DOC, very good viewpoint as most JWs will trust the elders over calling the police or mental health authorities fearing to bring attention to the Org.
In this case another clue might help decide the issue, they both were very depressed souls. The Congregation might feel guilty they did not do enough to prevent her death or dissuade her from getting married to him? Very hard to say on this issue, thank God I had no book of rules to judge the outcome.
The elders don't have a "cush job", the sheer amount of shitty situations brought to their attention by the Congregations attempt to micromanage people's lives is insane! Your brothers have no desire to know your intimate secrets in the "bedroom" or desire the crisis-calls coming in at, well here: "Three-AM Adultry Phone Calls".
My opinion is the husband should have paid for his wifes funeral (you know the part, "for better or worse") but some deep selfishness and attachment to money prevented him from offering "one penny" to bury "his defective spouse he should have never married (according to one appointed man.)".
We had a young brother who could not wait to become appointed to serve the Congregation, he wanted to "know the dirt on his brothers and sisters". He moved to another Hall after being appointed and after five-years of not seeing him, I said "Hey, how do you enjoy knowing "all the dirt"... he said "I wish I never said that, what I hear at times brings me on my knees to Jehovah God crying". This brother is one of the most humble and helpful elders you will ever meet, reads anything on psychotherapy, couple's counseling and takes classes in Orange County via another church, because our Organization has no methods of teaching "real world life-skills". The program is part of a Master's in "family relationships", which open's up Pandora's box for him. Should he be disfellowshiped for going to a non-JW church to help the Congregation, and become a licensed therapist(two-year program)?
