Defd, why do witnesses practice infant baptism?

by in a new york bethel minute 19 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  DanTheMan

  One of the sacraments of Catholicism is Confirmation, which is generally viewed as an affirmation of one's standing as a Catholic Christian, a sealing of the deal. For kids raised Catholic, it's just expected that you undergo this Sacrament sometime between the age of 12 and 14. So, of course I went along with it like virtually all Catholic kids do.

  So at the age of 13 I was fully Catholic in their view. But -- key point -- I was never shunned when I stopped believing in it. In contrast to JWism, where one can lose contact with their family for the rest of their life for renegging on a decision made as a babe. What do you know when you're 13? Not a damn thing.

  My mom still bugs me about going to church though. LOL
• 

  willowmoon

  Hi Bethel, Defd asked me to let you know you can email him at [email protected] and he'll answer the question. He doesn't want to be part of this forum anymore and requested his account be deleted, but said anyone is welcome to send him an email.

  willow
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  Lilycurly

  9 years old! That`s terribly young! I think that as long as a kid is not responsible enough to go live on his own, he should not be allowed to make a decision like that. It`s like a tatto, it`s for life. And if he later choses to stop, then he loses all of his family because of a thoughtless childhood decision. Ridiculus!

  But perhaps the parents think that the youngest they get dunked, the harder for them it going to be to quit...
• 

  Super_Becka

  I'm Anglican, and the whole baptism/confirmation thing that DanTheMan mentioned applies for me, too. Anglicans are baptized as infants, and then, when we're about 12 years old or so, we get confirmed in the Anglican Church and then we can receive Holy Communion. Like DanTheMan said, it's like a reaffirmation of your faith and membership in the Church, a renewal of your baptismal vows that your parents and god-parents took for you as an infant, and it's sort of a big thing. I remember when I was confirmed, all of my family got together for the church service, then we had a big family dinner and there was lots of picture-taking and all of that, it was a good day, white dress notwithstanding.

  Of course, maybe 12 years old is kinda young to become a full-fledged member of a church, but in my church, there are no demands made of confirmed members, no restrictions and certainly no threats. I don't go to church very often and the only person that bugs me about it is my grandmother. And if I decide to convert or just not bother ever going to church ever again, nobody's gonna be angry with me, I won't lose my family, I won't be booted out of my church because I don't attend and believe anymore. As a matter of fact, if I left and then went back, they'd welcome me with open arms, no questions, just like they welcome anyone who wants to attend the services and understand when someone doesn't want to attend anymore. And really, confirmation isn't necessary - it's sort of expected, but you don't have to do it if you don't want to, or you can wait until you're older. When I was confirmed, one of my fellow confirmation students (we had to take some "confirmation classes" before the actual confirmation, kinda like Sunday school) was confirmed with his father, who was much older and had never been confirmed. Just goes to show the kind of religious freedom we mainstream-Christians have.

  It's a beautiful thing, not being bound by strict rules and regulations. I have my faith, I know what I believe, but I don't feel compelled to attend church services on a regular basis, I don't have anyone nagging me about it, I don't have to go knocking on other people's doors to bug them about my beliefs and I don't have to worry about losing my whole life if my beliefs ever change.

  For JWs, I don't think anyone under 21, or even 19, should be allowed to get baptized. If you're not old enough to drink legally (21 in the US, 19 here in Canada), then you're damn well not old enough to sell your soul to these people and put your entire personal life on the line for a bunch of old men in Brooklyn. Until you're old enough to go out and get plastered at the bar with your buddies, you shouldn't be allowed to make decisions that affect your life like baptism into the WTS affects your life.

  Just an opinion.

  -Becka :)
• 

  Honesty

  Here is what defd would say:

  I don't feel that there is anything wrong with that. How wonderful to see our youths remembering their creator! (Ecclesiastes 12:1). There is nothing the world can offer us, and soon, very soon, Satan the devil, you apostates and this evil wicked system will come to an end. At 9 years old a youth is more than capable of expressing his or her sincerely held beliefs and dedicating their lives to Jehovah! This will certanly lead to everlasting life What other organization out there dispenses such a spiritual feast at the proper time?

