Marry Only in the Lord

by compound complex 35 Replies latest jw friends

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  dgp

  James Woods:

  I have sometimes wondered why the JWs did not make this a disfellowshipping offense - particularly when they are willing to disfellowship people for practically anything else, even smoking.

  I speculate that this is done for recruting purposes. You're maybe looking at it from the perspective of someone who is already in and wants to marry. The Watchtower may look at it from a different perspective as well. How many worldlies would not join if they were told that they have to convert their spouse or divorce them? What kind of media attention would that bring?

  I can but wonder how many of those who already married "in the Lord" and divorced would actually want to marry another witness instead of someone completely different.
• 

  No Room For George

  I have sometimes wondered why the JWs did not make this a disfellowshipping offense - particularly when they are willing to disfellowship people for practically anything else, even smoking.

  I think because at the beginning of that chapter, Paul specifically stated that he was speaking of his own volition, and not that of the Lord. Me personally, that's evidence in itself that the Bible is NOT God's word. How much more evidence is needed when an imperfect man admits by his own words that his words and counsel are just that? That being, his own!!! The WT being the duplicitous pricks that they are, while not able to call marrying out of the Lord an actual sin, they still can say that an individual who does such is disregarding Scriptural counsel, when the reality is the individual is acutally going against Paul's counsel.
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  ssn587

  Paul had just possibly tried to get widows to marry in the Lord, so as to not marry people of "pagan" religions, there were Jewish women who may have still be Jews in their belief structure for worshiping God, and of course there were Christian women. So to me it has always been just advice to marry in the Lord, afterall Paul didn't really specify just which Lord he was talking about. Yahweh or Jesus.
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  blondie

  Marrying Female Captives--Deuteronomy 21

  10"When you go out to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God gives them into your hand and you take them captive, 11and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife, 12and you bring her home to your house, she shall shave her head and pare her nails. 13And she shall take off the clothes in which she was captured and shall remain in your house and( G ) lament her father and her mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.

  BUT-------------------------

  Deuteronomy 7:3-4

  New International Version (NIV)

  3 Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.
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  james_woods

  God must have changed his mind, Blondie...
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  compound complex

  Thanks, again, everyone!

  I am very grateful, Quendi, for the acknowledgement. I guess I was Mr. There, at least in my own lowly estimation ...

  CoCo qui est tout seul
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  dgp

  I have one speculation on my mind. Since the Watchtower started out with what we would call "unbelievers" today, I very much doubt people were "encouraged" not to marry out back in those days. Were people already encouraged to marry "only in the Lord" at the time that Jesus is supposed to have chosen the Watchtower as the faithful and discreet slave? Anyone would know this?
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  I quit!

  I can understand why a religion would want someone to marry only someone who believes the same way the they do. It make things so much easier especially when children are involved. However most people's views and beliefs change over time. At least I hope they do. And taking that into consideration I think it would be best to say marry only someone who is tolerant of other peoples beliefs and realizes that no one has all the answers and all of us here are just trying to figure it out.
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  EmptyInside

  Very touching poem CoCo.

  Thanks Ding,I think I found the loophole I needed,lol.
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  compound complex

  Thanks, dgp, I quit! and EmptyInside, for posting.

  Your words mean a lot to me, EmptyInside, as I am a part of the real-life scenario depicted in the poem.

  Gratefully,

  CoCo le Mari