Why is the Watchtower Society so cruel to teens?

by RULES & REGULATIONS 69 Replies latest jw experiences

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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  My mom just informed me that a 17 year old has been disfellowshipped at her hall.At least 7 others have been kicked out within the last 5 years.The publisher count is only 56 .Why do they let the teens get baptized so young? I was 14 and only got baptized because of pressure and the end was coming.If you weren't baptized you would be destroyed.

  Why don't they wait until everyone is at leat 21? All these teens haven't come back and you won't ever see them unless they return.I haven't seen my cousin in over 2 years.No one went to his wedding,isn't invited to any family functions and is to be avoided at all costs.

  The Watchtower Society should be ashamed that they act that way and the parents let them get away with it.
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  megsmomma

  I soooooo agree with you. In my case, I have 3 siblings.....I was the oldest and only one baptised (at 14 also). Now that we are all adults, I am the only one shunned, and they are all welcome..and even love bombed by the org. It ticks me off because my youngest sister (21) is contemplating going back and SHE WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME!!!! She almost dies to talking a stand against blood. (She never took a stand againt pre-marital sex or drugs however) I think it is utterly ridiculous. I have a daughter still being raised as a JW and I will keep talking to her about the WISE decicion of not getting baptised untill she is WAY older...If she then chooses. Jesus was a great example...He wasn't baptised till in his 30's.
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  megsmomma

  I re-read my post and I was typing too fast...I meant to say "She almost dies taking a stand againt blood" That makes more sense...LOL
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  blondie

  The WTS teaches parents that only for a limited time are children protected from dying at Armageddon on the basis of their parent(s) baptism. But they don't tell them what the minimum age is, just imply that they have to be old enough to understand the scriptures. (So some elders have interpreted that as being as young as 6).

  I personally don't think they should be allowed to be baptised until they are 18, the legal age to get married, join the military, and vote (without parental permission).

  So parents are worried that their children will die and push them to get baptised early. The elders and the WTS know that the only increase they see nowadays are among younger JWs.

  Blondie
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  garybuss

  The minor children are protected by the good work of their parent until puberty. The teaching is called "family merit". It's on the WT cd.
  
  
  
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  Mary

  Why do they let the teens get baptized so young? I was 14 and only got baptized because of pressure and the end was coming.If you weren't baptized you would be destroyed.

  A little thing called "control". They pressure you to get baptized when you're still very young because if you screw up, they can deal with you harshly. If you decide to smoke when you're 16 or 17 (not that I'm saying you should), and you're not baptized, then they can't disfellowship you which really pisses them off. They don't like it when they can't control your actions and they certainly don't like letting the R&F get away with breaking any of their manmade rules. Therefore if you get baptized when your 14, and try smoking when you're 16 or 17, they can rule you with a rod of iron and disfellowship you from your family and friends. At that age, peer pressure is enormous and if you've only got friends that go to the Hall and you're cut off from them, then that's a huge pressure on you to toe the line and return to the fold.

  I think it's ridiculous how they condemn infant baptism, when what they're doing is hardly any different.
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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  Blondie,

  Thank you for all your posts . I love your Watchtower revues.You are so right about parents being afraid that if their children are not baptized,they will be destroyed.
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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  Mary,

  My 3 favorite forum members are Blondie,Garybus and yourself. You are right that they need control over everyone.You cannot have any dissent.Put fear into all and you can get anything you want.
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  tan

  And they speak against baptizing infants! I was 13 when I was baptized and that was because of peer pressure. I now wish that I never got baptized...didn't understand the implications of it. When I was still attending the meetings they would pressure my teenage kids to consider baptism. I never encouraged it...I know what I went through. I want my kids to make their own decisions...mature decisions.

  It is mind control. I do remember some that were not baptized got disassociated instead.
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  angelus

  The Watchtower Society acts that way because all their doctrine, rules, and everything else is based on false beiefs, if it were based on

  God's word they would not treat anybody harsh, teens or adults. I am a saved Christian, I donot like to bash other religions, and when the JWs come to the door I also tell them what I believe. The woman who came to the door said, "Oh Dear, it is nice that you have your own religion." But she really didn't listen to me, cause the next week she was on my doorstep with a pamplet on "False Relgions." I should have been insulted, but I wasn't, I just smiled and thought, every religion thinks their religion is the only one. Even though I have shown them passages in the Bible that contradict what they believe, they still believe what they are told by the Watchtower! Jesus, in His last supper, told us to have communion as often as we wanted in rememberance of Him, He was and is God's Son, but Watchtower does not believe that, or that anyone other than the 144,000 anointed can have communion? They are wrong! The 144,000 are Jews that will be converted to Christ during the Great Tribulation, and will in turn convert Jews and gentiles alike. Look to Revelation. It doesn't say they will be JW, also not letting members of their church take communion is an injustice to those church members, and only taught by the Watchtower Society, because no where else is it written that only the anointed can take communion...........these are just a few things, how much more are they hiding from their church members?