J.W. Parents Being Conned to Sacrifice Their Kids to the Org!

by The Searcher 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  The Searcher

  The G.B. is now really putting the pressure on J.W.'s to "encourage" their pre-pubescent children to "dedicate" themselves to the Org by being baptized!

  Not only does the Bible dismiss such a false directive, the Org's own Insight book dismisses the suggestion that such young ones are mentally able to make such a decision! (No doubt to vilify Christendom's child-baptisms!)

  (1 Corinthians 7:14) "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in relation to his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in relation to the brother; otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy."

  it-1 p. 251 Baptism - "The statement made by the apostle Paul to the Corinthians that children were "holy" by reason of a believing parent is no proof that infants were baptized; rather, it implies the opposite. Minor children too young to have the ability to make such a decision would come under a form of merit because of the believing parent, not because of any so-called sacramental baptism, imparting independent merit. If infants could properly be baptized, they would not need to have the merit of the believing parent extended to them.—1Co 7:14."

  You've been caught red-handed yet again Brooklyn!
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  confused

  Why do you say they are encouraging children to get baptised?
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  konceptual99

  It's coming out through implication in videos directed at kids as well as accounts of young ones being baptised at 10,11,12 during speeches by GB and senior WTS elders at branch visits and conventions. The last example of this is Mark Sanderson talking about a 9 year old being baptised during the branch visit in Germany.
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  Zoos

  That baptism gives them all the leverage they need to come in and take over a life. The ability to hold disfellowshipment and shunning over someones head is a powerful manipulating tool. Watchtower baptism is a public demonstration that you have completely submitted to your new puppet masters.

  What I don't understand is: Why all the emphasis on younger baptisms when they already beat the drum of backing away from "unwholesome associates", whether or not they are baptized? There has always been an unofficial, basement (wink, wink) disfellowshipping arrangement. Is this new push for control.... I mean, baptism of younger lives the result of that little side arrangement not working so well?
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  Vidiot

  Get 'em dunked young, so that if they figure out the TATT in their teens, they can DF 'em before they cause any trouble.
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  Finkelstein

  Nice catch The Searcher and they say they dont go beyond of what the bible says ?

  Of course they do, the biggest thing they do is make the preaching of the Gospel a money making

  commodity.
  
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  jhine

  However much they may knock Christendom's practice of child baptism it is in no way a " contract " like is in the WT .Infant baptism is more a welcoming of the child into the family of God . The parents and Godparents make promises to be responsible for the child's Christian upbringing .

  Later on a person can be confirmed . Then the person makes promises for him/herself, but if that person stops going to church- declares themselves to be atheist , satanist or Jedi no action is taken against them .

  Jan
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  The Searcher

  A bi-product of such young ones being baptized will be this - because they've been baptized, it means that by the time they reach teenage years and waken up to a variety of things, then they will be d/f'd for acting on such awakenings.

  On leaving home, the parents will be compelled to cut such children out of their lives - and in many cases, out of inheritances, "because they abandoned Jehovah". Guess who will probably gain bigger shares in wills?

  Not in every case, but in many more!
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  steve2

  Funnily enough, the concerted push by the GB to have children dedicate themselves to Jehovah/the organization is at heart a conservative move that is well understood and practised by conventional religious groups such as Catholics and some mainline Protestant churches.

  It is part of the ageing process that cults go through as they vie for the mainstream because it is recognition that most of the new growth will come, not from outsiders converting to the organization, but from born-ins - a phenomena that, again, is well understood by older groups.

  In its growth heyday (the late 1960s to mid 1970s), the organization had plenty of new blood coimng into the organization so it did feel pressure to enlist parents help to indoctrinate the young ones as early as possible to ensure ongoing religious affiliation.

  There is less sinister intent about this than there is a 'normal' developmental milestone in the organization's ageing process. As the Catholic church has said for centuries, "Give us a child before age 7, and that child will be with us for life".
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  jdub1991

  hello all, I am new to the group and posted about an hour ago. Feedback to my post would be greatly appreciated, thanks.