Do they make it up as they go along?

by link 4 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  link

  Hi,

  I haven’t been around here for a couple of years but I wondered if anyone would be interested in commenting on the information given at the web site: http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2003/aug2003/am_p-02-1651_2003.html.
  It is extremely long but I found it interesting

  It concerns Jehovahs Witnesses living as man and wife without being married. In the Philippines there is no Divorce so A Witness cannot remarry unless they get an annulment which is extremely expensive and beyond the reach of most Fillipinos. In this case they are trying to convince a Court of Law that The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society allow such people to live together if they sign a declaration.

  However they are saying that this is a Rule of the Jehovahs Witnesses in the Philippines. I had never heard of this before in the Philippines or any other place. Has anyone else?
  Can you imagine the anarchy and chaos if the regulations of the WBTS overruled national laws? The mind boggles.

  Link
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  uninformed

  Link,

  I heard of this back in the 80's, seems like there was a letter on file about it.

  Some countries don't allow divorce on any grounds, even adultery, so the WT has tried to establish a way that persons can be "married" in a religious sense though not in a legal sense.

  I think some countries that are heavily influenced by the Catholic Church would be the most affected.

  Brant
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  becca1

  Uninformed is right. I believe this policy came to be when Italy (under the pressure of the Catholic Church) refused to grant anyone a divorce. Witnesess who are "married" in this sense are bound together in the same way any other couple in the org. would be.
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  link

  Thanks for the responses but if everything about the religion is based on scripture, where do they get this one from? I don't recall anything in the Bible about signing a bit of paper written a group of old men being a marriage licence. As far as I recall the Bible mentions marriage ceremonies.

  Apart from that, even after signing the document, the partner who was married before signing is still married in the eyes of Church and State. Or does the document also dissolve any previous marriages and if so under what law is this disolution legal?

  I have a personal interest in this.

  link
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  vitty

  I just thought i would bump this back up again as I remember in the early eighties a sister telling me that if you cannot get a divorce (for adultery) in a certain country and wanted to be with someone else you could live with them.......................strange but true . I dont know if the info was in a WT