the Oral contract of WT baptism

by hillbilly 5 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  hillbilly

  In regards to recent develpoments found here:

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.aspx?id=40212&page=1&site=3#552474

  You may find the following useful if called upon in the upcoming "sweep"

  1973

  *** w73 5/1 280 Baptizing Follows Discipling ***

  If you feel the same about serving Jehovah God and taking Christs yoke upon you, we suggest that you consider the following two questions, which are asked of candidates for baptism:

  1. Have you repented of your sins and turned around, recognizing yourself before Jehovah God as a condemned sinner who needs salvation, and have you acknowledged to him that this salvation proceeds from him, the Father, through his Son Jesus Christ?

  (2) On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for salvation, have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightening power of the holy spirit?

  So-- in the upcoming Purge we are hearing about...When they ask if you believe the Watchtower is the FDS or however they phrase it what will your answer be...? BTW--the question 2 changed in 1985 chages focus from doing God's will to "being identified as a Jehovah's Witness... a totally different agenda

  1985

  *** w85 6/1 30 Subjecting Ourselves to Jehovah by Dedication ***

  1.On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?

  2.Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovahs Witnesses in association with Gods spirit-directed organization*

  *underline by Hillbilly

  So, when your elders call to "assist" you back you may base your responses to the stated conditions that you were baptised to.

  I would have to guess that most local Elders are not aware that the terms changed. So now that your armed, please share the results when you use this factoid on the 'sheep herders".

  So -what did you agree to at YOUR baptism?

  edited cause i wasnt done. HB

  Edited by - hillbilly on 9 November 2002 17:8:16

  Edited by - hillbilly on 9 November 2002 17:23:16
• 

  Sentinel

  HB,

  Thanks for this thread. I tried to fade away for about a ten year period of time, which ended in 1981, when my mother, who was constantly trying to be my "conscience" as far as meeting attendence, service, Ministry School, etc. (All of which had dwindled to very little over the ten years since I'd been reinstated, and basically come to a halt and my excuses weren't being bought anymore.)

  So, in 1981, I got off that merry-go-round by making it official. It happened when mom sent me a letter with ten questions. (You have two of them here in your thread.) I wrote my answers out, which mostly were "I honestly don't know". That was enough for her, so she began the shunning and spread it around that I was apostate, becaue I had "turned my back on the truth". As soon as I got wind of that, I wrote two letters, one to the congregation and one to the WTBTS. I didn't get an answer to either one.

  After some twelve years of shunning, mom did an abrupt about-face in 1992, and suddenly said it was alright for us to have contact, which we did for the past ten years. Then on August 30th, this year, she began the shunning again. I think I was always sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for it to happen again. Still, it hurt me terribly. Mom is 78.

  So, now they are going to try and sweep their organization clean, by this "contact" with once active members. Interesting. I wonder how far back they plan to go.

  Should they show up at my door, and should I feel willing to "entertain" them on my front porch, I think I will simply smile and tell them that I refuse to discuss any of it with them. I don't wish to give them the satisfaction of any conclusive answer. Not that I regret my decision. To the contrary. I wish to make it known to them, that they cannot have any power over me, because I will not allow them to judge me. I want them to go away shaking their heads.
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  Francois

  Sentinel, you've got it right on the point. NO ONE has any power over you if you don't give it to them first. This is especially true of religious organizations.

  No one can walk on you unless you lie down first.
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  eisenstein

  This is totally shocking to me.

  I remember reading something about this on someone's personal exprerience. I also remember telling an elder in my congregation when I had become seriously ill that I didn't remember the questions I was asked at my baptism (chemical shock treatment I guess). Anyway, he replied that he didn't remember the questions asked at his baptism either. But after reading these two new questions being asked at all baptisms since 1985, I really don't understand it at all. And how everything has gone ascrew. Thank you, hillbilly for sharing this with us. I will keep this in mind if and when the elders come calling!!!

  eisenstein
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  hillbilly

  bttt-- i will post more here when AOL behaves better
• 

  hillbilly

  BTT-- someone was asking on a recent post