Baptismal Questions of Watchtower
The 2015 printing edition of the Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will book (‘Organized’) outlines the current two-pronged baptismal questions posed at candidates. These questions, as they are today, are a verbatim reflection as when they were first introduced in 1985.[1] The questions succinctly read:
Q1. On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?
Q2. Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in association with God’s spirit-directed organization?
To qualify for baptism, a candidate has to answer the above two questions in the affirmative – typically in front of a large audience, at a convention or assembly. A cursory look at the questions suggests no complexity whatsoever. They are otherwise prima facie innocuous. But are they really?
Let’s unpack these questions into their various components and see what it is exactly that we are dealing with here. Let’s analyse how the organisation, in effect, attempts to segue from the first question right into the second, arguably to create a singularity of sorts by marrying the two.
Baptismal Questions: One (Q1)
This one is pretty simple and straight forward. The key element is dedication to Jehovah (on the basis of Jesus Christ’s ransom sacrifice).
Baptismal Questions: Two (Q2)
This right here is the question of interest. It is meticulous, and tailor-made for the organisation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is, effectively, a trailer that hooks itself onto the first question. Let’s break it down.
The section ‘do you understand that your dedication…’ is the part that hinges itself onto the first question. Why? Because it references the dedication that the candidate has just acknowledged, namely, the dedication made to Jehovah. Now, coupled with that dedication is the subsequent baptism – the baptism that is shortly about to follow – which is said to identify the candidate as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Let’s stop there.
First, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses? Who is a ‘Jehovah’s Witness?’ If I’m a fellow who is not affiliated to any Christian denomination but I read the bible, live by it and I promote the God of the bible, am I a witness of Jehovah? Put differently, if I read the bible and I bear witness to the God of the bible, am I a witness of Jehovah… or not? Alternatively, in saying: ‘identif[ies] you as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ are we strictly referring to the religious sect[2] (formerly known as the ‘Bible Students’) founded by Charles Taze Russell, which sect – at least as of 1931 – now adopts the name ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’?
Continuing: ‘…in association with God’s spirit-directed organisation.’ Which God? Jehovah? Okay. And which organisation? Jehovah God’s organisation? Meaning the Watchtower organisation? Okay. So the Watchtower organisation is God’s organisation… because? What? Jesus invisibly appointed its leaders as the Faithful and Discreet Slave[3] back in 1919?
The Issue With Q2
Now, there are a total of four people mentioned within these two baptismal questions – two spiritual persons (Jehovah and Jesus), one natural personal (the baptismal candidate) and one juristic person (the Watchtower Corporation).
Now, if someday I should satisfy myself that the group known as Jehovah’s Witnesses – and indeed its legal arm, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society – are not Jehovah/God’s spirit-directed organisation, namely, the ‘true religion,’ would that undermine my dedication to God? Put differently, if at the time of my baptism I had a bona fide belief that the group which adopted the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses” is not in fact God’s organisation, would that affect my dedication to God? Put differently yet again, if I subsequently reject the premise of Q2, would that affect my position on Q1? Could I not simply ‘unhook’ Q2 and still legitimately continue on the premise of Q1? Is this ‘vow’ not divisible? Does rejection of one imply rejection of the other? Can one not simply abort Q2 and thus leave the organisation without it being correctly stated that one is in fact leaving Jehovah; but that, more accurately, one is simply leaving the organisation that confidently claims exclusivity with said Jehovah?
But you see, the way the baptismal questions are set up they create an entrenched mental trigger for claiming that, in ‘unhooking’ the organisation from Jehovah and abandoning said organisation, one is in fact abandoning Jehovah. One is then said to be breaking their vow to Jehovah; the alleged vow-breaker is then viewed as having overtly gone AWOL. This then ‘ligitimises’ the orgnisation’s well-crafted definition of ‘apostate’ with its projected consequences.
In crafting the questions this way, the organisation has in effect ‘kidnapped’ Jehovah; it has weaved itself into his fabric thus creating the impression that these two entities are incapable of being mutually exclusive, that leaving the organisation is in fact tantamount to leaving Jehovah.
Conclusion
Clearly, one should evaluate the baptism peculiar to Jehovah’s Witnesses – the sect – with a touch of circumspection. Few ‘baptisees’ grasp the import of this two-tiered question. Suffice is say that the guy who crafted these two questions had a legal mind – he thought it through.[4] The idea was to make this transition iron-clad, right from the critical date of official membership.
#BaptismalQuestionsOfWatchtower
#ThinkingWitnesses
[1] The Watchtower June 1, 1985 page (?).
[2] Zion’s Watch Tower October 1883, page 537, under the subheading ‘Our Sect,’ expressed Charles Taze Russell’s views as: ‘Since we hold to a set of doctrines delivered to the Saints by Jesus and the Apostles, and since we separate and cut ourselves off from all other religious jurisdiction and control, therefore it follows that we are a SECT.’ [Italics mine].
[3] Matthew 24:45-47: ‘Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that if his master on arriving finds him doing so! Truly I say to you, He will appoint him over all his belongings.’
[4] I’m tempted to say Hayden Covington, but he died 1978, after a brief respite from disfellowshipping at that.
Comments (7)
Good to see another JW with his eyes opened. I was born into the cult in 1948, Spent close to a lifetime in it until I woke up. I left in 1998 after partaking in a kingdom hall. The internet is a wonderful tool to help other JW to finally come to reason. It was quite a shock to come to the realization that the Watchtower organization is not what it claims to be. It is just like the other large church organizations who are fleecing the sheep. I have come to the conclusion that Satan is behind it in order to trap Christians into disobeying and following Christ. They have even went so far as to teaching that for most of the millions of JW, Jesus is not their mediator, nor are they also in the new covenant. So true, Satan’s goal is to steal and to slay. The JWs are being robbed of the real truth which is in Christ.
Sheila, thanks for sharing your experience with us. Sounds like an interesting story you have there.
I am planning to get Baptize what questions do the elders ask are they hard questions
Really?
I don’t know if you mean to humour me here, but I’ll bite…
As much as I’m weary for you, far be it for me to be an impediment your autonomy.
If you’re making an informed decision, then all the best, Melissa.
The first link on this article (“Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will”) takes you to the PDF download where all the pre-baptism questions are laid out (the questions are towards the back of the book). These questions take the form of a catechism.
Regards,
Clement
I was having a weekly bible study that had been going well. The JW that I was studying with decided to end the study because I did not attend meetings(which I just not had made up my mind yet about attending). I felt extremely let down. Is this normal for JW’s to do if a person is studying the Bible with them?
Diane,
Thanks for dropping by.
Well, I’d be curious to know how long you’ve been studying with said person. In any event, the point is this: Jehovah’s Witnesses study with you in order to convert you. Meeting attendance is an integral part of that.
That said, it really depends on the person studying with you. Some might drop you more readily than others if you don’t attend meetings. Some, because they need to “make their time”, i.e. log-in time for their ministry, might entertain you (beats knocking on empty doors).
When I left, back in 2015, the official attitude was to quit studying with someone who was not “making progress”; instead, such person was to be converted into a “magazine route”, meaning, whenever a new Watchtower or Awake magazine is released, they’d pop by and drop it off. The idea was to keep you within reach per chance you decided to take things seriously. Such seriousness would be borne out by your desire to attend meetings, at which point, your Bible study would continue…
Regards,
Clement
Thanks for the excellent analysis Clement. Very precise and well put.