The biting my head off in regards to the question I ask. Have you ever been to an anti-JW website?
I have no intention of ever visiting an anti-JW website, Shak 34. There is enough posted on sites like this to allow me to know of their content. Spewing hatred and twisted half truths, one sided stories and outright lies is not exactly what I enjoy reading. Most will accept such material without question if it feeds a need in them. It would feed no need in me. I have been a very happy and contented Witness for over 40 years....I love preaching and teaching..but I do not expect more of my brothers than what I reasonably expect of myself. We will all be judged as we judge.
Positions in the congregation as well as in the organization itself are not positions of power, but positions of service and oversight. People tend to forget that those who take the lead are 'worthy of double honor', but also are subject to accountability. (1 Tim 5:17-21, Heb 13:17) No one really gets away with anything at the end of the day.
If there has been a miscarriage of justice, Jehovah will see to it.
What is the general theme of such sites and what is the common emotion seen on them? Is it encouraging? Is it promoting peace and truth? Is it good news? Or are the people who frequent those sites filled with animosity, all bitter and twisted with a single agenda....to shoot JW's down and make them out to be the worst people in existence?
If the devil could get into people's thinking and make the son of God look like a fraud deserving of death, what do you imagine he can do to those who have their knickers in a twist because they can't have things their own way, or want to play the victim or go off in a huff because some human, who is as imperfect as they are, caused them some angst? Is it worth leaving Jehovah because of what a mere human has done? I could not see myself ever doing that.
..."let God be found true, though every man be found a liar" (Rom 3:4) I have a realistic view of my brothers' limitations, just as they have a reasonable view of mine. Their mistakes are not God's mistakes, so why would I leave the warmth of his family to go out into the cold?
Men leading me to commit spiritual suicide, come on I was only thirteen. Of course it is going to cause pain and confusion. When I was a child, we were taught that the elders are chosen to have that position through the channels of God. So for some children when the elders say you didn't do good enough some might think that it was in fact God that felt that way. Child baptism is huge through out the witness community. You can find many examples of it on youtube from people posting videos of there children getting baptized. The org even has a cartoon video called Jehovah's Warm Appeal:"Be Wise, My Son" (Song 89) depicting very young children getting baptized.
Perhaps this is a thing pertaining to the prevailing attitude of people in the country in which they live. Child baptism is not common at all in Australia, nor is it really encouraged. I would also ask how far back we are going here? A lot has changed over the years. We have moved on in our understanding and the times, and attitudes of Jehovah's people have also moved with them....otherwise we could not preach to people with any understanding of their feelings or circumstances.
If an adult has difficulty, then I do not personally believe that a child who has not had their faith tested in this world can possibly make a commitment to Jehovah on the basis of knowledge and understanding. To then find out later that their faith was not strong enough, and then face disfellowshipping if they have been overreached, would be tragic. I would not advise any young child to be baptized before an age where they are mature enough to make that decision in full comprehension of what it means. My own children were 18 (legal adulthood in Australia) when they were baptized.
There are exceptions to this I might add, but generally speaking, I don't personally think the average 13 year old has the maturity to make such an important decision. That is just my opinion.
I have found only three requirements for baptism in the bible. Confession of sins (Matthew 3: 5,6). Repent your sins (Acts 2: 38). Believe in Jesus Christ and accept Him as your Savior from sin (Acts 8: 37,38 and Mark 16:16). But the third one can be argued because some do not believe these scriptures should be in the bible and are not part of the original text.
Yes, but spurious verses aside, I do not believe that a young immature child is old enough to do that in full knowledge. Don't get me wrong, some children can be very spiritually mature and continue in God's service throughout life without any trouble, but it takes an exceptional child or family to produce such an individual, especially in this day and age. Most children today do not have those circumstances and the brothers are giving recommendations as something to aim for. I have no problem with that. It is good to set goals early.
I have not found the requirement for preaching/ service time. If you can find it, I would gladly examine what the scriptures have to say.
Reporting field service time is both a record and a spiritual barometer.
Each year the reports are tallied and we see how many hours our brothers in all the world have spent in the kingdom preaching work. It is very encouraging to read of the millions of hours that are dedicated to the work each year. Our contribution to that tally, no matter how small is valued. It is part of a great collective shout of praise to our God that we can still faithfully carry out our assignment despite our difficulties in these troubled times.
Our field service is also a spiritual barometer for the shepherds to keep a watch on our spiritual condition. (Heb 13:17) They must 'know the flock' and if they see our field activity dropping off, it is a signal to them that something is wrong. They will usually then call around and ask if there is anything they can do to help. It is like an early warning system.
Someone with the right attitude towards being a Christian will engage in the preaching work because they want to, not because they are forced to. Love for Jehovah must be the motivating force, coupled with love of neighbor. I believe that the churches have tried to engage in this work but can never keep it going.
If there was no requirement, then how would the brothers know when someone seeking baptism was genuine? I believe it is the gauge of a Christian's commitment. And how would the shepherds ascertain when someone was struggling spiritually? Many do not come and ask for help, and when things get too bad, it is often too late to offer assistance.
Jehovah is an organized God; his universe is organized, his people are organized too. Their service and their meetings are organized, just as it was in Israel.....I have appreciation for that. I do not find that to be any kind of burden to carry, nor is it an intrusion on my life or a rod for my back. It is nice to know that someone is actually watching my back, who cares enough to inquire about my spiritual welfare and offer assistance when needed. :yes:
