Legal question

by In Between 12 Replies latest jw friends

  • Nathan Natas
    Nathan Natas


    As smarter people than me have already pointed out, your daughter is far too young to be making such a commitment. If you can, speak to a lawyer about this, stressing that this baptism is not like others but is a form of a loyalty oath to the WTB&TS and will make your minor daughter subject to JW "judicial processes." Have the lawyer prepare a letter to be delivered by registered mail to the PO informing them that any contracts your minor daughter makes are null and void and that you will sue the elders individually if your daughter is made to experience emotional distress as a result of this while she is a minor.

    Even if your daughter REALLY wants this, it is still a bad idea. Let her get tattoos, drive a car, get married, join the Army, and do some boozing first. Then she can get baptized.

    ...and Jesus was 30 when he did it. Is your daughter as "mature" as 30-year-old Jesus was?

    If it does happen, it would be excellent to have a video of the "happy occasion" with an interviewer saying "Today is (month) (day) (year), and we're here at (state place) with little (first name) (last name) who is preparing to take a VERY BIG STEP. (First name), tell us, how old are you? [allow answer in her own words] and tell us, (first name), what are you going to do today? [allow answer] Then get the names of the WT elders involved in this, and "interview" them, under the guise of "today is a very important day in (first name's) life. Will you offer a few comments for her to remember over the years ahead; some wise counsel that she will appreciate in the future?" The entire video can be done as a friendly, happy documentary - no need to be confrontational or offensive. But you'll have names dates, places and their own words which will indicate that they knew she was a minor.

  • Scully
    Scully

    Would your X support your daughter's desire to get married at the age of 9? Or would she think that she's too young, and not had enough life experience to know that the individual she thought she was "in love with" at this age was the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with?

    The WTS has many articles about how getting married is a decision that must be taken seriously, and not rushed into due to "the bloom of youth". They explain how important it is to take time during a courtship to get to know the other person really well and make an informed decision about marrying the person. Yet, they love to just rush people through 6 months worth of studying and get them baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. How much more serious is the decision to dedicate your life to God?

  • Forscher
    Forscher

    I don't really know where you would stand in Colorado In Between. I woul;d think that if you two have joint custody, though she has physical custody, I'd think you have a voice in the matter. I'd say contact the elders in her congregation and remind them that the legal custody is joint if it is and imform them that you will by no means approve a baptism before she is 18 years of age (or whatever age one becomes an adult in your state) and has the caspacity to make that decision herself. Threaten to make trouble for them if they do permit her to take a step which she is obviously not mature enough to take. If you make your point forcfully enough, then they will probably not go through with it.
    If they do go ahead, then if you can make things a bit rough on them, assuming you've already checked on whether you can or not in the meantime, then by all means do so. I might even consider directly threatening legal troubles for the Governing Body by letter to that body as well. That will get everybody's attention. You know what they say about the squeaky wheel being the one that gets oiled.
    your daughter won't like you for taking those steps if you do. But explain to her that if she still wants to take that step when she is mature enough to make that decision, you'll not stand in her way. But also explain to her that no nine-year-old is capable of making that decison, no matter what the Watchtower says.
    That is my opinion. I hope things work out.
    Forscher

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