I'm Christian (Baptist) and my girlfriend wants to become a Jehovah's Witness. Are we doomed?

Question

We have been together for a while now, and had just began the "marriage discussions" prior to this whole Jehovah interest. I still very much want to celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Birthdays, et cetera. We also have a small child together. How do you explain to a three year old, "Mommy can't come to your birthday party today because she believes in a different God than Daddy does..." Does anyone out there have any suggestions? Live in a multi-faith household? I do love this woman, but damn. HELP ME!!!! Can we even get married now? Are vows of marriage valid if sworn before separate Gods? HEEEELLLLPPPPP!

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians. The questioner implies bigotry and religious intolerance by implying otherwise.

A few self-described "Christians" have claimed that the title applies uniquely to those who believe precisely as they do. They apparently take for themselves a role which properly belongs to Christ himself.

(Matthew 7:21-23) Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, ...and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.


Ironically, the bible most closely associates being "Christian" with preaching about Christ and Christ's teachings. Review all three times the bible uses the term "Christian" and note that the context connects the term with:
"declaring the good news"
'teaching quite a crowd'
'open eyes, turn from dark to light'
"uttering sayings of truth"
"persuade"
"keep on glorifying"

(Acts 11:20-26) [The early disciples of Jesus] began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus... and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.

(Acts 26:17-28) [Jesus said to Paul] I am sending you, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God... Paul said: “I am not going mad, Your Excellency Festus, but I am uttering sayings of truth and of soundness of mind. ...Do you, King Agrippa, believe the Prophets? I know you believe.” But Agrippa said to Paul: “In a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian.”

(1 Peter 4:14-16) If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy... But if he suffers as a Christian, let him not feel shame, but let him keep on glorifying God in this name


So why do anti-Witnesses try to hijack the term "Christian" and hide its Scriptural implications? Because anti-Witnesses recognize that it is the preaching work that makes it clear that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are by far the most prominent followers of Christ:

(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded


Learn more!
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/20050422/article_02.htm
http://jw-media.org/people/ministry.htm

Answer 2

All Humans can do anything humanly possible that we want. However, we Witnesses know the Bible principle that the phrase "Marry only in the Lord" is based on. It is a good guideline for anyone who is faithful to their beliefs. While it is on one level to serve as way of keeping the congregation clean(The Bible has several examples of faithful ones marrying non believers and going astray). This principle is also a Kindness. For instance. You are Baptist. If you two were to get married and have kids you would want them to take part in hoidays, etc. We Witnesses do not feel it is right to celebrate Christmas, Easter, Holloween etc because these are pagan holidays. It would be unfair all the way around for you and your wife and your children to have the constant struggle of beliefs.

Also please do not believe the garbage some of the people say on here about Witnesses. We ARE Christian. We follow the Bible as we feel it is clear indicater of Jehovah's wishes. We are not a Cult. If you notice allot of the statements condemning us are contradictory. This is in part because they are baseless lies so it is hard to keep the accusations straight. If you have any concerns or questions about our beliefs ask a Witness in the real world,. You can also go to http://www.watchtower.org

Please do not misunderstand. Marraige is never perfect. There will always be trials, and there have been cases where, depending on what you consider successful, Witness/nonWitness marraiges have succeded. It is just much easier and more fair all the way around to "Marry in the Lord".

As for the seperate Gods thing, it is the same God, worshiped differently. While she might not want a religious ceremony, it is of course still a binding marraige. If it wasn't then the Bible wouldn't warn of dangers of mixing faiths. It would be a simple matter of disolving the unions.

I hope things work out.

Answer 3

i have heard of jews and cristians co existing.. becuase their holidays come at the same times (like cmas and haunakka (however you spell it) and they celebrate both... but a religion that doesnt celebrate ANY holidays?!!?!? wow that could be hard. Maybe you could meet with a jahovah witness member or a whatever they call the pastor/ minister and see what kinds of things go on and what would happen..... I rememebr a group of j.w. who met for some sort of churchlike meeting in the neighborhood..... and one girl i was friends with.. and unlike a lot of the j.w. her mom was a lil more open.. she would encourage her to "celebrate with freionds" without really celebrating... she would accept gifts and cards as a gesture of friendship and not exactly a "gift". Most of her freinds knew she was this religion and respected it for the most part and to not be rude she would wish them a haoppy holiday and whatnot. On the other spectrum of things another boy i recall and his sister had to set out in the hall way or be taken from school when any sort of "holiday" parties took place. I actually rememebr aninstance where the little girl was telling other kids that there was no such thing as santa and this and that.. creating a ruckus among the parents.... so it can be hard especially in a split religion home.... and how will your daughter be raised? christian? jahovahs witness? or be given the chancve to choose her own path?

