Interesting anecdotes and a minefield of legalalistic decisions. Whenever men (elders) have the right to permit or prevent a marriage, trouble can only ensue. But this one I have to raise eyebrows to.
They decided that they would go out for dinner regularly as there was only a few months left until the divorce was completed.They never slept together but STILL the pharisees DF'd them both
Sorry but you cannot be d/fd for having dinner, unless one was already d.fd ,- I think there was more to it.
This next ruling always bothered me - never seemed right...
tp
chap.13p.148par.16YourViewofSex—WhatDifferenceDoesItMake?***What if the laws of a land do not allow any divorce, even on the ground of sexual immorality? An innocent mate in such a case might be able to obtain a divorce in a country where divorce is permitted. Circumstances, of course, may not allow for this. But some form of legal separation may be available in one’s own country and could be sought. Whatever the case, the innocent mate could separate from the guilty one and present definite proof of Scriptural ground for divorce to the overseers in the local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. What if that person were later to decide to take another mate? The congregation would not act to remove him as an adulterer if he provided the congregation with a written statement containing a vow of faithfulness to the present mate and an agreement to obtain a legal marriage certificate if the former marriage should be dissolved either legally or by death. Nevertheless, the individual would have to face whatever consequences might result as far as the world outside the congregation is concerned. For the world does not generally recognize that God’s law is superior to human laws and that human laws have only relative authority.—Compare Acts 5:29.
BTW I never could square these two scripures together . It seems that Luke , noted for accuracy, missed out the most important bit.
(Luke 16:18) 18 "Everyone that divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he that marries a woman divorced from a husband commits adultery.
(Matthew 5:31-32) 31 "Moreover it was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 However, I say to YOU that everyone divorcing his wife,except on account of fornication, makes her a subject for adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
