Yet ANOTHER Bizarre JW News Item...

by Funchback 13 Replies latest social current

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  Funchback

  http://www.news24.com/City_Press/City_Press_News/0,,186-187_1501299,00.html

  Jehovah church jilts SABC bride MANDLA ZULU

  THE SABC's glamorous weather presenter, Patience Dlamini, was left with shattered dreams of walking down the aisle with her Durban boyfriend, Bongani Gumede, after her church ruled it could not marry her.

  Dlamini (30) is a Jehovah's Witness and according to her church, a marriage between her and divorced Gumede cannot be sanctioned. Her church stipulates that a man can only re-marry if he divorced because of his wife's infidelity or if he is widowed.
  

  Gumede's ex-wife is however, very much alive and their divorce in 2001 was not based on infidelity.

  Dlamini told City Press this week that they were forced to call off their wedding planned for next month after church elders ruled against them.

  Gumede has since decided to try to patch things up with his ex-wife.

  But he refused to discuss his reasons for returning to her. He did however, confirm his plans to marry Dlamini had been cancelled for "scriptural" reasons.

  "Christians will understand what I mean," he said.

  Gumede's ex-wife, Jabu Ngcobo, who is also a Jehovah's Witness, confirmed that the church refused to approve her ex-husband's marriage to Dlamini.

  "According to our church, one cannot re-marry if the other partner whom they were married to, is still alive. You can only re-marry if the other partner is dead or if the other partner had committed adultery, which is not the case here," said Ngcobo.

  Ngcobo said that she divorced Gumede because of "bedroom problems". She would not however, elaborate on this. She also dismissed rumours that the wedding was cancelled because she and Gumede had reconciled.

  "It is true that we are in the process of reconciling with each other, but it is not for the purpose of staying together (as a couple). We are doing it for the sake of our children. Otherwise I don't care who Gumede marries because I'm through with him,"said Ngcobo.

  Although they now see each other, the couple do not live together.

  Dlamini told City Press she had never dated a man before, and that Gumede had been her first boyfriend. She met him at a church function in Durban.

  Since her breakup with Gumede, Dlamini says she is parrying off the men.

  "Already I have a problem because some top businessmen and politicians are harassing me by proposing marriage. I'm declining their offer because I want a man who fears God, and who does not smoke or drink," said Dlamini.

  Dlamini's colleague, Jabu "weatherman" Sithole, told City Press the ebony beauty was indeed constantly harassed by men.
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  Euphemism

  I want a man who fears God, and who does not smoke or drink

  Good luck finding a JW, then...

  Seriously, I feel bad for this couple. I know that a lot of people on this board have had the wonderful JW experience of being "not scripturally free."

  Of course, you've got to wonder how things got as far as they did. Didn't they know the Witness rules on the subject?
• 

  Funchback

  Apparently, Euphemism, no one shared this "tecnicality" with the bride & groom to be.
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  Euphemism

  Seems odd to me. But then again, here in the US, most Witnesses have grown up in the religion, so they usually know the rules on practical matters like that. If this couple had only been Witnesses a short period of time, then maybe they hadn't learned the Talmud yet.

  Doesn't justify the Witnesses' ridiculous rules in any case, of course. It just strikes me as odd.
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  simplesally

  What strikes me as odd is that the elders had to know they were dating and engaged........ I mean, hello??? Chaperones, going to meetings together, etc. People don't just up and marry, unless you are me of course.

  The ex-wife will get in trouble for her comments now! Haha..... getting back only for the children? I am thru with him? Yes, good submissive wife.

  ( I didn't know Durban was in South Africa)
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  Farkel

  : Her church stipulates that a man can only re-marry if he divorced because of his wife's infidelity or if he is widowed.
  
  Not entirely true. The WTS has a loophole called "absolute spiritual endangerment." This doctrine sidesteps the Bible and Jesus' specific law on divorce (how convenient) and allows a dub spouse to divorce another dub spouse if the "bad" dub spouse says anything "bad" about the Watchtower Corporation. They are Watchtowerly "scripturally" free to marry under these conditions.

  Farkel, who's furiously reading the scriptures to try to find out where Jesus mentions "absolute spiritual endangerment.".......
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  heathen

  I've actually known an elder who was adulterous and his wife devorced him then he remarried while still remaining an elder . It seems these dubs make up their own rules whenever it's convenient .
• 

  Gopher

  Farkel said:

  The WTS has a loophole called "absolute spiritual endangerment." This doctrine sidesteps the Bible and Jesus' specific law on divorce (how convenient) and allows a dub spouse to divorce another dub spouse if the "bad" dub spouse says anything "bad" about the Watchtower Corporation.

  I'm a little rusty on my Watchtower-ology, but I seem to remember that "absolute spiritual endangerment" was a reason (according to WTS doctrine) for separation -- not divorce. Even so, like Farkel said -- it's a convenient (and lazy-ass and sorry) excuse for elders to side with someone they like and break up a marriage.

  I find it stunning that these South African JW's didn't seem to have a clue about their own religion's rules about divorce and remarriage. I knew those things when I was a 10-year-old kid going to the Kingdom Hall.
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  Atilla

  Ngcobo said that she divorced Gumede because of "bedroom problems". She would not however, elaborate on this.

  One can only imagine what these bedroom problems were, ah, how about no oral sex maybe? If you get married you should try to make things work but enough is enough, just end it if no one is happy-end the game.
• 

  Farkel

  Gumby,

  You are right. "Absolute spiritual endangerment(tm)" (this is ALL Bible-based) has never been stated in WTS publications as a legitimate reason for divorce, but a legitimate reason for separation, but it accomplishes the same result:

  1) Spouse claims that the other spouse put him/her in "absolute spiritual endangerment" by say, asking the "wrong" questions about 607 BC or "this generation" or any other WT lie (there are millions of them) and so is now WT-sanctioned to separate from the spouse that doesn't agree with the whole of WTS doctrine/policy.

  2) Months or years go by. The "offending" spouse gets lonely. Starts dating. Has a little whoopie. The braindead dub spouse who caused the problem in the first place (sanctioned and even encouraged by WTS leaders) yells "adultery! I'm free!" The victim spouse pleads, "but you kicked me out and you haven't given me any nookie in five years!" The braindead spouse says,"YOU are the one who is wrong. YOU committed the adultery. I can now "scripturally divorce you."

  Of course this is Watchtower Insanity(tm) at its worst. And human misery for dubs at its best.

  Farkel