Spiritual headship question

charity7

Hello. Non JW here married to a JW. I was told by two witnesses that if a woman JW were to marry a non JW that she would have no say whatsoever in what their children would believe or go to church if he was of a different religious belief and he enforced it. From what I've read in different threads this is actually not the case. Can anyone enlighten me on what the JW's actually teach on this?

problemaddict 2

The JWs teach the man is the head of the household. I don't think it gets much more specific in regard to what you are asking. You are saying a JW woman would have no say if she marries a non-JW man? Well not to state the obvious.....but wouldn't that be between them?

LisaRose

Technically I believe that is the case, in actual practice that's not how it works. Most JW women are determined to raise their children as JWs, so they will generally override the wishes of their non believing husbands. It's not like he is going to go to the elders and complain, I doubt the elders would do anything if he did.

Wasanelder Once

*** w02 8/15 p. 30 Questions From Readers ***
...the unbelieving husband might insist that his children practice his religion, taking them to his place of worship and giving them religious education according to his faith. Or a husband may be opposed to all religion and insist that his children receive no religious education. As the head of the family, he is the one primarily responsible for making the decision.

[Footnote]
The wife’s legal right to free practice of religion includes her right to attend Christian meetings. In some cases, a husband has been unwilling to care for minor children at those times, so the loving mother was obliged to take them with her to the meetings.

Sail Away

I knew a family in this situation very well. The husband was Catholic and insisted in raising their children in his religion. He didn't allow them to go to the Kingdom Hall ever. The JW mother "studied" with the kids every day after school while the father worked. The elders sanctioned this, and she was such a self-righteous, "long-suffering" role model for the congregation. By the time the kids were in their teens they were indoctrinated witnesses and both got baptized.

The mother got a "scriptural" separation on the grounds of "absolute spiritual endangerment", because he lost it and went over the deep end. The couple eventually divorced. Both kids married JWs and are still in and have nothing to do with the non-JW father.

waton

I remember a "committee" of 3 case, where a brother, in order to marry his Catholic sweetheart, signed a paper that committed him to bring up the children in his wife's religion. That was a tough one, after he had already been "put on probation" for finding out how sweet the lady really was, without clergy blessing.

They all survived the mess, and are successful humans. humane treatment prevailed , wt rules notwithstanding.