Watchtower 1956 September 15 p.571 Marriage Ceremony and Requirements
13 The wearing of rich clothes is not necessary for a civil marriage. The main thing is to be dressed neatly, becomingly, and, as a Christian, to be spiritually well-clothed with love, humility, obedience and faithfulness. A wedding ring may not be customary or may be beyond one’s means. The marriage estate is not everywhere symbolized by a wedding ring. It is no essential part of a marriage ceremony. Failure to give a wedding ring is not to one’s discredit. Even where the wedding ring is recognized as marking a married woman and serves notice upon anyone with passionate desires, some may conscientiously object to featuring a ring in the ceremony, having in mind the pagan origin of the customary wedding ring in Christendom. In some places the marriage estate of a woman is indicated by the style of dress that she wears or the new piece that she adds to her garments. Locally this is just as effective as a finger ring, in fact more noticeable. A wedding ring amounts to nothing if there is no real tie or if the marriage tie is not respected. A passionate woman will not let a ring keep her from committing adultery. The use of a ring in a marriage ceremony should therefore be left to each one’s decision according to conscience and local custom.
[Emphasis Added]
Watchtower 1961 December 15 pp. 767-768 Questions from Readers
• How can girls guard against temptation in this sex-crazy world?
When a girl reaches the age of puberty or physical maturity, her body has developed in the matter of sex more than in the mind. Young folks like to be together, first in groups, later in twos. If they have not been instructed by their parents in regard to the matter of sex, a boy and a girl are likely to become too familiar and to engage in what is popularly called petting or necking. They may practice this for a time and see no bad results. However, the time will come when there will be great danger in such actions. Why? In answer to this question, we can learn about nature and sex from the bovine family of mammals, both wild and tame.
Large herds of cattle, both male and female, wander over the plains feeding. Ordinarily the male or bull would not think of approaching the female or cow for sex purposes. If he did approach he would not receive a hearty welcome, but, rather, he might be gored by the cow’s horns. There is no petting or sex relations between bull and cow permitted, because the female is not in physical condition to breed. The bull seems to understand this and keeps in his own place. However, when the female of the species is in condition to breed, she makes the matter known. If there is no male in the herd, she will go elsewhere looking for one and she is unsettled until she finds one and then is bred by him. Now she is contented, and the end result is a calf. In this connection it is interesting to note that the male animal has no season at which he is not willing to engage in the breeding act.
If we humans would take a lesson from these creatures, we would learn something of importance in matters of sex, as to its purpose and the results of its operation.
As with a cow, when a young girl who has reached her puberty is in physical condition to conceive and become pregnant, her sex emotions are greatly aroused. If she has association with a boy, she is inclined to think that it is the sweetness of the “boy friend” that causes this delightful and new feeling, and so she becomes infatuated with him. If the boy friend should become sexually aroused and lets her know it and then she yields her body to the advances of the amorous boy friend, she is likely to become pregnant as a result of just one sex experience of this kind.
Some persons foolishly think that they know when it is “safe” to have sex contact with those of the opposite sex and thus avoid becoming pregnant, but this is a serious mistake on their part. Even learned biologists do not know exactly when there is no danger of conception for a woman. This is due to certain irregularities in the case of various females.
When the ovum, that is, the egg cell from which the baby starts, is at large or is on its way from the woman’s ovary through her Fallopian tube to the uterus, there it remains for an uncertain length of time, which varies greatly with different females. Then is the time when conception can take place if the ovum is met by a male life sperm. During that same time the female is sexually aroused and is ready for the sex act that at this time will cause a baby to result. This bearing of children is the sole privilege of the female. In fact, this is one main reason for creating the female of the human species.
