Hey, My JW Wife Went to a Catholic Church Funeral

by OnTheWayOut 27 Replies latest jw friends

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  OnTheWayOut

  This is huge (to me). My wife won't clink glasses. She won't watch anything R-rated or any shows/movies with a mystical or religious theme or undertone. She told me that she was going to a funeral for a premature baby that died at one-week old. The mother of the baby went through a college training session for about a year with my wife, we were invited to her wedding but only went to the reception hall because the wedding was in a Catholic church.

  I stopped my wife when she first said, "The funeral is at XYZ Catholic Church." I asked, "Are you going to that?"
  Well, she answered as if I were a JW judging her. "It's for her baby. People need to be there for her."
  
  I told her "I am not judging you. I think it's great that you are going."
  
  So, she went. She had little to say about it, but diffused any discussion of the Catholic part of the whole thing by talking about the mother and about the baby.

  Still, huge to me.
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  bluecanary

  Awesome
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  lancelink

  Thats great, you wife has a heart!

  So many witnesses I knew would never step into a church, no matter what the reason.
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  Hope4Others

  That is great she went to support her friend a death of a child is devastating.

  Hope she doesn't tell anyone at the hall she went in a church, I'm sure someone will counsel her on that one.
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  BabaYaga

  You're right, that is huge. Congrats to you, love and wisdom to your dear wife, and my love and condolences to the dear family who has just lost a child.

  Love,
  Baba.
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  dissed

  When I was active I went to a Catholic Church to see my Brothers wedding. It was a tough decision at the time. We made sure we told no one at the KH.

  Inside is every JW's fear "a lurking place of demons", very scary stuff.

  So for her to go, a good JW, is huge. A little softening of the heart? Probably.

  I wonder what will be her next thing of change?
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  Highlander

  That's good news 'on the way out'.

  It's nice your wife could be there to help support the mother. It must be a difficult thing to lose a child. How many weeks premature was the baby?
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  Snoozy

  You should have went with her..

  You could have pointed out that Catholic funerals are much more loving and personal than a JW funeral..
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  wantstoleave

  I have been a witness all my life, and have always had no problem stepping foot in other churches...lol. Ive gone to weddings and funerals. I even gave a eulogy at a catholic church for a relative once. I never got in trouble. Why should I? Im only showing respect for the person getting married/died.

  If elders ever approached me about it, Id tell them to get lost. Its up to ME what my conscience allows...lol.
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  carla

  My jw has gone to a number of Catholic funerals. No idea if he got in trouble for it or not but he was adamant that he should go. He's not a raised in though so maybe they give him leeway due to family.