lingno2

am confused of course his well being while growing up...we are in the realms of faithful relatives by the so called controled mind org.

WTWizard

He might think he can resist the opposite sex now, at age 13. Just wait until 17, or 18. And, they are going to put pressure on people (the yearbook has examples of children as young as 6 getting baptized).

Jesus waited until 30, and he was supposedly perfect. So, what's the rush?

dissed

16 for me, but all my friends, fearful of Armageddon, were getting baptized between 13-15. (This was the early 70's)

Many of them said later, they were too young, and didn't know fully what they were getting into. For me 16 was okay, I knew what I was doing.

yknot

Well sometimes I am 'okay' with child baptism........BUT....

Seeing how the WTS baptism is actually a social club dunking intiation rite into the WTS versus a real Xian baptism I am generally against it!

I say generally because we all know the pressures some parents/Elders/Congregations put on minors to be dunked so it is easy to see why so many cave.

The upside is that a person can later argue that as a minor they weren't legally able to enter such a binding relationship.

..... I also find it interesting that Jesus himself was 'almost 30' before taking the plunge .....

I hope you will stay focused on your studies as they are the most profitable way to exit once you are no longer under your parent's roof!

Childhood Baptism

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