Expert: Robert Jones - 10/31/2009

Question
QUESTION: Is it true that if a Jehovah's Witness marry's another without grounds after a divorce,he or he will be disfellowshipped? How does that coincide with Matthew 5:32

ANSWER: It is true, Anthony, that a JW who divorces and then marries someone else when the divorce was not due to unfaithfulness could be disfellowshipped. That does not mean that they absolutely will be DFd, only that they will be questioned by a judicial committee of 3 elders and COULD be DFd.

That belief coincides with Mt. 5:32 "But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery." The Biblical rule would work both ways, of course. The Bible just happened to have be penned by Jewish men, so you get the accusatory slant towards the woman.
RJ

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So is there a scriptural provision for the mate who is being divorced? The same rules apply to the mate that is being divorced even though they were caused to become an adulteress. What I here you saying is that the consequences are the same no matter who peruses the unscriptural divorce.

Answer
The following are some additional details on divorce/remarriage situations and whether either mate could remarry. The following are said to be based on Mt. 5:32 or Mt. 19:9,10.

Let's say that a woman has a JW husband and she can barely stand her husband any more. Maybe she doesn't like the JW religion and is tired of them not having Christmas together and she wants to put Christmas decorations in her yard like her neighbors. Maybe his breath stinks or she doesn't think he so cute any more. So she separates from him. He doesn't like her so much any more either, but being a conscientious JW is not wanting to separate.

After 6 months of being separated he has not dated, and certainly has not had sex with anyone. He would very much like to be back with his wife if for no other reason than satisfying sexual desires. But she files for divorce on grounds of the months of separation that her state requires for getting a divorce. His best hope is that she will be seen somewhere with another man, or better yet, it be seen that a man has stayed over night at her residence. So far, no such thing has occurred.

Being divorced (not by his cause) he wants to date a single sister in the a nearby congregation. He talks to the elders about it. They ask if his wife has been unfaithful, whether she has been with another man. He wants so much to say "yes" but realizes that he has no proof that she has been with another man and his best guess is that she has not. The elders will tell him that he is not free to date and not free to remarry. His wife has divorced him (put him away as Mt. 19 says) not on scriptural grounds. He is still bound to his wife. Three years pass and his former wife is still a happily single woman. He can't take being alone any more and begins to secretly date a woman where he works. Soon they become intimately involved and begin to have sexual relations. This is where he is caused to become an adulterer. He will have to answer to a judicial committee of 3 elders for committing adultery.

Let's say that they date but do not have sexual relations until they are married. Again, he will face questioning by a judicial committee for (1)dating when he is not free to, and (2)breaking the marital bond with his first wife by taking another.

As you can imagine, the scenario can work either way under a variety of circumstances. Please realize that I am just explaining.
Robert Jones