Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 07-15-2012 WT Study (STRAINED MARRAIGE)

by blondie 38 Replies latest jw friends

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  blondie

  Yes, Carla, this "provision" adjusted as secular divorce laws changed in these countries. It was the custom to separate from one spouse and live in a common law arrangement with another, children from both. Then the woman would study with jws and be told she had to go back to the first husband, who by then had a new woman. It would leave her without any financial support. So then they would have to try and get a divorce (expensive and at the time of this arrangement, not allowed due to the Catholic doctrine). So the polygamous arrangement was the custom or pattern of non-jws in that country.

  But I have pointed out that in Africa, jws were allowed to stay married to alll their wives (or to a husband with many wives) just not take on any new wives until 1947. So why did the WTS not allow polygamy outside but Africa. Note how the WTS tries to blame others.

  *** yb86 p. 210 Nigeria ***Ever since 1934 when some individuals objected to the requiring of monogamy among Jehovah’s Witnesses, polygamy had continued to pose problems for the brothers. Many who had become associated with Jehovah’s organization still kept several wives. These included some prominent ones who misapplied the scripture at 1 Corinthians 7:20: “In whatever state each one was called, let him remain in it.”

  However, TheWatchtower of January 15, 1947, some months before Brother Knorr’s visit to Nigeria, explained that the Scriptural standard of one wife to one husband must be maintained worldwide. A letter was then sent to the congregations, giving polygamists six months to clean up their marital affairs or lose their privileges. The majority of the brothers were very happy to see this firm stand for conformity to Bible principles.

  *** yb73 pp. 166-167 Ghana ***An important point discussed at this convention was the Christian standard of monogamous marriage. Prior to 1947 a number of the brothers (not the majority by any means) were living in polygamy. The standard of Christian morality as laid down at Galatians 5:19-21 and elsewhere in the Bible was respected and they endeavored to adhere to it. However, polygamy was not clearly associated with adultery. This was largely due to the fact that in African society polygamy is just as honorable as monogamy.

  Finally, the January 15, 1947, issue of TheWatchtower appeared with an excellent article on marriage. The magazine plainly stated that “plurality of wives” is not for Christians.

  Friday, April 4, 1947, at the assembly in Accra, Brother W. R. Brown gave a ninety-minute talk on marriage, based on the material in the January 15 Watchtower. Immediately that became the talking point of the assembly. For the first time polygamists were refused baptism and those already baptized in that condition were told to clean up in order to be acceptable in Jehovah’s organization.
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  sd-7

  "Others commit a serious sin during courtship and marry anyway, but they may begin their married life with little respect for each other."

  So who tells them that they should have 'little respect for each other' just because they had sex? Well, the Watchtower does it right in this article. It manages to project its own feelings about sex onto the newly married couple, by writing about how they feel, when it's really just how the Watchtower feels.

  I'm like the poster boy for JW-related early marriage troubles, but you can bet your a** that the last thing on my mind was, "Oh, gee, we had mind-blowing sex for awhile before we got married; I just can't respect her anymore after that!" These guys are living in a dream world. Seriously.

  This is a classic example of emotional control. The Society projects feelings onto its followers, and then swoops in to 'fix' the problems that they created in the first place by guilting the hell out of them. Gotta love 'em.

  --sd-7
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  jgnat

  A friend of mine headed off a doomed romance between her daughter and an elder's boy. There were a few things about the boy's attitude that set off all sorts of red flags.

  The girl, a much-loved sociable daughter of two professionals, involved in all things teen. College was expected.

  The boy, as I've said before, elder's son. Had only contempt for the girls at the Kingdom Hall. He considered them all tramps. He showed signs of mysogyny, expecting that this girl would lead him astray, too. As soon as the lust started, he was talking marriage.

  All of this was quite horrifying for my friend. She got educated about the Witnesses quick. She handled the whole thing with parental flair, inviting the parents over for a visit, and waiting for the romance to run its course.

  You see, she knew her daughter. Missing out on normal courtship things like GIFTS at anniversaries, birthdays, etc. was going to get OLD fast.
• 

  dgp

  For the first time polygamists were refused baptism and those already baptized in that condition were told to clean up in order to be acceptable in Jehovah’s organization.

