The right age to get baptized?

by shotgun 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  shotgun

  I've always wondered why it was ok for Jesus to wait until he was 29 to get baptized in symbol of his dedication while JW's are pressured at such an early age. Do you suppose Joseph was always on his case...Jesus get up its time to go to the temple.....Why didn't you comment today?.......When are you going stop hanging out in Gallilee with all your friends and get baptized?

  Is this just another control aspect of the WTBTS, handcuff you to the org while your young and make it almost impossible to leave later when you mature?
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  freedom96

  The younger a child is, the more impressionable they are. Once they are baptized, it makes it so much harder to grow up and experience life when you have the threat of being df'd constantly over your shoulder.
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  Tashawaa

  Being raised in the religion, the threat of "disfellowshipping" was always over my head... I was from the generation that if you "came to a knowledge of the truth" and left or "sinned" you were "disassociated". It happened to my brother when he was a young teenager. He was caught smoking. He wasn't baptized, but non-the-less shunned.

  I think they changed this policy in the mid 80's???? Up until then even those that studied, and then stopped could be shunned afterwards.

  So, growing up in this religion, it didn't make a difference - baptized or not - you towed the line or you were disfellowshipped/disassociated. Now its different... the young ones who get out before baptism can have a relationship with their families.
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  shamus

  The younger a child is, the more impressionable they are. Once they are baptized, it makes it so much harder to grow up and experience life when you have the threat of being df'd constantly over your shoulder.

  Ahmen. The first sign that you are part of a cult!!!!!
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  avishai

  95
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  KGB

  The right age for baptisim is when the person can fully understand the true purpose of Christ and except him as their personal saviour. That can be at any age, we just had a 7 year old baptised but in my church there is nothing holding over our heads. Unlike the JW's where you feel always threatened.
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  shotgun

  Hi KGB ..How can a seven year old be able to make a decision which of that nature...he or she is still having trouble deciding wether to watch Rescue rangers or the Power rangers on Saturday morning.

  If Christ did truly set the pattern for all mankind and he was able to dumfound the leaders of his day at 12 yrs of age and also say to his parents I was at the house of my Father I could possible understand if he were baptized at 12 but he wasn't.

  How could a child today or even a young adult be in a better position to get baptized younger than him. And if you say he waited untill he was 29 to fulfill a date prophecy than its means he was serving for a date not for the right purpose.
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  freein89

  NEWSFLASH------there is no right age to be baptized, at least not into the JW's

  Deb
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  drwtsn32

  No one should get baptized until.... the end of time.

  Well, since that's not going to happen, my second answer is not until they are over 18. This is such a major decision and kids don't know what they're getting into. Of course, the dubs will never see it that way.... all they see is that it's the best thing someone could ever do; there's never anything wrong with getting baptized.
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  maxwell

  I'd say the person would have to be at least 18. But there are some adults who aren't capable of critical thinking. I think the person should be exposed to several different conflicting arguments and allowed to analyze all of them before making a decision about baptism. Of course, that all goes against the JW indoctrination (This is the truth, Don't look at anything else).