Special Assembly 2-Day 2,000 delegates and TWO baptisms!

by MinisterAmos 54 Replies latest jw friends

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  Juan Viejo

  Rebaptism seems to be a new twist. In some cases it seems to be taking the place of repentance (washing themselves clean of their sins in the manner of John the Baptist). In other cases as a way to testify that they really didn't know what they were doing before at the first baptism because they were too young (immature, married a Witness, urged by their parents, peer pressure, etc.)

  The real issue here is not whether they, in good conscience, believe that somehow rebaptism is a cure for past failures or lack of real commitment. The issue is how the Society treats these dips for accounting purposes. There doesn't seem to be any Biblical support for rebaptism in connection with repentance. If there was, there would be a lot of Catholics and Orthodox members that would need to go do it again - unless they really knew what they were doing at their christenings.

  I still think the Watchtower might be quietly recommending this approach so as to boost their baptism numbers, if not their membership rolls. Like reporting hours in door-to-door service - it's mostly smoke and mirrors.

  JV
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  Sunspot

  I still think the Watchtower might be quietly recommending this approach so as to boost their baptism numbers, if not their membership rolls. Like reporting hours in door-to-door service - it's mostly smoke and mirrors.

  Since the baptism "numbers" are definetly slipping, and we all know how "numbers-conscious" the WTS is.....you may very well be right!
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  blondie

  Does that mean if your spouse cheats on you, you have to get married again?

  Rebaptism is discouraged strongly nowadays. Partly for the legal ramifications if someone should say they weren't properly baptized because they were too young or too ignorant to know what they were doing and can't be df'd.

  Blondie
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  OnTheWayOut

  When I was baptized in 1972, a "sister" with a clipboard came into the ladies room where we were changing into our bathing suits, and asked each of us if what congregation we were from and if we had ever been baptized as a JW before. I thought that was really strange and asked my study conductor about it when I saw her.

  The same thing with me 15 years after that, but it was a brother outside the men's locker room on the way to the pool. I thought it was very strange, also. I never heard more than a brief explanation as the posters here have already mentioned.
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  XBEHERE

  I attended mine yesterday and we had just over 2000 attending with 17 baptized. It always fluctuates based on the age and amount of children of baptized JW's who take the plunge. I think its more accurate not to fixate on the "only 2 baptized" but the fact that very VERY few are coming in from the field anymore.
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  StillGroggy

  I was just at my special 1 day and there were 20-someott dipped, mostly kids. I wish they had broken that financial independence stuff out at mine. I was just the usual "obey" drivel and guilt-fest from "company men". The good thing is that it prompted my wife's interest in restarting our lax family study. We used to study for meetings as our "family study" but I suggested we have a seperate night to delve "deeper".

  Now we can actually talk and hopefully, actually do some THINKING instead of just underlining.
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  Jourles

  When I was baptized in '91, right before we went into the changing room, a sister asked for my name and if I had been baptized before. At the time I thought it was a very odd question. "Why on earth would someone get baptized more than once" came to mind.
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  Anitar

  Curious. The JW children are dogged by the elders to get baptised as soon as possible under the guise of "personal choice" (a foreign concept in the watchtower).

  On one hand, they are supposed to be old enough to "make choices for themselves, and take the responsibility of living a Christian life," yet they're not allowed to date or get married. A JW girl I used to know from high school said her parents wouldn't allow her to date a guy unless she intended to get married to him. It's as if women's sufferage and the civil rights movement never happened!

  Then, as an adult years later, they are encouraged to get "rebaptised?" So what exactly does that mean? Are you more mature at 13 than at 35 (I wouldn't be surprised if that were true of JW's)? If they are the most happy, organized people on earth, then why get "rebaptised?" Or maybe it's part of that whole you'll-never-be-good-enough clause.

  Maybe that's why they're harboring so many child abusers, so they can get them to "repent," so they can get rebaptised. That's one way to send their numbers skyrocketing!

  Anitar
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  mcsemike

  Anitar: Enjoyed your comments. First, it's sad that only TWO people got baptized. Percentage-wise, that is NOT good. Especially if they were kids from a JW family. Hardly "converting the world", is it? But they do claim that their work is a "warning work". They know most people won't become JW's. The sad part is that they don't seem to care. If they could set up loudspeakers and tell all six billion people on earth the "kingdom message" within 30 minutes and be done with it, they'd quit field service and wait for the end, because the "world had received its witness, so we are clean from blood guilt". That sucks.

  I think the higher education deal, if true, is because there is no other way. People my age in their 50's and 60's who have no pensions and didn't get a good education and career have no money to donate to Bethel and some can't afford the hotels for the summer conventions. So some of this might be so the rank and file can earn enough to give to Bethel. I highly doubt they care if I get to own a boat or not. I'm lucky because 5 years ago, I told them to stick it and I got a degree in Psych. That, along with my MCSE in computer networking, should suffice to support me. I also hope to write a book about my daughter's molestation, start in Internet business, and I also teach piano on the side. And I save SO much money by not going to the meetings and giving it all away at the hall. I'd rather send it to my daughter, who is struggling as it is.

  But I bet this comes back to bite them you know where. As people get more education, they are forced to learn how the world thinks. I know in my Psych courses, philosophy and religion played a huge part. Courses about death and dying, care of the elderly, child development, cultural differences due to religion, etc., all were covered extensively. The WT is going to see many JW's with raised eyebrows someday when they learn the REAL truth.

  All we can do is wait and see. My best to all.

  end of line.
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  Anitar

  Mike:Good to see you again! I like how you mentioned the WTS is now encouraging it members to get a higher education so they can get a better job to donate more money. It's not because they care about the financial security of the rank and file, they just need cash!

  However, it's easy for me to point the finger at them. In an attempt to not sound hypocritical, I confess that I don't really donate money to any religious organization at large, maybe sometimes at my local church where I know where the money's going. Does that make me a bad person?

  The problem I see is what happens when the next generation of JWs are in college, and they learn about history and psychology and especially sociology, and they are forced to apply it to themselves, how will that make them think? I'm guessing they'll be very, very conflicted because they have a loyalty to the org and their family, but they also have the logical thinking introduced by the college atmosphere. I know I'm very conflicted, and I'm not even a JW!

  I spend all day at school, and everything about my life is centered around logic, reasoning, and independent thought. Then I go home to my mom, who raised me for who I am, and it's like going back in time about 150 years. She's always spying on me, she operates in cloak and dagger, and she has these weird moments where she goes blank and stares into space for hours at a time. She'll focus on everything bad happening in the world like a leech sucking the blood of its victim. She never gets anything important done. Now I know she's handicapped, but if she has the energy to be a JW, can't she put that energy into real life?

  Maybe I'll never find the answer. Maybe I've lost her forever...

  Anitar