There are cases where a girl became pregnant as a result of one sex interview with a boy. What a price for a girl, a virgin, to pay for a few minutes of satisfied sex emotions! When persons start in this dangerous and sinful course, they find it hard to overcome future temptations. When a young, unmarried girl falls to the temptation, the price she pays is terrible: shame, sorrow, a ruined reputation, endless troubles, with the danger of being disfellowshiped from a congregation if the girl is a dedicated member. It is high time for girls to understand the make-up of their bodies and its functions, especially with regard to sex. Then if a girl understandingly takes care of herself while the ovum is at large and is causing sex disturbance and cravings within her, she will be able to act like a true lady of irreproachable morals at all times. She will avoid the violating of her virginity and the shame and conscience-stricken state due to this; and wisely she will direct her young life so as to end up in the position of a clean, happy wife and mother of legitimate children, journeying to the new world of righteousness, where there will be no sex problems amid a sex-crazy population.
[Emphasis Added]
Awake! 1967 August 22 p.27, 28
The apostle Paul, in giving instructions on congregational meetings of Christians, stated, among other things: “I do not permit a woman to teach, or to exercise authority over a man.” (1 Tim. 2:12) Today many religious organizations take exception to these words of Paul. In fact, we find more and more women being ordained to Protestant pulpits. Just why did the apostle state this rule?
This rule is based on a principle that governs the relations between the sexes, namely: “The head of every man i s the Christ; in turn the head of a woman is the man; in turn the head of the Christ is God,” (1 Cor. 11:3) The logic of headship must be apparent to all. If two or more intelligent persons are to cooperate, there must be organization, and for organization to be successful there must be a head. That Jehovah God, the Father, is the Head of his Son, Jesus Christ, is obvious; also, that his Son should be the head of his congregation. But not so readily appreciated is the statement that man exercise headship over the woman and that therefore woman should not exercise authority over the man.
However, the facts show that the headship of a man is both somatically and psychologically sound and in the best interests of all concerned, even as we shall see. Thus a leading authority on the human body (soma), Gray’s Anatomy (1966 Edition), tells the interesting fact that as regards the human skull there is no difference between the male and the female until the time of puberty; but then as adulthood is reached the difference becomes more and more apparent. The female skull is lighter and its cranial capacity is about 10 percent smaller than that of a male, even as is the rest of the anatomy. The contour of the female skull is also more rounded and the facial bones are smoother. Apparently, with the lines of beauty goes less rugged strength.
True, mere brain size in itself is not as important as brain quality, but where the quality is the same the larger brain size has an advantage. Thus Science News, April 1, 1967, told of twenty African children who were so extremely undernourished in the first few years of their lives that “head circumferences…averages an inch less that the others, indicating smaller brain.” And over the years all these were found to have verbal, mathematical and perceptual capabilities far below those of other children. Implicit in these findings is that man is advantaged by a greater brain size.
That it is in the best interests of both sexes for man to take the lead is also supported by psychological evidence. One of New York city’s leading psychiatrists and psychoanalysts, Dr. Marie N. Robinson, in one of her books, which deals with certain frustrations of married women, skillfully demonstrates by case histories that many of these particular frustrations can be ended if women will but recognized the fact that the way their bodies are made gives evidence that it is intended for man to be the head. As she expresses it, women must learn the art of “eternal acquiescence” and “deep altruism” in dealing with their husbands if they want to find happiness.
The children also stand to benefit when the Scriptural principles governing the sexes are followed. To woman falls the lot, not only of conceiving and bearing children, but also, to a great extent, of nurturing them in their earliest infancy and on to maturity. It stands to reason that for a mother to do justice to her task she must have an abundance of love and devotion, she must have much patience, great gentleness and mildness and be extremely sensitive to the needs of her offspring from infancy onward, if they are to thrive.
It follows that her entire personality must be of such a sensitive and gentle nature as to do justice to the delicate needs of the tiny developing minds and bodies. However, an abundance of such qualities does not go hand in hand with those needed for leadership and meeting stern challenges. More than that, by the Scriptures’ limiting the woman’s role in the congregation it makes it more likely that she will have the needed time and energy to look after the needs of her family properly. So, while she may have other interest, she should never forget that as a wife her career is caring for the physical, mental and emotional well-being of her family.
