Legal loophole for those baptized as minors

Spook

If you were baptized as a minor, I'm told there is a legal recourse to refuse the action of a judicial commitee. Any info on this?

ithinkisee

There have been numerous threads on this in the past, you may want to click on SEARCH at the top of the page and then choose GOOGLE SEARCH and type in a phrase like:

baptism legal

Here is one link from that search result :

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/34266/1.ashx

-ithinkisee

If you were baptized as a minor, you would have to disavow your baptism right when you came of age. If you continued as a Jehovah's Witness after the age of consent, then you have reaffirmed your standing with the Jehovah's Witnesses as an adult, and your baptism would be binding to time indefinite! --VM44

VM44

...and, if a person did disavow their baptism when they reached the age of majority, I am sure the JWs would treat such a person just as they would a disfellowshipped or disassociated person. I do not know what sort of paperwork the elders would (or could legally) send back to Brooklyn concerning the person's standing with regards to the organization.

If the person ever wanted to come back into the Organization, ta three elder Judicial Committee WOULD be formed to consider the matter, and this Comittee WOULD be in close communication with Brooklyn to get instructions on how to handle the situation!

--VM44

VM44

If you want a baptism loophole, this might be one, but it depends when you were baptised.

Consider that baptism is between the individual, and Jehovah, Jesus and the Holy Spirit (Active Force). The Congregation cannot UN-BAPTISE a person! (However, they can expel a person from the congregation, but that is another matter).

But this argument only would be applicable if a person was baptised BEFORE the Society changed the vows so that Baptism means that a person will be associated with "Jehovah's Spirit Directed Organization"!

I view this change in the baptism vows as unscriptural, and I would not be surprised if the WT legal
department had a significant say about it!

--VM44

peacefulpete

Religious vows are not legal contracts. If they wanted to any church can 'condemn' or 'bless' members or nonmembers on a whim. Think about the churches that baptise infants and confirm at 14 or so, these churches can and do inflict church censure on these and do so without any worries about being sued. The only realistic legal issues are if a church breaks it's own rules of order and causes tangible damages (financial). I asked about the possibilty of negating a baptism but found it was a red herring. If you ask them to do this they will announce your disassociation (or as they now say it, So and So is no longer a JW).

The only idea I have is for a person to "confess" to some sin having been committed just before baptism (example: I was smoking right up to my baptism) this according to Church rules invalidates your baptism. If you do this be clear you want to get rebaptised. Then fade away.

I am convinced this would work, though I thought of it too late to try myself.

Neo

bttt

Balsam

At one time I had this great legal paper that was called a baptism nullification letter to the congregation. Since then I have lost it from my computer. My sons are both disfellowshipped and refused to use the letter. The simply didn't care enough to use it. It had to do with being baptized before the age of 18 with pressure from parents and congregation. And that the Elders could only announce that you were no longer a publisher. But you could not be disfellowshipped or disassociated or you would have legal recource to sue the congregation. It had been drawn up by an attorney and was very offical sounding. I am sorry my sons didn't use it, but it really would have been the same because their Dad said he would still shun them even if they used it.

Balsam

William Penwell

Balsam, That is interesting you brought this up about the letter. I was asking this question on an earlier post. If you ever come across the letter I would be interested to see a copy of it. Will

Legal loophole for those baptized as minors

Share this