CHILD BAPTISM

by megabyte_vijay 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  DesirousOfChange

  All they care about is the numbers!

  Baptisms do not really affect the WT's "numbers", as they "count" regular publishers, as this increases their numbers above using only baptized members.

  The emphasis on youths being baptized is that it "entraps" them in the Cult. Once baptized, a young person can be threatened with the loss of the association with their family and friends if they fail to "toe the line". Any doubting or questioning can be quickly crushed with the "apostasy" label. Any rebelling can be crushed with the "brazen conduct" card.

  Let's review: It's a cult!

  Doc
  
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  DATA-DOG

  "All they care about is the numbers." - DY

  YEP, the number of Pedos they are hiding from the Rank&File and the Superior Authorities.

  DD 😝
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  JWdaughter

  Soon they will encourage early marriage and childbearing will be pushed to Duggar proportions to bump the numbers. Maybe in the loyalty convention.
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  pbrow

  They are proud of not baptizing babies... because that is stooooopid!!

  They are proud of responsible, thoughtful and intelligent 8 year olds who are willing to sign their life away to the group.....

  HUGE difference here
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  Island Man

  I found it very funny that they used Ephesians 4:14 in a study article seeking to justify child baptism. The text says:

  So we should no longer be children, tossed about as by waves and carried here and there by every wind of teaching+ by means of the trickery of men, by means of cunning in deceptive schemes

  Do you see it? The text likens immature, gullible christians to children. If the bible would use children as a metaphor for the spiritual immaturity that christians are to avoid then how could they be saying that children are mature enough to make such a responsible, life-shaping decision? How can they be saying that children are mature enough and are making the decision of baptism of their own full volition and aren't merely being 'tossed by waves and carried by the wind of influence' of their parents and other adults that they look up to?

  They are utterly blind to use that text in their study article and not see the contrary implications of it.
  
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  OrphanCrow

  megabyte: it is strange to read the last week watchtower that encouraging Child/Teenagers' baptism

  What is strange about the JWs practice of baptizing children is how the act of baptism blurs the lines between adult and child. The terrible consequences of turning children into baptized members is that it sets them up for making adult decisions...like giving their consent to sexual acts.

  Child baptism turns children into miniature adults and it becomes an act that fosters the thinking that "if the child is old enough to be baptized, they are old enough to consent to sex".

  I think that the GB encourage child baptism because they need to believe, and they need others to believe, that children engaging in adult acts is acceptable (...which includes having sex). They need to believe that children can consent to and enter into contractual arrangements that the children themselves will be held accountable for.
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  tor1500

  HI All,

  I remember when I first came into the JW world, they would talk about other religions that baptized their babies/& young children...saying things like, what does a baby know about God, they can't make a decision about their relationship with God/Jesus. They don't have any idea of the Ransom...Jesus got baptized at 33 yrs. old blah blah blah...we (JW's) don't do that, we make sure our children are old enough to make their own choices..NOT...Child Baptism...WHY? Because the end is near...& doesn't the bible say, if one isn't baptized, then they won't be resurrected...or some craziness....So the JW's have once again back peddled. All this talk about...we are living in the last days...so parents are panicking & getting their little children baptized. Just in case.

  But hold on you'all...Wait a while when this end of days kind of dies down...then they'll write an article in the Study WT, saying....Baptism....& the article will point out that we should have more faith & a more of a waiting attitude on Jehovah,,,& should not lose faith & have our children baptized early like in Christiandom. Never not once would the org. think it's their fault by telling every one...it's the end, it's the end. Parents are running scared & lying & saying...Lil Johnny is ready, he told me, he was ready to make the Truth their own...but the real truth is that their parents #1 forced them # 2, want to stand out.

  The child baptism's will continue....& no one will say one thing...oh they will think it but not say it...

  It's about the #'s....so they can say, we have way over 8 million members, but won't say the majority are under 12.

  One day your Elder/CO will be 20 yrs. old, telling old folks what to do.

  I know many of us are still in the org. for one reason or another....I think the best thing to do...is listen, take in what you need & spit the rest out...if you disagree....Just shut up...keep it to yourself.

  The org. is shooting themselves in the foot daily...Most folks will wake up yet, they will still stay.

  Tor