Baptized before turning 18

by FreeChick 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  FreeChick

  Hey everybody!

  I've really enjoyed my time here so far and thank everyone. Besides successfully killing far too many threads I've become very enlightened by all your thoughts and knowledge.

  After reading many posts, I happened to think...

  In the US, individuals under 18 can't be held liable for contracts they sign which is why a minor isn't allowed to enter into a contract. Well, has that ever been tested with respect to the JW's or would they still cry religious freedom? So if someone were to sue the JW's for DFing them, etc because they were baptized while a minor, what would happen? I realize that the cong would still warn everyone of that person being a bad associate, but there's a big difference between that and being DF'd.

  Thanks for reading and any responses.

  FreeChick
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  fullofdoubtnow

  I don't know that much about US law, being in the UK, but I would think the wts would have a way around being sued for that. They would say that it was the child's decision to get baptised, and they fitted all the criteria, etc, although most of us know the sort of pressure kids are put under by their parents and the elders to get baptised. I don't have children myself, but I have witnessed the sort of blackmail kids as young as 10, and sometimes even younger, are subjected to in this country to "make their stand for jehovah", and I doubt jw parents in other parts of the world are that much differrent.
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  mama1119

  I went to see a lawyer about that, and he said it would be very difficult to work that angle. Religious freedom rules over it.
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  doogie

  from what i understand, you'd have to have ceased all practices within the org the moment you hit 18. otherwise, they can say that you displayed implicit agreement and made the baptismal "contract" binding while you were of age.

  and welcome!
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  nonamegiven

  Yeah, from what I know religious freedome is going keep you locked in.
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  SB

  i've thought about confronting some of the adults that pressured me into baptism when i was 14. well, they pressured me before age 14, i finally said yes at that age though (b/c my then best friend also said she wanted to get baptized, on a whim one night at the TMS meeting). so, we approached our P.O. together and arranged to go over "the questions". I studied long and hard ~ i still have my studied book "organized to accomplish our ministry" with my notes in it.

  The breaking point for me consenting to baptism was when a pioneer sister invited me out in FS b/c she noticed i hadn't been out in a while. She asked me how long I had been an Unbaptized pubilsher. "since I was 12". "and do you study for all the meetings?"..."not really"...."well, do you think the elders would have let you become an unbaptized publisher if they knew that? probably not". *tears were welling up*. she continued..."and how long do you think the elders expect you to be an unbaptized publisher before you get baptized? isn't the goal to get a little bit of experience in service so you can be qualified for baptism? you've been going out in service for 2 years now, how much longer are you going to wait?" *swallowed tears - felt numb*.

  The next meeting i approached the elders w/my friend and asked if we could be baptized at the upcoming ass. (assembly).
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  jwfacts

  It is almost impossible to sue for being d/f because the courts do not want to mix law with religion. Being a religious minor is not the same as being a minor.

  I used the same reasoning to attempt to have my baptism annuled, writing to Bethel saying I was a minor when baptised and had been coerced into baptism by lies in the Watchtower. I listed some lies at the time, such as they have always said the same thing about 1914. They seriously considered my letter, but disallowed it because I had formed other contracts with the Watchtower Society as an adult, such as signing up for pioneering and also for Bethel.

  Annulment is an option, as it means that you will then be treated (in theory) as a worldly person and I do know of 3 cases where the baptism was annuled. However, these cases were not for being minors, but for people that did not have a thorough knowledge of the requirements before baptism. 2 were immediately rebaptised. The other did not get rebaptised, but she was certified insane and had been fornicating post and prior baptism.