Bob Nakamoto: As a Jehovah's Witness, I know it is a personal choice to attend weddings and funerals at other churches. I personally believe it to be a bad witness to refuse to attend a family event of such significance purely because of someone's religious beliefs being different to my own. Whilst I would not take catholic mass or participate in religious celebrations, I have attended a number of funerals (not so many weddings as my family tends to dismantle rather than marry) in other churches. Family is family. We don't forget that despite what ones are told. If a family member has told you they cant attend, this is wrong. They CHOOSE not to attend. Whether it is their own bible understanding (which they have for themselves, not just spoon fed) or a misconception or misunderstanding. It is their choice, and whilst I can't judge them I know I would probably choose differently. I had tonnes of non-witness relatives come to my Kingdom Hall wedding - its mutual re! spect to reciprocate, not conversion!...Show more
Floyd Labuda: They are conditioned and taught that they could lose their right to fellowship with other jw's.Plus, they have issues with being persecuted by Christians and nonChristians, so they believe that something spiritually bad will happen to them.
Rubi Romo: As stated above, it is a matter for each witness, just as it would be with you. Would attend a gay wedding or one held at a Baal church where the couple copulate before leaving, so that everyone can witness the fact?. My mother attended a cousin's wedding at a Greek Orthedox church. That was 25 years ago. Didn't understand a word.
Ronald Moehr: I was a witness for twenty years and served as an Elder before I woke up, which was about a year before this question was posted. Please forgive any typos. I would like to disabuse you of the false impression you have been given, if I may. I can forgive the faithful jw commenters for shunning me; they k! now not what they do. But you should know that what they said,! practically to a person, is an outright deception, though they probably all sincerely believe it.The Governing Body, a group of seven old men who have declared themselves the "faithful and discreet slave" and "God's channel" of communication, makes the rules; bodies of Elders enforce those rules in the congregations. The punishment for not ultimately submitting to the elders, repenting of any missteps and obeying the rules of the GB, is disfellowshipping and total shunning: you will be treated as if you are not there by your friends and family who a) believe that they are doing what god wants and b) are under threat of being disfellowshipped themselves for disobeying the directive to shun you. Every Witness knows what will happen if they disobey the rules, be these about prohibited sexual behaviors, medical treatments, or "false worship". A person who thinks disfellowshipping itself is wrong, perhaps reading directly from an old Watchtower publication that condemned it, wi! ll be disfellowshipped if he shares that view with others; this is called "apostasy" and it is the scariest word Witnesses know. A Witness who disagrees with the idea that blood transfusions are prohibited while 100% of FRACTIONATED blood is okay, or who disagrees that Jesus came back in 1914, or that Jerusalem fell in 607, is an apostate if he or she talks to others about it. (It is hard to describe the kind of control that is at work here, but it is frightening. Have a look online at the actual Watchtower articles that reveal the Orwellian, shifting dogma, the thousands of stories of people whose lives have been destroyed by this corporation, and, if anyone tries to deny it, there's a youtube video of Witnesses at a convention shunning a bewildered reporter because they THINK he is a disfellowshipped Witness.)At present, Witnesses are permitted to but strongly discouraged from attending a funeral or wedding in a church. Articles showing this are searchable and viewable at! their beloved website jw dot org, and the current stand is clearly aga! inst attending. Those whose comments reflect a more liberal stand are the more liberal Witnesses. I was one of these. But because i was an appointed Servant and Pioneer and later an Elder, I never went into a church for a wedding or funeral. If i did, my "privileges of service" would be revoked. That is the case today for anyone in "full time service" or a male who, by virtue of being male, has been able to reach out to serve as an overseer or one of their helpers. Any male who is not doing so is thought of and spoken of as not good marriage material.So if you are trying to understand, be merciful upon these people. Their freewill is circumscribed so expertly that they don't even realize that they are not allowed to disagree with the leaders. Freedom of speech does not exist in "the truth". It has been replaced with the Witness phrase "FREENESS of speech", which is the goof fortune of being able to reprove a sinner freely on a particular sin (e.g., masturbation or the viewi! ng of R-rated movies) because you are without sin in that area.It is a terrifying thing to be owned by a mind-control cult. Please be kind to them....Show more
Irvin Guiles: It's up to each individual to decide. No one orders us or tells us we can't. I went to my dad's funeral at my mothers church. I was there to support my mother as her last surviving child. I did not participate in any of the service. My conscience allowed met to do this. We each make that call.
German Thal: It's all about self-righteousness. All of it - not limited to J.W.s. ALL of it!
Rhett Kaines: I am a JW, have been for a long time, this is matter that is left to each witnesses own conscience, their is no rule you can't attend weddings funerals in a church, and you won't be looked down on if you do. I myself have and aunt who isn't a JW I was at her wedding (It was in a Lutheran church) and when her husband died (also not a JW) I was at the funeral, the meal afterward, all! the stuff to help grieve with her, also 3 of my uncles one of whom is ! an elder served as pallbearers for her husband- they didn't participate in praying etc like that (though my dad who is a JW offered the prayer at the Memorial service for her husband held later that week- it was at a community hall so people of both faith's didn't feel uncomfortable)- but they took part in helping their sister in her process. I've also attended weddings of non-JW friends and other family members in a church. Personally as long as I'm not taking part in any worship it doesn't offend my conscience, perhaps your cousins family just feels more strict, but its isn't and overall teaching of Witnesses. There are many matters that Witnesses chose how exactly they believe, like going to school proms, participating in school sports, college education etc, I've seen people in the same family one daughter going to prom a few years later her brother deciding not to, a family whose one son went to college (yup there are even some JW doctors and lawyers out there) and ! the next deciding that wasn't for him....that all comes from individual freedom, if something doesn't strictly go against the bible, their aren't really strict rules....Show more
Estrella Northway: Remember these are the same people that will shun their own family members, something an animal doesn't even do
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