Following Reborn 2002’s post earlier with a link to Witness Zone, I came to an interesting thread there. It has 574 replies to it. This thread was started by Hey Jude 2222 and is called What are some topics that for a certainty we will NEVER see posted here on The Witness Zone?
One of the topics that will never be seen was posted by Hey Jude herself : Examples of people you know who married out of the truth and it turned out just well.
http://www.jwzone.org/forums/showthread.php?s=d99ccd07572167d8c40d4f0bf6efc604&threadid=3074
This thread reminded me of a thread I always wanted to post, and just didn’t get around to it.
The WT always uses the text, Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers as a constraint that always forbids JWs from marrying out of the truth
Like many other doctrines of the WT let’s look at this one a little closer.
Does Paul say, Do not become yoked with unbelievers? No. He says, Do not become UNEVENLY yoked. He was discouraging uneven yokes.
Can someone who is a believer endeavouring to follow the principles of Jesus Christ be in a contract with a non-believer and still not be unevenly yoked? He would only be unevenly yoked if he were caught in a bind and was being influenced to engage in unlawful activities. Two JWs can be in a marriage or business contract and still be unevenly yoked when one of the partners follows a wrong course, alcoholism for example.
Paul says elsewhere,
1Cr 7:9 But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
What if the person lacking in self control, can’t find an available marriage partner within the WT association? Too bad sister, burn baby, burn? There are many examples of faithful people of old who obtained marriage mates from outside their immediate society.
Paul allows for believers and unbelievers to be yoked in marriage.
1Cr 7:13 And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.
1Cr 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.
1Cr 7:15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace.
1Cr 7:36 But if any one think that he behaves unseemly to his virginity, if he be beyond the flower of his age, and so it must be, let him do what he will, he does not sin: let them marry.
1Cr 7:37 But he who stands firm in his heart, having no need, but has authority over his own will, and has judged this in his heart to keep his own virginity, he does well.
1Cr 7:38 So that he that marries himself does well; and he that does not marry does better.
1Cr 7:39 A wife is bound for whatever time her husband lives; but if the husband be fallen asleep, she is free to be married to whom she will, only in [the] Lord.
Only in (the) Lord does not necessarily mean that one must marry only those who are of like faith, within an organization like the WTS. Only in Lord can mean only within the instructions of the Lord, that is don’t go and steal someone else’s wife, do not commit adultery, do not capture a woman against her will.
There are many people in the world who love what it right, love their neighbour as themselves, feed the poor, the orphans and the widows.
Paul says:
Rom 2:14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,
Rom 2:15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
Summarizing then, if someone has a burning desire to get married or to have children, and their is no one available within one’s own community, then go and seek others who have the law of what is right written in their hearts. and remember what God has yoked together let no man, including elders, not break it apart.
Can any of you here give examples of people you know who married out of the truth and it turned out just well.
We know that in the last days, there will be those who forbid marriage. We know that on JW Zone board it is forbidden to post examples of JWs who marry non JWs , certainly it is not forbidden here. Let’s work to set the people free. Let’s provide HeyJude the answer to her secret question she can’t ask openly.
belbab
edited for clarity