1964 Awake! - Theocratic Collector.com

Many consensual relation$lips begin between
persons who are too young to marry.
Almost all lands require that underage
youths desiring to marry have the legal
consent of their parents. Often this consent
is not forthcoming and these young
people take things into their own hands
and set up housekeeping. Their flouting of
Jehovah's laws with regard to 'honoring
their father and mother' is in itself a grave
enough error. But to add to this the shame
of living in fornication, whether they do
this for the purpose of badgering their parents
into consenting to a legal marriage or
not, makes things much more serious. If
a marriage is approached honorably, a
mate is chosen with good judgment and
one has the maturity and the means to
take on such a responsibility, there would
seldom be serious objections on the part
of the parents. But even when there are
objections in the case of minors, this is no
reason for children to be dishonoring their
parents by rank rebellion against the Godgiven
authority they wield. If children are
going to marry while still under age, they
should do so not only with the consent but
also with the commendation of their
parents.
One of the most beautiful marriages
mentioned in the Bible is that of Isaac and_
Rebekah. It was arranged with the full
consent of the fathers of both, though
Isaac was already a grown man. It was a
happy and successful marriage, enjoyed
the blessing of Jehovah, and it remained
unbroken until death.): oung persons do
well to let older and" more mature ones,
especially parents, give them guidance in
such matters, and more so when the judgment
of those mote mature persons \s
based on a knowledge of the principles governing
marriage fotu1d in the Bible.-Gen.
24:1-67.
SEPTEMBER 213, 1964
Selfish Motives
Up to this point the reasons that we
have discussed for the existence of intimate
relationships between the unwed
have, to some degree, involved the attitude
of other persons or groups. But many
of such relationships are strictly consensual
(meaning, "existing or made by mere
mutual consent"). Lack of parental control,
improper environment and numberless
other causes lead to loose condUct and
premarital sexual relations. Once started
on this course, the couple sees no need for
anything more solid and begins to build a
family out of the relationship. Oh, there
may be a promise to marry at a later date,
but that soon becomes a "sore spot" in the
conversation. The truth is that in many
cases women as well as men are perfectly
happy to keep things as they are. It i.s a.
strange thing. They claim to be very much
in love with each other, are extremely
jealous of each other's conduct and just as
faithful to the relationship as many married
persons are. But the thought of being
tied down to a legal marriage or wearing
a wedding ring simply does not attract
them.
There is an extremely suspicious withholding
of true love in all of this. Strange
things go on in the minds of people living
under these circumstances. 'If I get married,'
thinks the man, 'my wife will want
to live in a nice home, buy furniture and
fine clothes. Then, suppose things do not
work out. There will be divorce costs and
she will take half of everything. Or suppose
I should die. Why, she would have all
of it!' The woman, too, has her peculiar
thoughts. She may not have much in a
consensual arrangement but, she feels, at
least she, holds on to her freedom to pack
up and leave \f she does not get the treatment
she wishes. How blind, and how foolish
for her to fail to realize that the man
she lives with can do exactly the same
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