Minimus, I can only assume that she was referring to the idea that he was simply following some pre-destined course set out for him ( read prophesy here) leading to giving his life to save mankind. My reasoning to her was that if it is figured that Jesus was 30, then he was clearly an adult, and if the perfect son of God does not take the big plunge of baptism until he is without question an adult with many years of experience behind him so as to be fully aware of what he is doing, why on earth should it ever be acceptable for a mere child to agree to a lifetime commitment? I should also point out that her position is that it is perfectly acceptable based on the individual child's level of maturity and that the "brothers" are capable of deciding if the appropriate level of understanding exists to allow the child to proceed. Other than making it clear that I disagreed completely with her, I did not pursue the subject past that point. I can't express to her the multitude of reasons why I disagree with her because she cannot handle that kind of in-depth discussion. It would pose a threat to her carefully constructed house of cards faith, and I have no right to impose my views on her anymore than she has the right to impose hers on me now that I am an adult. It is of course my hope that both of my parents will see it all for what it is and get out while they still have some good years left, but that is a decision they have to make on their own, just as I did.
Did You Support Children Getting Baptized?
by minimus 23 Replies latest jw friends
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caligirl
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minimus
I do wish that there was a legal loophole that would void child baptisms.
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bittersweet
minimus, you made a good point when you said that marriage is a huge decision, and one wouldn't expect one to enter into that at such a young age. If a 12 year old said he/she wanted to get married, that they were mature enough, a parent would obviously say no. Yet they have no problem allowing a young child to get baptized, when they themselves say that dedication and baptism is the MOST important decision one can ever make. Lets see, a child can dedicate the rest of their lives to an earthly organization, but can't make a decision about who he can hang out with. Makes no sense.
I got baptised at 15, because I wanted to please my mom and make the elders believe I was a good kid. My dad ( who wasn't a witness ) called me on the phone and said it was the worst decision I could ever make ( I got so mad I hung up on him ). For once, my dad was right about something.
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minimus
Thanx Bittersweet. To me this very simply proves that baptism of children is inappropriate and should not be binding. If you can't marry because you're not ready or mature enough, how can you dedicate your life to something that you cannot truly appreciate? It's like that 14 year old boy marrying that 44? year old woman. He's not wise enough to know what true love is!