Went to a wedding and 70% of all those in attendance left about 40 minutes after the ceremony

[Jack Ryan]

I'm a 21 yo PIMO on the West coast. My family and I attended a wedding this past Saturday and I was completely disgusted by my family's and congregation's behavior.

The couple that got married are both studies, so they didn't get married at the Kingdom Hall. However they requested an elder to give the wedding ceremony talk (and I call it a talk because it was 95% scriptures and 5% about the couple) and they invited mostly JWs aside from their families.

Everything was going pretty well, until about 40 min after the ceremony. I just finished eating when my dad whispered to my brother and I that we had to leave because there was a DF'd woman that was invited. I sincerely apologised to the couple for leaving because I felt awful that I had to play along with all of the invited JWs and awkwardly leave the wedding so soon.

Once my family was in the car, I asked my dad who the woman was. He revealed to me that it was the groom's mom. Apparently a couple of elders went and talked to her and asked her to leave. She refused, so they let her know that we'll all be leaving.

I was shocked and appalled at the insanity of the situation I found myself in. This couple isn't even baptised and they invited more JWs than family to their wedding only to have them all leave because the groom's mom is in attendance. To top it all off, the brothers afterwards were saying stuff like: "I can't believe that she could be that selfish" and "Aw that poor couple, because of ONE person, everyone had to leave. She totally ruined their wedding".

The indoctrination is insane in this cult, of fucking course the groom is going to invite his own mother to his wedding. I can't believe that I'm expected to feel offended at the mother for refusing to leave her son's wedding. I really hope that the newlyweds see this as crystal-clear evidence that this is a cult.

- Contributed

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Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?"

He said, "He who showed mercy on him."

Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise... Unless they're dfed then leave em to die."

 

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Their actions are codified as follows:

*** w81 9/15 p. 30 par. 23 If a Relative Is Disfellowshiped . . . ***

"There is no point in looking for some rule as to family members being at gatherings where a disfellowshiped relative might be present. This would be something for those concerned to resolve, in keeping with Paul’s counsel. (1 Cor. 5:11) And yet it should be appreciated that if a disfellowshiped person is going to be at a gathering to which nonrelative Witnesses are invited, that may well affect what others do. For example, a Christian couple might be getting married at a Kingdom Hall. If a disfellowshiped relative comes to the Kingdom Hall for the wedding, obviously he could not be in the bridal party there or “give away” the bride. What, though, if there is a wedding feast or reception? This can be a happy social occasion, as it was in Cana when Jesus attended. (John 2:1, 2) But will the disfellowshiped relative be allowed to come or even be invited? If he was going to attend, many Christians, relatives or not, might conclude that they should not be there, to eat and associate with him, in view of Paul’s directions at 1 Corinthians 5:11."

No rule given LOL, gotta love Watchtwer's constant plausible deniability wording.

[Jack Ryan]

"Love never fails [unless you stop attending meetings]!"

[Jack Ryan]

Or in this case "Love never fails" [before you've hardly started attending meetings!]

[Jack Ryan]

How dare that Mother attend her Son’s wedding! We know that it’s wrong because 8 men out of 8 billion people living on this earth that have the direct support of God SAYS that it’s wrong. It doesn’t say it in the Bible.... it says it in the Bible PUBLICATIONS....

[Matthew9969]

That is truly disgusting.

[TrueTomHarley]

12 hours ago, Jack Ryan said:

However they requested an elder to give the wedding ceremony talk (and I call it a talk because it was 95% scriptures and 5% about the couple) and they invited mostly JWs aside from their families.

If you do not talk about scriptures during a wedding talk, exactly what do you talk about? The undying love of the couple? Then what do you talk about a few years down the road at the divorce hearing?

There is such a thing as being shallow.

To spend time considering the instruction guide for the relationship about to be entered into does not seem such a waste of time, even if the whiney twenty-something couldn’t see it that way. It might better ensure the marriage’s success.

