___
Ray and Violet Rasmussen were Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Spring of 1968 Violet confessed adultery to Ray and he forgave her.
Spring of 1969 Ray learned Violet had not confessed all her adultery. Ray divorced Violet.
Fall of 1969 Ray marries Pauline, also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Spring of 1970 the Watchtower organization wrote a letter to Ray and Pauline’s congregation informing that Ray was not scripturally free to marry. Ray and Pauline were disfellowshipped for immorality and their lives were turned upside down as a result.[1]
Why did this happen?
At the time Watchtower held an unpublished policy that forgiveness of an act of confessed adultery was forgiveness for all adultery ever committed whether known or unknown to the innocent partner.[2]
Then comes 1981
The March 1, 1981 issue of The Watchtower published a policy effectively stating forgiveness of adultery was for known instances rather than known and unknown.[2]
So, as it turned out, Ray and Pauline were never immoral and had had their lives turned upside down over nothing more than the whim of the Watchtower religion's leaders.
Marvin Shilmer
______________
References
1. Watchtower Shunning – Deadly by Design
2. The existence of this policy was made apparent years later under pressure from an attorney representing Ray and Pauline who wrote the Watchtower organization and asked. Following is Watchtower's response to the attorney:
Ray and Violet Rasmussen were Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Spring of 1968 Violet confessed adultery to Ray and he forgave her.
Spring of 1969 Ray learned Violet had not confessed all her adultery. Ray divorced Violet.
Fall of 1969 Ray marries Pauline, also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Spring of 1970 the Watchtower organization wrote a letter to Ray and Pauline’s congregation informing that Ray was not scripturally free to marry. Ray and Pauline were disfellowshipped for immorality and their lives were turned upside down as a result.[1]
Why did this happen?
At the time Watchtower held an unpublished policy that forgiveness of an act of confessed adultery was forgiveness for all adultery ever committed whether known or unknown to the innocent partner.[2]
Then comes 1981
The March 1, 1981 issue of The Watchtower published a policy effectively stating forgiveness of adultery was for known instances rather than known and unknown.[2]
So, as it turned out, Ray and Pauline were never immoral and had had their lives turned upside down over nothing more than the whim of the Watchtower religion's leaders.
Marvin Shilmer
______________
References
1. Watchtower Shunning – Deadly by Design
2. The existence of this policy was made apparent years later under pressure from an attorney representing Ray and Pauline who wrote the Watchtower organization and asked. Following is Watchtower's response to the attorney:
3. “But when the innocent mate brings himself or herself to the point emotionally where he or she can have sexual relations with the adulterous mate, it is to be assumed that the innocent mate extends unqualified forgiveness, and will not use the known unfaithfulness as a basis for getting a Scriptural divorce permitting remarriage.”—The Watchtower, March 1, 1981, p. 31.
___
0 comments:
Post a Comment