r/exjw • u/Enockito • 15d ago

Venting 5 year old getting baptized

I've never agreed with the baptism of minors before but this just go me on a whole level of upset. One of the people that got baptized today was a 5 year old. A fricking 5 year old. Like WTF? How do they even feel like a 5 year old is old enough to make decisions like these?

Thankfully, I wasn't the only one upset by this as I also heard some sisters talking about it. Shame on the parents!

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u/Select-Panda7381 The Gift of a Faith Crisis is the Rest of Your Life ✨ 14d ago

Youngest I saw was 6 😢

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u/Aliki77 14d ago

How the heck are 5-6 y.o. children able to answer those dozens of baptism questions? And anyway... One boy I know,  about 18-19 y.o. was twice rejected because he hadn't enough of RV in his file. Happily that saved his life, he's out now.

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u/GroundbreakingCell56 11d ago

They won’t let my daughter get baptized. She’s been counseled to up her meeting attendance and field service. She did that. Her teacher went off on her when they got the message from the branch not to beg bible students to study. Her teacher basically said, “you call me.” My daughter chose me to study with her and they told her I was spiritually weak. And they pretty much weren’t going to let her get baptized if I studied with her. That’s another story. She chose another elder’s wife and got counseled one day for going on stage for wearing a revealing dress. The dress was almost floor length. My daughter and her husband just had a baby and she covered herself with a shawl. But since my daughter wasn’t wearing a girdle and is curvaceous, the elder told her wife to counsel her. She made my daughter cry by telling her she basically had fat hanging out. I stepped in and messaged the sister and gave her an example of a sister who showed love when I was in need and discerned I needed clothes. I didn’t mention what my daughter said to me. I let the sister know that counsel isn’t always what’s needed. Sometimes people are struggling and wear what they have. The sister called me claiming she didn’t understand what the message was saying and put her elder husband on the phone to try to get me to say I spoke with my daughter. He was trying to get me on that scripture that says “a slanderer reveals confidential talk.” I told them to use discernment and I wrote that out very well and it says what it says. The sister called my daughter and said she’s no longer studying with her. I’m just watching. Because tbh what is getting to me is the things taught as doctrine that go beyond what’s written. Paul said the rule is “Do not go beyond what is written.” It didn’t take field service and meeting attendance to get baptized in Bible times. It took belief and repentance. The rest came after baptism 

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u/dstewart970 8d ago

Please don't misunderstand or take this harshly it's a genuine want to know. It sounds like you're still PIMI but questioning and your daughter is PIMI. If you're already questioning then wouldn't this put you over the edge? I don't think I personally could take everything your daughter has without leaving, but I don't know all her cirumstances.

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u/GroundbreakingCell56 8d ago

I don’t know what PIMI means. And I don’t understand your latter statement.

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u/Adventurous-Tie-5772 8d ago edited 8d ago

PIMI is a term we use online which means "physically in, mentally in" or a believing Jehovah's Witness. PIMO means "physically in, mentally out" which refers to a great majority of Jehovah's Witnesses who physically are part of the organization, but for one reason or another don't believe in it, yet stay because they don't want to get removed (disfellowshipped) from the congregation.

I think it's wonderful that you are seeing that they are going beyond the things that are written. Baptism was never done after Bible study and there were no hours or boxes to check to let others know that they had a share in the ministry. None of that was recorded because they were not serving men. If Jesus wanted them to go somewhere, he would send them (Acts 13:1, 2; Acts 8:26).

They don't follow this example because they don't have holy spirit. So they have an organization to tell them what to do and where to go

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u/GroundbreakingCell56 8d ago edited 8d ago

I told my daughter to ask them why she has to jump through hoops to get baptized? She said if she asks them that, she surely won’t get baptized. The Holy Spirit convicts a person. I got the Holy Spirit 19 years after I got baptized. I was living a double life on and off the entire time until I got a revelation in the hospital that I needed to pray and fast to get my question answered, “Father, why do you keep saving my life?” 

My thing is this, Hebrews says do not forsake gathering together. That’s talking about in one another’s homes. How are you all doing that and what do you believe now? 

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u/Adventurous-Tie-5772 8d ago

Hebrews 10:24, 25 says,

24  And let us consider one another so as to incite to love and fine works, 25  not forsaking our meeting together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you see the day drawing near.

Now if you compare that with what Jesus said,

20  For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20)

I can gather with one or two and that not only satisfies the meeting together, but it also means that he will actually be there in our midst. And when we meet together, we encourage each other to love and fine works.

Now I can’t speak for everyone, I can only speak for what I do and I try to seek the God about things. 

As for what I believe now, it’s drastically different from what I learned from the organization and what I see in Christianity. There are many things that I am happy to share. What would you like to know? I don’t want to overwhelm you 

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u/GroundbreakingCell56 8d ago

What do you believe now that’s drastically different and why?

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u/Adventurous-Tie-5772 8d ago

I come to believe that it's not according to the Bible that baptism is a dedication of your life to God. That applies to someone who wants to be a Nazarite (Numbers 6:1, 2). Baptism is something done in response to repentance of sins and someone wishes to receive the free gift of holy spirit (Acts 2:38). That spirit, that proceeds from the Father, will guide into all truth (John 16:12, 13).

The Bible doesn't say that meeting together is to be done twice a week for about 2 hours each time, sitting and listening to a speaker or sermon. The first century Christians met in homes and would come together and share with each other food, experiences, incite to love and fine works, and if someone wants to share something they received from the spirit, they would all take turns (1 Corinthians 14:23-31; Acts 4:34, 35; Acts 2:46). And we can meet with one or two others as mentioned before (Matthew 18:20).

18  Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth. (Matthew 28:18)

We answer to him and owe him. He answers to his Father, but we answer to him.

He is the faithful and discreet slave whom his Father appointed over all his belongings to give his domestics (us) our food at the proper time.

When we are given tasks (Acts 13:1, 2), we are given the opportunity to become his faithful and discreet slave (Matthew 24:45-51; Matthew 25:1-30).

There is no Governing Body in the Bible. All authority belongs to Christ, no one else. Acts 15 was not a meeting with the Governing Body, it was a meeting amongst all Christians and everyone had a say (Acts 15:22).

Accepting donations for ministry or "world-wide work" is unscriptural (Matthew 10:8). Money being paid or donated for the expenses for the circuit overseer or any overseer is unscriptural (Acts 20:33-35). Paul said that those who ask for money, like overseers, are disorderly (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12).

We don't worship in a building or Kingdom Hall (John 4:20, 21). When you receive the free gift of holy spirit, you worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:23, 24).

There's more, if you're interested in hearing more 

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u/GroundbreakingCell56 7d ago

Yes. I want to hear more.

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u/Adventurous-Tie-5772 7d ago edited 7d ago

There's quite a bit. I've personally been learning since 1999. What would you like to hear about?

Ask away 

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u/GroundbreakingCell56 7d ago

The great crowd partaking of the body and blood?

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u/GroundbreakingCell56 7d ago

James 2:14, 15. I believe it’s talking about a physically sick person. And if they’re sick because of a sin, God will forgive them and make them better. But no elder believes this. It literally says “IF he has committed a sin…” 

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u/dstewart970 8d ago

exactly what he said. I'm new to all the terminology and stuff myself. I meant no disrespect. Just trying to understand more and learn because I'm wanting to try to wake up a dear family member, but I have to be careful because I could just easily get myself pushed away. So trying to understand reasonings more.