NO. I will say it again. No
The Trinity Invoked on JWs' Baptisms!?!?
by Gerard 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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blondie
At JW baptisms the whole verbal process is what you see Saturday morning (or whatever) when the candidates rise and answer in the affirmative to the 2 questions asked since 1985. Then a prayer is said, they file out, change into their swimsuits, walk down into the water, the brother dunks them under all the body all at once (if a toe should sneak above then it is done over right then). The baptizing brother may congratulate them but he does not say, "in the name of....." unless he is a renegade brother. Then a sister is usually standing by (sometimes an RN) to help them on their way back to get changed. People clap and take pictures.
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mizpah
It is a misnomer to call it a "Trinitarian Formula." I would call it a scriptural formula instead. Trinitarians seem to jump on such references to "prove" their doctrine. For years they cited 1 John 5:7 until scholars clearly showed it was a later addition to the Bible. But the fact is the Bible does not teach the trinity. The abundance of evidence lies with the unitarian belief.
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Robdar
The questions that Blondie quoted are questions that they ask before baptism, but when they dunk you the do it in the name of the Father, Son and Holy spirit.
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Elsewhere
Just because they say "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" does not mean that they believe that they are the same and part of a trinity... it is just terminology that your "trinity trained" mind recognizes and projects on to.
I like Chicken, Steak, and Pork... but I don't believe they are all the same.
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heathen
It's always been my understanding that the trinity was based on jesus being the only God in the bible that he appeared to the jews as YHWH and the spirit was really called the holy ghost of which was also jesus . We've been thru this on other threads . To say I baptize you in the name of the father son and holy spirit is not saying there is a trinity involved . To even attempt to thro the org. in it is blaspheme. IMO
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LittleToe
I was a renegade, at the end.
Having taken the baptismal service for a few years (we went to a local hall, with a pool, where a few words were said), I noticed that there was often no reference made to this.
The last baptism talk that I attended I noticed that Matt.28 wasn't even paraphrased so I rectified that, when I did the poolside bit.
I suspect it was meaningless, but I felt better for it at the time.Talking about baptisms, I recall once going through the questions for baptism with a woman who had come from the Salvation Army. She still didn't get the "Soul isn't a spirit" bit, even though she had the book on her lap. Somehow we still let her get baptised, after "correcting" her viewpoint. I guess we were desperate for new converts.
As for the theology, I see the formula as either being a single name of "Godhead", or three individual names. There doesn't seem to be much linguistic way around this.
I'd like to hear Mizpah's take on that... -
heathen
I just don't get the part about baptismal questions either . These people just go too far when they make all these rules for converting to christianity . I think the only requirement would be to accept jesus christ as savior not to spout WTBTS rhetoric . I would like to see these questions and the answeres they expect from prospective members .