![]() ![]() Jehovah’s Witnesses are part of these minority Christian groups believing that those who practice pedobaptism misinterpret the Bible. Since in many countries the majority of Christians regard infant baptism as a matter of course, they may not know or consider that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not practice it. This is the case for Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and many Protestants, with the exclusion of the denominations issued from the so-called “Radical Reformation” (which was often “anabaptist,” meaning “without baptism”), Baptists, and some Pentecostals. This objection may impress audiences in countries where the majority Christian churches practice infant baptism, also called pedobaptism, i.e., baptize children as soon as possible after they are born. Opponents have objected that, while this is true for those who join the Jehovah’s Witnesses as adults, it is not true for “children” who are born within the organization. A representation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ baptism in the interactive course “Enjoy Life Forever!” Source: jw.org. What sins are considered serious, the possibility that unrepentant sinners will be disfellowshipped, and the consequent shunning, are among the basic teachings that candidates to baptism should know and understand. ![]() Only if the elders are satisfied that this is the case are the candidates baptized. When candidates seek baptism, they normally go through two one-hour sessions with the congregation’s elders, a sort of assessment where the elders make sure that those who ask to be baptized understand both the teachings and the practices of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Even before being accepted to participate with the congregation as “unbaptized publishers,” some assurance would need to be given by the individual that they understand, agree with, and are living according to basic Bible principles. ![]() In practice, this means that before requesting baptism, candidates would have become “unbaptized publishers,” meaning that they were already participating in the public ministry for which Jehovah’s Witnesses are known and presenting their doctrines to others. This is required of anyone who wants to follow Christ. Those who want to dedicate their life to Jehovah need to attend congregation meetings and regularly preach the good news and teach others. (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10) But there is more. (Acts 3:19) This is important, because Jehovah will not accept the dedication of a person who keeps doing things that He hates. (1 Timothy 2:3-6) Then they need to develop faith, which will help them to obey God’s laws and to stop doing what he hates. We read for example in The Watchtower, study edition, for March 2018, that before candidates “can get baptized, they must learn the truth about God, his purpose for humans and the earth, and what he did to save mankind. On the contrary, they warn against rushing to be baptized, although when one is ready baptism should not be delayed either. While some new religions and movements have been accused of accepting new members after they have attended one meeting only, or even after a short interaction with a minister at a street stall, these accusations would not be valid if directed at the Jehovah’s Witnesses. One does not become a Jehovah’s Witness overnight. In the previous article of this series, I have explained how shunning works by quoting publications of the Jehovah’s Witnesses publicly available on the official website jw.org, which those who consider joining the organization are encouraged to access. By no means is this part of the internal rules hidden to potential converts. They know that shunning is a consequence of disfellowshipping. Those who join the Jehovah’s Witnesses know beforehand that if they unrepentantly commit serious offenses they will risk being disfellowshipped. As we will see, these stories are not true, although there are rare cases of minors who are disfellowshipped (but certainly not shunned at home).Īpostates and anti-cultists have their own agenda, but the reality is often quite different. ![]() Horrific stories are included of “children” that are disfellowshipped and then shunned by parents and siblings in their own homes. What looked like a loving and caring community now appears harsh and disciplinarian. Then, they reveal features of the Jehovah’s Witnesses that allegedly had been carefully hidden before. Opponents of the Jehovah’s Witnesses often tell stories where members of the organization are disfellowshipped and shunned all of a sudden. A father trying to correct a rebellious son, from the Jehovah’s Witnesses “Awake!” magazine, April 2014. Read articles 1, article 2, and article 3. They call 17-year-olds “children” too, and turn a rare (but understandable) occurrence into a major issue.Īrticle 4 of 6. Opponents argue that “even children” are disfellowshipped. ![]()
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