Hi Nick32,

When people describe Jehovah's Witnesses as a cult, it generally reflects the authoritarian high-control nature of this faith. Yet when we actually meet some of the Witnesses and get to know them we discover they are seemingly normal people and often times very nice. Even the sort of people we could fall in love with!

To begin to understand the Witness mindset it is important to understand they believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. They also believe Jehovah God is paying special attention to Witnesses and only they have the 'truth' about the Bible. Although technically they don't believe what is written in The Watchtower and Awake! is inspired like the Bible, from a practical standpoint the words of the leaders carries the same force. To openly disagree with some aspect of the Bible, The Watchtower or Awake! is to be unfaithful and if continued eventually can result in expulsion from the faith.

So, when you read this passage of scripture...

A wife is bound during all the time her husband is alive. But if her husband should fall asleep [in death], she is free to be married to whom she wants, only in [the] Lord. But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my opinion. I certainly think I also have God’s spirit. ( Corinthians 7 : 39, 40 )

...or...

Adulteresses, do YOU not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God. ( James 4 : 4 )

You might view such as Paul and James expressing an opinion, a view, that can be followed or not, depending on how well it aligns with your personal views and feelings. However for your Jehovah's Witness friend, these are not just opinions they are the word of God! Furthermore what the leadership has said after quoting these verses is likewise viewed as direction given, with the help of God's Holy Spirit. It is true, that some Witnesses have met and married non-Witnesses. Doing so, as long as it does not involve sex-before-marriage, is not considered a sin large enough to warrant disfellowshipping (unless the Witness were brazen about it and advocating it as acceptable). Yet, if a man served the congregation as an elder or ministerial servant and his JW son or daughter married outside the faith, how he reacted would be monitored closely. If there were signs that he gave "implicit approval" then he could lose his status as an elder or ministerial servant. Thus some fathers may decide not to even attend the wedding ceremony. In no case would an inter-faith ceremony ever be allowed in the Kingdom Hall.

Those who do marry Witnesses find they're in a divided household with divided loyalties.  Many times at the Kingdom Hall this scripture has been read...

In like manner, YOU wives, be in subjection to YOUR own husbands, in order that, if any are not obedient to the word, they may be won without a word through the conduct of [their] wives, because of having been eyewitnesses of YOUR chaste conduct together with deep respect. ( 1 Peter 3 : 1, 2 )

and many a Witness wife has put forth an earnest effort to convert their 'unbelieving' mate.  Stories of wives 'witnessing' to their unbelieving mates are often told, sometimes connected to the wife sharing bits of the faith after preparing a special meal.  Or leaving open interesting articles of Awake! where they can be found.  Why such effort?  Because the wife is being told all that do not side with Jehovah will soon be destroyed forever at Armageddon.  This of course includes unbelieving mates.
 
So, as heart wrenching as it might be to contemplate, the best approach is usually to move on.

Take care,
-Randy

Last Edited By: rawe Jul 7 11 5:47 AM. Edited 5 times.