I think that the Catholic Church (by a covenant between Spain and Vatican years years ago) is the only religion that performs weddings, but actually in the same ceremony they make the civil register of the wedding. But anyway, my question is not about making a wedding by someone. I mean... maybe the goverment is the only one with autority to make valid the wedding (which is logical because we live in the world). My question is ... WHY THE WITNESSES DON'T PERFORM THEIR OWN CEREMONY BEFORE GOD AND THE CONGREGATION??? WHY THEY DON'T RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN AUTORITY TO DO WEDDINGS (AT LEAST FOR THEM or AT A CONGREGATIONAL LEVEL) AS THEY RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN AUTORITY TO GO PREACHING WHERE THEY WANT?
JW Wedings
by testigay 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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testigay
Cristians (first century, etc) need goverment permission to perform their wedings??? This is the quid of the question.
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misspeaches
ola! Comesta? Testigay welcome. The situation you describe in Spain is not unique.
I know for a fact that in El Salvador, Central America the same thing occurs for all religous denominations. The couple getting married must first go and have the legalaties done at the court house. They then go to the church to have the religious ceremony.
I think the issue is the Government wanting to be in charge of the civil/legal aspect. And it won't be only Jehovah's Witnesses that have to follow this process.
The reason why they comply however is probably due to their understanding of the scripture 'pay back ceasers thing to ceaser'. They feel they have to obey the wordly government laws unless it interferes with their ministry work.
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Forscher
Hello testigay,
I do remeber reading somewhere that in Spain the Catholic Church is the only religion which can somlemnise a marraige according to the law. That is likely due to its traditional status as the state church. So all other folks either have to get a Catholic priest to consent to do it or have a secular ceremony with some judge or official performing the ceremony. that is why the JWs go to the "Civil House ( la Casa Civil?), apparently the equivalent of the Courthouse in english speaking lands.
Okay, I can't remember your exact question, but generally speaking, the Witnesses don't really consider a civil wedding enough before a couple can begin cohabiting. I am not really sure if that is Watchower policy, tradition, or Elder control thing. Suffice it to say that in lands where a Witness couple must go before a secular official to legalise there marraige there will generally be two ceremonies, one secular and one presided over by an elder before the marraige is considered official by the congregation, unless there is some sort of a scandle involved which makes an elder officiating at a ceremony out of the question.
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blondie
In the US, if a JW couple have a secular wedding ceremony it is assumed they could not get approval to use the KH or to get a brother to perform the ceremony. There will not be a second ceremony at the KH in that case. On occasion when a couple want a small ceremony, they will have it at a private home or garden, again performed by a brother.
Officially (nor unofficially in the US) have I seen in writing or heard that a marriage is not considered official if it is not performed by a JW.
Blondie