We don't baptize our children as infants, we let them decide - UTTER BULL****

by jambon1 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  Leolaia

  These children were not exposed to alternatives until they were old enough to realise that different world views are out there and free for examination by those not shackled by the chains of unquestioning faith in a man made organisation.

  And even then they are made to feel that it is "wrong" to read or accept literature from other religions, much less that one is free to examine them and choose. I was an unbaptized publisher as a teen and I still felt very guilty for questioning the JW teachings I had grown up with.
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  cantleave

  Jambon - spot on reasoning.
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  Alwayshere

  AWAKE August 2010, A lie on page 9. "Jehovah's Witnesses baptize ONLY those who, on the basis of a thorough study of the Bible, want to serve God." 10 and 11 year olds do not have a thorough study of the Bible.
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  Soldier77

  They might as well start baptizing infants. Where I live the majority of the baptisms of the past few years have been several children under the age of ten. One was 6, another 7, 9 and 10. That's not including the two that were 12-14.

  Tell me what 6 year old is old enough to make that kind of life decision? Hell, any 'child' under 18. You're not even a LEGAL adult under that age. What makes them think that it's okay for someone underage to dedicate their life to something they have been pushed from infancy?!

  Makes me sick.
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  LongHairGal

  JAMBON1,

  I hate to break it to them but they DO in fact baptize infants. According to the law, somebody who has not reached the age of majority is a minor - in legal terms that person is an INFANT.

  So, when these 11 and 12 year old kids are baptized, it is infant baptism. They may not be wearing a diaper but they are still an infant. Not only that, it is not really these kids' decisions anyway. They are prodded, encouraged, nagged and hint-hinted at from every angle. So, how could anybody in all honesty say they are deciding for themselves? Maybe here and there you may see a particularly precocious JW child who talks like an adult and everybody says 'how cute'. This child may appear to want baptism for themselves but it is the power of suggestion of all the overeager adults around them.
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  stapler99

  I see two reasons for this. One is that is yet another among the countless doctrinal points which wouldn't seem important in themselves except to distinguish Jehovah's Witnesses from other religions (consider "Jehovah" is God's name, Jesus didn't die on a cross, etc. etc.). The other is that they are claiming that they don't force religion on their children - demonstrably, very many other religions put much, much less pressure on children than they do.

  It's just the same self-aggrandizing BS that oozes from every paragraph of their publications.
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  GLTirebiter

  They may not be baptized, but they're old enough to go knock-knock-knocking on strangers' doors. So which is worse: baptism by water as an infant, or losing every Saturday of your childhood and youth giving sales spiels to people who aren't interested?
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  simon17

  If you were baptized as an infant, when you grow up you KNOW that it was not your decision. Then you can easily disregard it.

  If you were baptized at age 14 as a JW, then when you grow up you THINK it WAS your decision. Thats not easy to overcome, especially if the repercussions of disregarding that decision are incredibly severe.
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  Nickolas

  If you were baptized at age 14 as a JW, then when you grow up you THINK it WAS your decision. Thats not easy to overcome, especially if the repercussions of disregarding that decision are incredibly severe.

  Bingo.
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  GrandmaJones

  Goodness, even if they aren't baptized, the parents get them signed up as "unbaptized publishers" and then if they mess up, it is announced "Blah, blah is no longer an unbaptized publisher." (Read that as no longer an approved associate, read that as not good association, and voila....de facto disfellowshipping as far as friendships and invitations go.) The threat of this, and peer pressure, "Why are you not baptized?" is supposed to keep them in line.

  It's terrible, and I put my own children through it. I apologized to the one who won't call me an apostate. The others......that will have to wait. Right now they would tell me they are glad I did.