[JW Insider]

14 hours ago, Jack Ryan said:

The couple that got married are both studies, so they didn't get married at the Kingdom Hall. However they requested an elder to give the wedding ceremony talk (and I call it a talk because it was 95% scriptures and 5% about the couple) and they invited mostly JWs aside from their families.

It doesn't sound like the couple is complaining about this, only the person contributing this experience. (I just looked up PIMO. I had seen it somewhere before but never looked it up.)  I have given a couple of wedding talks and I always let the couple know the approximate time I'll spend on scriptural counsel, and if they want a few things said about themselves this is always welcome.

The rest of the experience is pretty bad, however. If true, I wouldn't be surprised if both of them remember this truly insane and unjust treatment for many years to come.

[TrueTomHarley]

8 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

It doesn't sound like the couple is complaining about this, only the person contributing this experience

I take for granted that there will be exaggerating in such complaints. There always is.

10 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

I have given a couple of wedding talks and I always let the couple know 

Oddly, while I have given many funeral talks, I have never given a wedding talk. The rationale may be: “Well, he’s dead. How much damage can TrueTom do?”

12 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

The rest of the experience is pretty bad, however. 

I would never argue that the brothers are bastions of reasonableness at all times.

[Guest Indiana]

On 9/4/2019 at 9:02 PM, Jack Ryan said:

The indoctrination is insane in this cult, of fucking

@Jack Ryan could you please show some "love never fails" to my eyes when sharing  contributions? A few  *** instead  would be helpful 

On another note tonight I learned a lesson: before attending a wedding ask if they invited a disfellowshipped 🤭

[Shiwiii]

12 hours ago, Indiana said:

On another note tonight I learned a lesson: before attending a wedding ask if they invited a disfellowshipped

Is this how Jesus treated others? 

[Guest Indiana]

@Shiwiii read the bible and you'll learn how Jesus treated others. On the other hand  I am being ironic because that story sounds soooo exagerated to me but nowadays everything is possible.  Personally  I don't mind. One of my childhood friends got married and her disfellowshipped father was there, nobody left the house, all respected his position as the father and owner of the house 😃 This year at the commemoration  I sat next to a disfellowshipped one who spent all the meeting recording videos and taking photos to share over Whatsapp, I didn't leave the hall for him being there. 

I only gave an advice to you and everyone:  if you know you won't feel comfortable attending an event where someone you don't want to see probably will be there, ask someone first. For instance if your husband/wife betrayed you or dumped for another person and there are chances that they will be in the same event you want to go, ask first someone and avoid the pain to you and others who don't want to see you either.  

[Shiwiii]

2 minutes ago, Indiana said:

@Shiwiii read the bible and you'll learn how Jesus treated others

Oh yes, Indiana, I have and what i found was that Jesus ate with sinners and had compassion for ALL people. He even forgave the criminal who was on the cross next to Him, a criminal! Self professed criminal at that.  Did Jesus avoid the adulteress? Nope. Hmmm, maybe we can look at what He said as well.....Matthew 7:1-2....or perhaps we can take a look at what Jesus did for another sinner at John 5:14? 

So why don't you tell me,  Are the actions of shunning ANYONE on par with how Jesus treated others? 

11 minutes ago, Indiana said:

 I sat next to a disfellowshipped one who spent all the meeting recording videos and taking photos to share over Whatsapp, I didn't leave the hall for him being there

but this was your implication when you said "On another note tonight I learned a lesson: before attending a wedding ask if they invited a disfellowshipped 🤭" With a smiley face at that. 

12 minutes ago, Indiana said:

I only gave an advice to you and everyone:  if you know you won't feel comfortable attending an event where someone you don't want to see probably will be there, ask someone first. For instance if your husband/wife betrayed you or dumped for another person and there are chances that they will be in the same event you want to go, ask first someone and avoid the pain to you and others who don't want to see you either.  

hogwash! EVERYONE attending the wedding would know that the grooms mother would be there, its his wedding.