Why were you baptized?

by bluecanary 57 Replies latest jw experiences

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  apostate from way back when

  I never wanted to become a JW in the first place. My sister and I were forced to attend meetings with my mother, I was 13 and my sister 15. I was pressured into becoming baptized, I just did it not to rock the boat because my father (who wasn't a JW) would probably kick my a**. My father thought becoming JW's would keep us away from drugs, bad influences, etc... At age 17 I finally put my foot down and said I would no longer attend. Consequently, I came home from school one day, and my bag was packed and on the front door step, and I was told to leave.

  I was estranged from my family for a long time, and putting me out on the streets at such a tender age to fend for myself was like being fed to the lions.

  What kind of parent puts their kid out on the street? Why, that would be a JW!!! Such a loving bunch.
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  WhereWasI

  Me and my husband had been studying with a real jerk of a guy and his wife who were both born-ins. We bought the pitch, we were vulnerable at the time being in our twenties and such but we wanted to get him off our backs. So we got baptized after 6 months in the LIE book.

  WhereWasI
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  Jim_TX

  ...it seemed like the thing to do - at the time...

  I think that I was about 17 or 18.

  It may have also been because there was a gal there who was about a year or two older - and she was getting baprized. I saw the attention she was getting... and I think I wanted some attention, too.

  The assembly was going to be in my mom's old home town... a circuit assy... and I think that I figured that would be a good thing... (I thought it might give my mom a warm fuzzy feeling...)

  I certainly didn't feel any 'praise the lord' emotion... either before - during - or after - getting baptized.

  I think that may be why the presiding a-hole overseer made me go through the '80 questions' in that gawd awful yellow(?) book twice. Once with the group - and then again - at his house in private. I think he had it in for my family - and was trying to drag his feet on approving my getting dunked. (Could they do that?)

  Don't ask me what year I got baptized... they said it was one of the most important events in a person's life... I've forgotten it.

  Regards,

  Jim TX
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  finallysomepride

  Hi this being my 1st post, joined a few weeks ago, been reading up on what everyone has to say.

  I was baptised in 1982, why? pressure from my friends and my uncle/elder I was living with at the time.

  Last time in field service November 1982, didn't last long did i, but stayed associated until 2002 memorial night that was the last time in a KH.
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  finallysomepride

  "No one will marry you if you aren't baptized. "

  I was married a year later to a unbaptised sister, no KH wedding but was married by an elder, sometime later i found out the elder celebrated his family birthdays.
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  Sunspot

  Wow......I see that so many posters were under 20 years old and I feel foolish because I was 30 and should have known better! In 1969 I had a huge disagreement with the parish priest over the expenses $$$ of our children's !st Communion and the nice JW ladies came to the door right afterwards. They asked if I wanted to know what my bible said.....I began the WTS indoctrination program, and the rest is history.

  This was at the time that the WTS was screaming to hurry, hurry, HURRY and get baptized before the END came because you would die where you stood when the wrath of God struck. I wanted a better life for myself and my kids......and to live in that idyllic world I saw pictured on the covers of the WTS literature and being baptized was my ticket to paradise. I was baptized in 1972.......and (sigh) we are STILL waiting for "THE END TO COME"! (My grandchildren included, LOL)

  Annie
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  IWillBeDubbedNoMore

  I was baptized at the age of 19. I wasn't pressured or forced to do it. I loved God and wanted to dedicate my life to him. I was baptized before the two questions changed, so I still feel that my baptism is valid. As I explained to mt family, I dedicated my life to God, not an organization.
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  bluecanary

  Welcome, finallysomepride! Thanks for posting.