Are teenagers old enought to get baptised? (page 3)

Dawn

Hi Matty:

Yea - I know...dumb joke - but I couldn't resist.

However - I do think it is ridiculous that they take one number out of an entire set of scriptures - claim that number is literal but the rest of the book is not - then try to tie it in with a parable told by Jesus in Matthew (faithful and discreet slave) that clearly relates to an individual and nowhere uses the words "slave class".

These days however, kids seem to be getting baptized much later - 20/21 is not unusual now.

I'm really glad to see that they're not being pushed. This is a positive move!

Nathan Natas

Hey E-man, I always thought you were familiar. I was at the 1958 assembly in Yankee Stadium too. You musta been the other guy!

(Actually I was there, but I was a kid dragged there by my mom. We had a sister from England stay with us during that assembly; her name was Lois - I never did get her last name. She was a dear.)

I got baptised in the early 60s at 14.

I'm thinking of Farkel's phrase "It's ALL Bible based."

So let's review - Dubs avoid birthday celebrations because at the one birthday party mentioned in the Bible, someone was beheaded.

OK...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall the Bible mentioning anyone but ADULTS being baptised, and in the few instances where we know the adult's age (Jesus), he was 30.

Doesn't that set a precedent at least as strong as the prohibition of birthdays?

Matty

Now that's an interesting point. It's actually two occasions in the bible where birthday's are mentioned and there are subsequent deaths. However, there is a hell of a lot of death in the bible - can someone think of two occasions where something else very mundane happens and there are then subsequent deaths - like so-and-so walked down the road and then someone is murdered so now JWs are not allowed to walk they have to sit on a skateboard – you know what I mean?!

Oops, I'm getting off the thread... Anyway, all my friends, family, everything, is centered on the Jehovah's Witness religion, but I've always felt like an alien pretending to be one of them! One of the things that I just can't understand is that who on earth would actually make a decision and actually choose to live this kind of life? My dedication was supposed to be something incredibly momentous, but it really meant nothing to me. I always kinda wanted it to be the truth, but I know it isn't. But I can't imagine any other way of living - it is so ingrained into me. It’s a bit weird I know!

sunscapes

Now, those examples just happen to be birthdays, but that doesn't mean one couldn't celebrate one without being a complete twit like those in the Bible, so the Scripturality of such an injunction against birthdays is lost on principle. It could have been easily two weddings, or anniversary parties, or the like.

joelbear

I was baptized at 15 and certainly could not comprehend what this decision would mean to me for the rest of my life.

Joel

Nathan Natas

Sunscapes,

Were you ever a witness?

You DO know, don't you, that official JW teaching is that Christians DO NOT celebrate birthdays for just the reasons I gave?

While your comments might apply to ANY OTHER christian organization or general christian theology, it is NOT consistent with WTS teaching, which is the contact of the discussion here.

Preston

I was baptized at 17. I think I pretty much knew what it entailed. I never really thought about my dedication to an organization becuase that's who i didn't want to please. The organization is too big please everyone in it, but anywho....I left at 22 (I'm 23 now) and I've simply decided to not go anymore.

In context, I think it would be difficult for anyone in the U.S. to refute their baptism. The sad reality is that the organization is too legalistic and beauracratic to care. Would you be surprised if you found out that a bunch of lawyers analyzed the confirmation? Din't think so! I knew a kid with a disability who got baptized at 18, a couple of weeks later he said he wished he was never baptized. He only did it becuase he had no friends. the only moment of his stay at my kingdom hall where anyone paid any such attention to him was when they announced his being baptized at the assembly (sad realy....).

Pureheart

Hi Sleepy,
My 2 cents is, Jesus did not get baptized until he was in his thirties. The priest of Israel did not start their duties until they were in their mid twenties and thirty. And why do we suppose. Maturity, yeh?
Making a vow to serve God is the most important promise a person can make, and the second most important vow is the vow of marriage. How many times are we told that teens are too immature to to get married? That stands true. But the most important vow of all, that of serving God can be made by a teen and the teen be held to it?
I DON'T THINK SO!

Pureheart

mustang

"However, if the person continues as a JW much past his or her 18th birthday, then he or she becomes a de facto JW by reason of publicly declaring, by their conduct, that they have as an adult validated their baptismal vow. " -AF

Yes, this process is known as Ratification. It has to do with approving something that changes 'after the fact' based on previous conditions. You can ratify or approve a change AND NOT EVEN BE AWARE OF HAVING DONE SO.

In the same fashion, if you continued as a JW AFTER the 1984 (I picked this number because of Orwellian considerations, LOL; the actual date is given variously 84-86???) change in the 2nd question, you RATIFIED that change.

If you 'bailed', say around '75, you DIDN'T RATIFY the change to worshipping/swearing allegiance to the 'organization'.

Mustang

MarchOn

O.K guys, now I know my baptism does not count because in my 1st answer to this post I didn't even spell batize right!!!! LOL! I spelled it baptise-WRONG WRONG WRONG. I should write to the GB and ask them to cancel my baptism cause if ya can't spell you should'nt do it.
That should be one of the questions for baptism.
Alright sister or brother so and so the next question is.......

Are teenagers old enought to get baptised?

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