Encouraging sigleness (page 4)

Lore

Promoting singleness is probably the only good advice they give.

Of course it is an unhealthy teaching. But what really makes me laugh is how the JWs would knock the Catholic religion with their priestly celibacy and say something about a scripture where there is "forbidding to marry...." and then say that THEY don't forbid marriage. Typical hypocrisy. I would have to say that in a round-about sort of way the JWs do try to forbid marriage. Has anybody ever witnessed the panel of judgmental people heaping criticism on some poor couple in the hall because the "in crowd" does not approve of the match??? And, I am not talking about a 16 year old girl and a 17 year old boy. I am referring to mature adults who are getting married.

The religion has an unhealthy history on the topic of marriage. In old bethel days the brothers were urged to remain single and if I am not mistaken, they needed "permission" or some such thing or were severely criticized. Of course, this ended at some point when one of the top guys would not heed this.

Nowadays, the story is a little different but for different reasons. (1) They don't want people marrying out of the religion because they are afraid the JW partner will leave the religion, (2) they might hope that a single person will leave their assets to the religion because they have no heirs and (3) they especially don't want single sisters to marry out of the religion because then they know they cannot bother her to do favors for all the users.

life is to short

As a kid I always wondered how come we slammed the Catholic Church so much yet we were doing the same thing right?

LITS

EntirelyPossible

I took their advice on singleness and divorced my hardcore JW wife. Never been happier.

Note that "single" should in no way be taken to mean "not having sex".

Balaamsass

Ziddina, I think you hit on something. "

I think the Watchtower's antipathy towards marriage started with Russell's divorce, and was reinforced by that drunken buffoon, Rutherford, who totally ignored his wife and child in favor of a mistress - or mistresses - and a long line of whores - er, "ladies of easy morals"...

Rutherford was well-known to have hated the institution of marriage..

I had some long conversations with Elderly Jehovah's Witnesses about the 30s, Rutherford, Franz, and Bethel. They refered to a lot of the Bethel brothers as "women haters". One old Bethel Elder said NPGs (non practicing/vs practicing gays) were not uncommon in the 40s. I took this with a LARGE grain of salt untill I served at Bethel. Some of the old-timmers of COURSE had the "GIFT" of singleness...they were gay. Chitty (Governing Body) was very "Light in the loafers"and when alone would asked Bethelites to rub suntan oil on him while sunning on the roof. Fred Franz held his "Bible Discussions" in the sauna with wide eyed young Bethelites. One morning at breakfast over 30 Bethelites were disfellowshiped for homosexuality and massage parties. If marriage isn't your "calling" NYC Bethel has been a great place to live and deal with internal struggles and penance for over 100years. The "Village" was a short subway ride away...and you were hundreds of miles away from meddling JWs and whispers in your mid-western hometown. If you were skilled at writting and stayed long enough...you might just end up writting those articles on the "Gift of singleness".....

JESUS called it right.."forbidding to marry"........

My 2 cents...

Band on the Run

My parents were severely ostracized for marrying in the late 1940s. Time was short. He left Bethel for marriage -- totally unthinkable until Nathan Knorr found a woman-then marriage was heavenly.

I was confused being born-in. My neighborhood of Italian-Americans cherished marriage and family. Altho it was a honor to have a priest or nun in the family, the pargon of virtue was the Virgin Mary. Every TV show I watched had married people. Growing up a Witness, you receive nothing but conflicting messages. My father felt chained by marriage. Bethel taught hatred of women, esp. under Rutherford. I hated marriage for a long time b/c I saw it meant complete servitude to a man's whims. My merit would count for nothing. I hated being with women in female ghettos b/c I wanted a piece of male respect. It annoyed me even after I left. My college was the breeding prep designed to serve elite, powerful white men. They had Founders of America - we had teachers. They served as president of the United States -- we served interesting banter at cocktail parties. Fortunately, the times changed quickly.

I don't think the total lack of brothers available for marriage is a side issue. It defines the culture and doctrine so much. These men are not trained to value or romance women. I never had a JW male open a door for me or offer me a seat. Little things that people use to show appreciation for each other were lacking. All you have to do is the vast oceans of women with an occasional male strewn in to know the score. Marriage only for the lucky.

wha happened?

oh yea I remember what was stated at the paltform about singleness. There were four of us studies all about 23. We constantly heard about staying single as we approached baptism. However the sisters had a different idea and we all married within the next year after baptism. I had girlfriends most of my life, so no way I was going to be single for long. I would have married sooner, except right after I was baptized, an article came out about picking a marraige mate. It mentioned waiting a year after baptism. I don't regret getting married, just the person I married.

Encouraging sigleness