Answer 4

No, you are not doomed.
I understand your concern- really I do.
My husband and I were in very similar circumstances when I developed an interest in studying with Jehovah's Witnesses.

We had 5 kids between us, were not married and he believed that humans were the result of an alien genetic experiment that had gone horribly wrong :)

Here is what we did- I studied and he respectfully sat in on the studies so that he would at least understand the reasons that I believed what I did. He would ask questions and he learned why Witnesses believe what they do. He respected my decision to learn about the bible and he learned some stuff too. He wanted to celebrate Christmas and all that stuff too- and he did.

It is the bible. Baptists have respect for the bible right? So, you do not have to become a Witness, but you could sit in on her studies so that you will understand where her beliefs are coming from- and you can have a respectful approach to each others beliefs. The important thing is that your little one have an intact loving family. It is much harder on a little kid to not have mommy and daddy together than it is for them not to have mommy at their birthday party.

I am sure that once you think about it, you will agree that the most important thing is having a solid, loving, and intact family for your kid... and that is what God wants for your kid too.

If you are wondering how our lives turned out, we got married 14 years ago. We are still together, very happily married and our kids are doing very well.

We instituted "surprise day" which would happen whenever we could afford it and it was always a complete surprise for the kids. We did everything from treasure hunts to trips that would just suddenly happen to them - they liked it better than Christmas and birthdays -

Answer 5

Even before kids come, the spiritual unity between the two of you is broken, if there ever was any.
"Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers" was Paul's admonishment to the Corinthian Church.

But since you already have a small child, and you are not yet married, I profoundly doubt either of you take your religious convictions very seriously.

I'd wish you luck, but "luck" has nothing to do with this mess you have created.

Answer 6

If you have to ask a question like that you aren't in love. So therefore your relationship is doomed but not for the reasons you mentioned..

First of all I don't believe that a Baptist has anything to do with Christianity, they are more terrorists than anything. Anytime someone tries to buy a beer on Sunday or ends up in a dry county, its all been done by Baptist Terrorism. As far as the Jehovah's Witness, tell her to come to my door, the last one got slammed. It was a guy i wouldnt slam a girl.

The reason your having this problem is your both a bunch of religious idiots, therefore your doomed not for your differences but for your similarities.

Dump the crap both of you and look for the love between you not the brainwashing fools that control you.

Answer 7

You are in a very difficult situation!! But, please know that the Bible warns of unyoked marriages. If you are unyoked (which seems apparent with the different faiths), then this will only lead to much unhappiness for you and confusion for your future child. Holidays will be the least of your concerns. You as the husband, father will be most held responsible for the spiritual upbringing of your child. You owe it to God, foremost, then to future child and even to yourself to have a God-filled family. A god who does not have Jesus as His Son who died for you and rose from the dead is not the one and only True God. You must know this if you are Baptist. You know that in order to get to God, you must go thru His Son Jesus. The J.W. do not view Jesus as Deity. You need to learn about the J.W. faith. Please ask your pastor. He will explain to you also. Your spiritual health depends on it!! God bless you

Answer 8

My wife is Catholic and I am a Theosophist. It was very hard living together but we did. Now she has started questioning her beliefs in Catholicism and we are closer now then before. If you really love her, then allow her to make the discovery for herself. Just love her no matter what.

Answer 9

Know what?

I really believe she'll snap out of it. It'll be o.k., just be loving to her and she'll come around eventually. Don't SAY that though... you can let her know what your beliefs and feelings are, but you gotta allow her own decisions too...

Also, kids are really smart. They understand alot more than what alot of people give em credit for. If your child is old enough to ask a question their old enough to understand the answer to it. Just keep it simple and let him or her know just how much you both love him or her. It's not difficult...

So don't worry, it'll be o.k. .. maybe you can both go to eachother's churches or maybe just go to your own. If your both not trying to control the other person and your both making the marriage about loving the other person unconditionally, it will work.

Answer 10

it will be very hard. when you go to christian book stores, there is a reason that the mormon, jehovah's witness books are in the cult section. read up on them. i mean, the stuff that goes on high up in their church. and even the things they believe. if she wants to, she has every right. but read what the bible says about a marriage. you will both not be on the same page, which will make EVERYTHING else difficult.

good luck.

Answer 11

Unequally yoked! Messed up and can not get it together. Why because of premaritial sex. You already had a child. God does forgive. How can two walk together unless they agree? You are Christian period. But yet you have commited sin but have not we all. You now bear the burden of it! Luke 18. We often sin against the Lord by our disobediance. We are chastened. The consequences of life. There is only one God. God is. Exodus 6. He created us. Prayer is Luke 18. Do you pray? Only the word of God is valid. Read it. Proverbs 1. You need wisdom and most of all understanding.