  Soledad----defd's spokesperson

  Since defd has absconded JWD due to unknown reasons (elders or WTBTS monitors?) we can surely thank Soledad for carrying on by posting relevant information from him based on the Faithful Diiscreet Slave's twisted doctrines Bible.

  Thankyou, Soledad.
• 

  zagor

  Because WTBS doesn't really care that these kids will most likely turn into screwballs incapable to survive in this world. All they care about are numbers and to have some baptism candidates without looking like idiots if there aren't any after giving a baptism speech at the assembly.
• 

  Lilycurly

  Defd stoped posting? Are you sure? He replied to one of my posts just a few days ago....hmmm, wonder what`s happened to him?
• 

  ICBehindtheCurtain

  I think that the WTS continually tells the parents that they should be instructing their children in the "Truth" "Crap" so they will become baptised members ASAP, most of the parents think, that if their children get baptized early this will serve as a protection for them when they reach their teenage years, since they will have already made this vow with Jehovah the WTS.

  The reality of course is that these parents are really setting their children up for massive stress and trauma when their hormones kick in, indulge in sexual behavior, and are ultimately faced with losing all their freinds and family when they are df'd. I am so glad that I found out the Truth about the "Truth" now, before my two kids got baptized. I remember in 2004 we were talking to them about becoming approved publishers so that they could get ready to get baptized, I'm so glad this never happened.

  My kids are free and very happy now, we all believe in a creator, but no longer believe in the BS that is organized religion, they no longer worry about Persecution (the little one nightmares about this, he worried that they would take us away from him), Tribulation, or the damned Armaggedon, yes life is truly wonderful now that we are beyond all this WTS CRAP!

  I feel sorry for the kids in my KH many of them have gotten baptized and are younger than 14, it's sad, really SAD!

  IC
• 

  reaper

  I was baptised as a JW when I was 7 years old, way back in 1954. I grew up in the Cult, got married in 1967 to my JW wife who had got baptised at 12 years of age and was born into the religion.

  I was appointed an Elder in 1975 when I was only 28 years old, and resigned when I was 40. Unfortunately I stayed with the Cult for another few years and finally we both got out in June 2001.

  When they found out that we had become Born Again Christians, they wanted to punish us. I wrote a letter to the Gestapo Boys in the Penn Congregation Wolverhampton and said that because I was only 7 years old when I was baptised, I did not really know what I was doing and nor did Christine.

  For a while that shut them up, but a year later they still wanted their pound of flesh. But by then my wife had become rooted in Jesus and spoke to the 'ring leader' Elder over the phone for an hour, telling him what a false religion he was in and how they did not know the meaning of LOVE. He kept asking if she accepted the F&DS class was the appointed channel of God on Earth, to which she replied definately NOT as Jesus is the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE.

  When we got baptised properly in 2003 it was of our OWN understanding and realisation of what we were doing.
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  dorayakii

  dedpoet: The wts need kids to get baptised early these days to keep the worlwide total of jws at its present level so as to cover for all the ones who see through the lie and leave.

  
  Not just that. I think that they deliberately baptise them to STOP them from leaving. The fear of public disfellowshipping and shunning is often too great for a baptised child when they realise that this is not what they really want. It takes them many more years to build up the courage to leave, or for them to get caught doing something seriously "sinful". A never-baptised child on the other hand, will often just leave quietly, without all the drama.
  
  ~dorayakii~ p.s. umm... just a little comment... i hate to seem finicky, but why is does this thread bear defd's name yet again? its been said before and no-one takes a blind bit of notice... it'd be nice if the question was open and directed to everyone, and a private note be send to him, requesting his comments? It seems that these days there are hardly any posts which do not have either the words "Big News" or "defd" in them... it's getting tiresome... come on people, let's stop this foolishness.