My nephew was baptized yesterday. Just as I figured,he was freaked out about it. He's thought to be autistic yet not diagnosed atm. He hates being in front of people and getting his head under water. He freaked out and they had to shut the doors and do it with just his mom, dad, and witnesses. Had to slide him into the water like a baby.

Of course, now it's done, everyone is SO proud of him making it through. I'm thinking, what is wrong with you people? So cruel. Can't they make exceptions?!

I'm sorry for your little nephew's ordeal. How scary for him.

This is hell!
Inside mormonism, it is hell.
Outside mormonism, is heaven.

No!

Sorry to hear about this. I'm sure they thought they were doing him a favor. It's all so crazy and misguided. I hope your nephew is ok. What an ordeal.

He's fine as far as I know. I wasn't there as I'm out of state. I heard it tramatized his little brother. Not sure if that's because of his brother freak out, they said it's just cuz he didn't get to see the baptism.

Maybe they'll think twice about doing this to his little brother!

Of course they won't. I'm sure they won't have a problem with their other son. He'll love it because he will be the center if attention when it's his time.

What an ordeal for him! Hopefully he enjoyed his party afterward.

In my mind this is child abuse. Disgusts me. Religion be damned.

deja vue Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In my mind this is child abuse. Disgusts me.
> Religion be damned.


^^^^^So very this^^^^^^^

Religion is organized insanity

Razortooth Wrote:
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> Religion is organized insanity

Can insanity be organized?

(Sorry, silly joke on a serious thread - couldn't resist, but likely I should have).

He didn't believe any of the mormon doctrine and thought he would drown at baptism because of it. He was frightened for weeks over this. Then when he finally saw that his own father was doing the dunking that day, he decided he had a chance to survive. Perhaps his own dad would see that he would live when others at the service would not.

Little kids have big fears.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2018 07:00PM by Cheryl.

Oh my gosh, Cheryl. That's terrible. Poor little boy.

My heart breaks for this child.
Them and their ol' rituals. And it's blaringly obvious tt this child (none of them do imo) could not have understood the "meaning" of it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2018 07:03PM by Aquarius123.

And does any 8 yr old understand any of it?

It has always bugged me that a mormon baptism is so structured. And they taught us missionaries the little secrets of helping the victim hold his/her nose and then we'd step on the tops of their feet... And then the bullcrap about "It has to be total immersion!!"

Fine, but why not just put on a hairnet on the victim and let him/her just submerge his/herself? Why does the officiator have to be touching the submergee? Where did they read that?

Heck, just say the prayer and have them cannonball into a pool?

They had to dunk me twice because my dress floated up. By then I didn't want to get baptized at all (long story that I've recounted here a few times so will skip). I asked myself 2086 times after why I didn't just walk out (despite being waterlogged and furious and upset and too polite all at the same time).

But then I may not have found RfM. Which has made up, through the years, for a few unhappy years that started the day of my dunking.

Still, I was an adult and able to make my choices. I feel for little kids (many of whom have grown up to post at RfM) who don't have choice or understanding or any say at all in any of it.

I am so sorry cftexan for any fear or anxiety felt by your nephew.

Many churches sprinkle instead of dunk. Even the ones that do immerse wouldn't have done it at age eight. They usually want you to wait until at least 12, and you're free to wait longer if you want to.

...what is this "...free to wait longer if you wish..." of which you speak?

I was going to say that at the (mainstream) EV church I attended after LDS the minimum baptism age is 18. The young adults usually do it, if they so choose, after they graduate from high school. It's not an expectation or a pressure though. So that's the "free to wait" part. There is no rule about age, iow, other than waiting til at least 18.

But wait. They are old enough at 8 and have free agency to decide for themselves. They can say no. -Sarcasm-

Yep. I'm sure he REALLY wanted to be baptized and understood what it all means...

I think that sometimes children are more in tune than adults. Adults have been brainwashed and groomed to think white is black and black is white. Children, on the other hand can feel "vibrations", both good and bad. They are sensitive to tension in the air, group pressure, despair, weird body language, facial expressions that don't match the outward pretense.

Most of the time, the poor little darlings have no idea Why they feel so frightened. Very often, their feelings are truer than what the adults are trying to talk them into.

When I returned to some Mormon meetings, after being away for a long time, I could feel the despair. Maybe it was that I could see people squirming in their pews, and dozing off. I could smell their sweat--not gym sweat, but "nervous perspiration", like you smell in the temple. A child is keenly aware of all of this. Add the weird, hidden font, the smell of chlorine, the echo of the lying, manipulative, masculine voices, the white jumpsuits. If a child is afraid of the water...oh, the poor little guy! I have PTSD, and watching my grandchild go through this ritual gave me flashbacks, and I was unable to eat for 3 days!

Little eight-old, your fear is REAL!

So sorry to hear what your little nephew had to go through; IMO, he was FORCED to go through something he didn’t want to do. And the people there will have the gall to say they are so very proud of him for “choosing “ to be baptized! What everyone seems to forget is that since they claim to use Jesus as an example,then they better wait until their child turns 30 years old because that was old Jesus was at his “baptism “.

Seems simple to me. Just wait until an appropriate time later; months, even years. When the child is older perform the ceremony if he/she wishes.

CONtrol
PRESSure
Traps
Restraint
NO-choice
Squares
Catch-22
No-agency