15-year-old DF'd child under quarantine? How young could it be?

by FatFreek 2005 16 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  FatFreek 2005

  I'm thinking about including the following in an online essay but wish to make sure it's fair and accurate. What do you think?

  Any baptized member who uses tobacco and cannot quit ( deemed unrepentant) will be disfellowshipped. Be aware that there is no stated minimum age limit and I've heard of children as young as 11 who've been baptized. A disfellowshipped 15-year-old child, for example, would not be permitted to continue a relationship with any family members who do not live within his household. He would be quarantined from baptized grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. when regular family gatherings are held. Even brothers and sisters who no longer live within his household would be off-limits to this child.

  Len
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  NewChapter

  That's pretty accurate. I know someone that was baptized at 12 and disfellowshipped at 13. Thirty years later he's still being shunned.

  NC
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  breakfast of champions

  Unfortunately that is 100% accurate.
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  DesirousOfChange

  June 15, 2011 Watchtower (pg 5) implies that age 12 is appropriate for baptism:

  "A Witness in Greece said: 'I was baptized when I was 12 years old. I have never regretted my decision.......I did not have the Scriptural knowledge that I have now. But I knew that I loved jehovah and wanted to serve him forever.'"

  It's OK to make the most important decision in one's life -- one that will/could affect you for thes rest of your life -------at age 12.
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  Band on the Run

  My cousins were baptized at twelve. OUr overseer's daughter was about ten. Witnesses don't seem to realize that children develop and are not small adults. Is it this dramatic? Would a family actually do this to a young child? Smoking is not a moral fault but a serious addiction. The New York Times reported how sinister nicotine was in addicting the brain. It may be harder to quit than heroin.

  Addictions exist. Is shunning going to stop the chemical and biological problem of nicotine addiction. You have me crying for someone I don't even known and may not exist. I do recall neighborkids smoking their older siblings cigarettes in 4th or 5th grade. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

  It is interesting b/c I attend several Anglican churches. Babies and toddlers get a cross on their forehead as a blessing during Eucharist. Some churches let slightly older children receive communion. My eyes pop out but it is none of my business. Others require children to be solid teenagers for Eucharist. My conclusion is that it is the whim of the priest.

  What age would the Witnesses refuse to baptize? YOung children know Bible Studies and are taught that Jehovah is good and great. Once my cousins were baptised, I viewed it as marriage: instant love, adult status, own home, own car. I was jealous as hell. My mom said tough. She was baptized at twelve and thought she knew everything. Knowing what you don't know is an adult requirement. She suggested forty as an appropriate age. Somehow I don't think anyone would endorse her views. I was taught very early about keeping secrets within family.

  Excellent writing. So descriptive.
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  free @ last

  Len you have a PM
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  FatFreek 2005

  Thanks, all, for your input. And DOC, thanks for that current quote -- which always throws a lot of weight in presenting facts.

  Based on that I decided to do a little searching in my WT Lib CD and found the following:

  "Likewise today, many young ones have dedicated their lives to serve Jehovah. Akifusa, a 15-year-old, said that a part on the Service Meeting helped him to make his decision to get baptized. Ayumi got baptized when she was ten years old. She wanted to serve Jehovah because she really came to love him. Now she is 13 and just had the experience of seeing her Bible student, who has also come to love Jehovah, get baptized at the age of 12. Ayumi’s younger brother Hikaru was also baptized at the age of ten. "Some said I was too young," he recalls, "but Jehovah knew how I felt. I was determined to get baptized once I decided to dedicate my life to serve him with all I had."" The Watchtower, 1992, 10/1 p. 22

  "There were many witnesses to the mass baptism, and among them many photographers and professional newsreel men. In less than two hours 50 baptizers immersed a grand total of 2,373, baptizing 1,545 women and 828 men, the oldest being 87 years of age and the youngest 8 years." The Watchtower, 1952, 1/1, p. 29

  Imagine, a child never having entered the most challenging years of his life -- 8 years old.

  Your experiences, BOTR, are insightful. " What age would the Witnesses refuse to baptize?" I don't know because I suspect their motive is entrapment. Their punitive hold on the baptized one begins then and they seem to be all about control.

  My 11 year old example, in the script above, is of my grandson. I've never met him, given him a hug, or taken him fishing.

  In the essay, I want to be fair, and not exaggerate. Looks like I'm going to cut that number down to 8 thanks to Watchtower's own writing.

  Len
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  shopaholic

  I knew a kid that was baptized at 8, couple years later went to pioneer school* and then disfellowshipped at 12. She was not an only child. Lots of extended family in the org. She was shunned and never came back (no incentive at that age). Weird and sad...

  *I believe now there is a new rule that you have to be at least 16 to attend pioneer school.
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  FatFreek 2005

  That is extremely sad, shopaholic. Thanks for sharing.

  This topic is under the forum heading "Child abuse issues" for good reason.

  Len
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  AnnOMaly

  I can beat your 8.

  w96 8/1 p. 21 Keeping Eyes and Heart Fixed on the Prize

  In 1934, Mom and Dad were baptized. I too wanted to get baptized, and I kept insisting until Mother asked an older Witness to talk with me about it. He asked many questions in a manner that I could understand. Then he told my parents that I should not be prevented from being baptized; it might harm my spiritual growth. So I was baptized the following summer, when I was still six.

  w92 3/1 p. 27 Pursuing a Goal Set at Six Years of Age

  In the summer of 1946, I was baptized at the international convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Although I was only six years of age, I was determined to fulfill my dedication to Jehovah.