The Scriptural position might be said also to take into consideration woman’s biological nature. As every woman in the prime of life is well aware, she has certain difficult days each month during which she cannot give of her best and during which she very much appreciates her husband’s showing her consideration. But if she had responsibilities of oversight and was required to hold forth regularly on the public platform regardless, either her performance or her health would suffer. Recognizing the factor, God’s Word counsels husbands to dwell with their wives “according to knowledge, assigning them honor as to a weaker vessel, the feminine one.” — 1 Pet. 3:7.
Of course, the foregoing does not mean that mothers are not to teach their own children. The Bible speaks of “the law of your mother” and tells of the good results of mothers’ teaching their offspring the Word of God, as in the case of the Christian minister Timothy. (Prov. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:14, 15) Nor does it mean that women may not be schoolteachers, instructing youths and adults in secular subjects. But women are not to exercise authority over Christian men in the Christian congregation nor are they to assume authority over their own husbands in their homes.
That women are not precluded from preaching to those outside the Christian congregation can be seen from the prophecy quoted by the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost: “I shall pour out some of my spirit upon every sort of flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams; and even upon my men slaves an upon my women slaves I will pour out some of my spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” (Acts 2:17, 18) In keeping with this prophecy, today there are literally hundreds of thousands of women ministers who “prophesy” by preaching the good news of God’s kingdom and who teach Bible truths to both men and women in their homes and who receive many blessings from doing so.
The headship that the Scriptures assign to the man indicates that man and woman have different roles to play in life. The fact that Christian husbands are commanded to love their wives as Jesus Christ loved the congregation, he even dying for it, should certainly preclude any criticism of the role that God’s Word assigns to the man. His is a difficult assignment, but for it he has also been equipped. Truly the Scriptural position is seen to be sound, practical and wise. Happy are all those governed by it! — Eph. 5:25-33.
[Emphasis Added]
Kingdom Ministry May 1976 p.5 How Do You View Your Kingdom Hall?
The body of elders may decide that the construction work can be done entirely by the brothers or circumstances may make it advisable to hire a contractor. Or perhaps some work can be done by brothers, with certain installations being done by subcontractors. Are you skilled in carpentry, masonry, plumbing or one of the other trades? If so, likely you can help immensely. But you need not be a skilled worker to volunteer. There will be much work to be done, such as preparing the site, bringing supplies, installing certain things, cleaning and so forth. And sisters may volunteer for lighter tasks and for preparing food for the workers. Making good use of the voluntary efforts of those in the congregation and in neighboring congregations follows the example of the tabernacle construction in the wilderness and the building of Solomon’s temple, when fine craftsmen from among Jehovah’s people were used.-Ex. 35:34, 35; 2 Chron. 2:11-16.
[Emphasis Added]
Awake! 1973 March 22 p.13 Chess-What Kind of Game Is It?
Chess-What Kind of Game Is It?
[…]
Highly Competitive Game
However, pitting one mind against another, with the element of chance eliminated entirely, tends to stir up a competitive spirit in chess players. In fact, chess is frequently characterized as an ‘intellectualized fight.’ For example, dethroned world chess champion Boris Spassky noted: “By nature I do not have a combative urge. . . . But in chess you have to be a fighter, and of necessity I became one.”
This helps to explain why there are no topflight women chess players-the more than eighty chess grand masters in the world are all men. Actress Sylvia Miles observed regarding this: “To be a professional chess player, you have to be a killer. If the spirit of competition in American women ever does become that strong, then I think we’ll get some major female players.”
[Emphasis Added]
Pay Attention to Yourselves and to All the Flock, 1991 p30
Although our sisters will never be ministerial servants or elders, they need help to make progress also.
[Emphasis added]