  What does "clean up" mean in this context?

  Suppose the man was the breadwinner for himself, his two (only two) wives and six children, three with each wife. Does that mean he divorces her and does not continue to provide for her?

  Just a question.

  And when two "Christians" try to get someone to join, do they tell the wives that the husband will need to "clean up" in order for him to become a baptized member?
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  jgnat

  This reminds me of the puzzle that the Saducees tried out on Jesus. They gave an example of a widow who took a new husband according to the law. He was asked, who is the woman married to in Heaven? Jesus replied that heaven runs on different rules.

  Now, it seems to me that the WTBTS has created a similar problem in the "law". Cancelling heaven for the majority of believers, they promise that couples will be together forever in Paradise. But people being who they are, they will remarry and get themelves in all sorts of problems. How about this one? A man divorces his wife before he converts. He finds a new, Spiritually Appproved (TM) wife at the Kingdom Hall. Later, his ex-wife also becomes a Jehovah's Witness. Who will he be married to in Paradise?

  How will the WTBTS get themselves out of this tangle?
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  blondie

  For the first time polygamists were refused baptism and those already baptized in that condition were told to clean up in order to be acceptable in Jehovah’s organization.

  What does "clean up" mean in this context?

  Suppose the man was the breadwinner for himself, his two (only two) wives and six children, three with each wife. Does that mean he divorces her and does not continue to provide for her?

  1. be married only to the first wife (no picking the prettiest or youngest)

  2. send the others away but provide materially for the other wives and children (not what Ezra told the Israelites, they were sent away with no mention of support)

  3. not marry any more women except after the death of the first wife or if she committed adultery (or if he did)

  Just a question.

  And when two "Christians" try to get someone to join, do they tell the wives that the husband will need to "clean up" in order for him to become a baptized member?

  Actually,if either the wife or the husband had been divorced prior to being baptized on grounds that the WTS does not consider scriptural, they don't have to divorce each other. If they were just living together, they would have to separate and make arrangements to get married before being baptized or end that relationship. So both would have to "clean up" to get baptized.

  As to a woman in Africa that wanted to be baptized and she was the 2nd, 3rd, etc., wife, she would have to separate from her husband. Many African countries have legal polygamy regulated by laws. The WTS does not regulate (officially) the acts of non-jws even if married to a jw. And the WTS tries to avoid openly challenging a non-jw husband since according to the beliefs the husband is the head of that family even if the wife is a jw.

  The problems that arise is when the WTS policies conflict with the policies of governments and/or religious groups that are official and have strong influence over the government. The Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Roman Catholic organizations have had and in some ways continue to have more influence, as well as Islam in many counries.

  --------------I'm sure that as a non-jw, dgp, this is confusing and you have more questions. But remember we are talking about a Pharisaical organization that has more rules thant they did; and ones that change. Most jws are not even aware that until 1947 the WTS overlooked polygamy in Africa among some jws, but had a different rule for other countries. But in the other countries (African and Islam) polygamy is legal although regulated. Where polygamy was illegal per the secular governments, the WTS had no problem making polygamy forbidden for jws. There have been many convuluted articles under Questions From Readers and most are hard to decipher even for elder bodies.
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  dgp

  Thank you, Blondie.

  I suppose the Watchtower does not make serious inroads among people living in poligamy.
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  blondie

  The WTS concentrated on Africans that had already been converted to Christians by other religions. These religions felt the WTS was poaching in the flocks. The WTS does not make many converts from non-Christians.
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  harleybear

  Blondie: Thank you so much for your awesome input. I just read both study articles and am so mad I could eat nails. As a born in JW I watched my poor Mother put up with 51 years of marriage to the asshole (aka My Father) She was failthful to the end until she died 11 years ago. My father was physically, emotionally and sprirtually abusive. If she were alive today she would drop right through the floor. I too married an abusive "brother" and put up with his crap for 6 years until I said enought and left. I got PR'ed he went on to be a CO. If ever there was a perfect example of how utterly sick this religion is this aritcle is it. Gawd I am sooooooo glad to be out.