JWBaptism Blog Retaken (By a JW)
The blog from which the article www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/241890/1/JW-Baptism was taken was closed down by the blogger in the early part of 2012. However, it seems to have recently been claimed by what appears to be the son of a father whose story was featured on the original blog. Please visit this site to see the tirade against 'apostates' in true cult-personality style. Unlike the original blogger who simply presented the information and described the course of events through the letters of correspondence, it appears the new blogger has resorted to an attempt at defamation of the father's character:
http://jwbaptism.blogspot.co.uk/
I was going to give a comment, but you have to have a google account for that. Nevertheless, here is what I was going to write:
"You seem to know some personal information about the father. Are you perhaps his son? What would you say if the son's mother had been in the 'Moonie' cult or espoused Scientology, would you think the father would have a right to intervene? If so is it not a case of double standards? Part of the role of a caring father is to protect his offspring from anything he considers to be questionable. So please don't berate your father for following his conscience."
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I thought I would also include here for those not aware of the prophecy uttered by the WTS back in 1969:
"WHAT FUTURE FOR THE YOUNG? Young or old, you need to face up to the fact that this system is not going to change its direction. Under Satan's influence, it will continue to deteriorate rapidly in its remaining years. The truth of this can be seen in crime statistics everywhere. In the United States the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that in 1968 there was a fantastic 17 -percent increase in crime over 1967. This came on top of many years of other large increases. The population, however, grew only one percent last year. So crime exploded seventeen times as fast as the population! If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not? Because all the evidence in fulfillment af Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. Of the generation that observed the beginning of the 'last days' in 1914, Jesus foretold: 'This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.'--Matt. 24:34. Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in high school and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone! This is why parents who base their lives on God's prophetic Word find it much more practical to direct their young ones into trades that do not require such long periods of additional schooling. And trades such as carpentry, plumbing, and others, will be useful not only now, but perhaps even more so in the reconstruction work that will take place in God's new order. With such practical trades, many young persons have been able to sustain themselves with part-time work. This allows them to spend much more of their time helping interested persons to learn God's requirements for life by studying the Bible with them. True, those who do not understand where we are in the stream of time from God's viewpoint will call this impractical. But which is really practical: preparing yourself for a position in this world that soon will pass away? or working toward surviving this system's end and enjoying eternal life in God's righteous new order?--1 John 2:17. In these urgent times, as this wicked system writhes in its death pangs, this counsel from God's Word Is most practical for all who want to keep living: 'My son, my law do not forget, and my commandments may your heart observe, because length of days and years of life and peace will be added to you.'-Prov. 3:1, 2." - Awake! 22 May 1969, Pages 14 & 15
"However, the prophet who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded him to speak or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. And in case you should say in your heart: 'How shall we know the word that Jehovah has not spoken?' when the prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word does not occur or come true, that is the word that Jehovah did not speak. With presumptuousness the prophet spoke it. You must not get frightened at him." - Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (NWT).
"The expression 'in the name of' need not imply the name of a person. Today, many things are done 'in the name of the government,' which is not a person. They are done by the authority of the government." - Extract from Watch. 15 March 2010, page 14.
The Governing Body claims to speak by the authority of Jehovah, therefore such a prophecy as that proclaimed back in 1969 constitutes a presuming to speak in the name of Jehovah. Although they have proven themselves in times past to wish to have the honour of a prophet but none of the accountability, the fact remains that they are false prophets.
JWBaptism Blog Retaken (By a JW)
by JWB 5 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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"But why did he obey God over his parent? The man was harsh and unreasonable. He said 'wait until you are 18, but maybe 16'. I'm sure whatever age he reached, he would still get the same response. The boy's own sister was 18 and she was still discouraged to be part of a religion. Because he was in a position of scriptural responsibility as the head of the house, he took delight in 'disciplining' his children. The Truth never caused this to happen, it was his own selfish actions that caused this. When offered help, he never accepted it. Hypocritically, he made promises but never kept them."
I need to address the assumptions and claims made in this text from the new blogger.
(1) "The man was harsh and unreasonable" is a subjective analysis which is an attempt to bias the reader.
(2) The blogger cannot be 'sure whatever age he reached, he would still get the same response'. Again this is a subjective analysis which is an attempt to bias the reader.
(3) The fact that "the boy's own sister was 18 and she was still discouraged to be part of a [actually 'the'] religion" has no bearing on the matter. The father may have discouraged the boy's sister but that does not mean he would have forbidden her from becoming baptised as a JW. He simply exercised his right to speak up as a concerned father. Of course the mother was not censured for putting religious influence on her son by taking him to meetings and regularly talking with him about things pertaining to the organization.
(4) "He took delight in 'disciplining' his children". Again this is a subjective analysis which is an attempt to bias the reader.
(5) The word 'Truth' is used as a cult trigger to associate anything that isn't in agreement with the "teachings and practices peculiar to Jehovah's Witnesses" to appear as questionable. It could be said that the 'Truth' did indeed cause these problems as it insinuates itself so much into the family unit.
(6) "It was his own selfish actions that caused this". Again this is a subjective analysis which is an attempt to bias the reader. The cult mind is not prepared to entertain the possibility that the father was acting according to his conscience and out of genuine concern for his child.
(7) "When offered help, he never accepted it." Of course by this is meant that he didn't allow himself to be coerced by the local elders. The fact of the matter is that the elders of the congregation for many years made no attempts to contact father, but rather everything was directed to the mother out of earshot of the father.
(8) "Hypocritically, he made promises but never kept them." This is again an attempt at character assassination through generalisation. It is actually a straw man argument that has no bearing on whether or not the father had a right to object to the baptism. -
JWB
The experience of the father concerning his son's baptism can be found here:
http://jwfacts.com/watchtower/experiences/baptism-of-a-minor.phpI wonder if JWFacts might like to include a note to the effect that the original blogsite was taken down in 2012 and restarted by the JW in 2013?
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[Removed]
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Another point here that addresses the reason of why a private matter became a public one. The father of the baptised son had spent a lot of time and effort to resolve the matter via the congregation and the national representative (WTBTS Britain) of the organization. Had any of the organization's representatives rectified matters then the affair would have stayed private. However, not only was there no apology from the congregation elders or WTBTS Britain, WTBTS Britain effectively gave support to the elders, with no censure. As a consequence, the father decided that the public had a right to know about this. Making such information public may also provide anyone who might end up in a similar position as the father to be forewarned.
It should also be noted that the father had no objection to the son pursuing the Christian religion. What the father objected to was the making of a verbal contract with the Governing Body to come under its ecclesiastical authority. His concern was the same concern expressed by parents who wish for their children to reach adulthood before being allowed to make certain commitments. I wonder what the organization would have to say about a young teen deciding for himself, against the wishes of a JW parent, to take up the Catholic faith - if the JW parent were a father, would not the organization expect him to use his 'headship' to circumvent that?
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IMPORTANT NOTICE
This is the very last post I will be making on the forum. I've decided that I really do wish to move on with my life and try to leave reminders of the WTS behind. If anyone has any questions concerning the above matter they can be directed to [email protected], thank you. -