Let the women die claims the Governing Body of the WTBTS.
*** Watchtower 1964 January 15 pp.63-4 Questions from Readers ***
Questions from Readers
• According to the Bible at Deuteronomy 22:23-27, an Israelite
engaged girl threatened with rape was required to scream. What
is the position of a Christian woman today if faced with a
similar situation? Is she to scream even if an attacker
threatens her life with a weapon?-M. U., United States.
According to God's law an Israelite girl was under obligation to
scream: "In case there happened to be a virgin girl engaged to a
man, and a man actually found her in the city and lay down with
her, you must also bring them both out to the gate of that city
and pelt them with stones, and they must die, the girl for the
reason that she did not scream in the city, and the man for the
reason that he humiliated the wife of his fellow man." If,
however, the attack took place in a field and the woman screamed
and thus tried to get away from the attacker, she was not to be
stoned, since she was overpowered and there was no one to rescue
her.-Deut. 22:23-27.
But suppose the man had a weapon and threatened to kill the girl
if she failed to lie down with him? These scriptures do not
weaken the argument or alter the situation by citing any
circumstance that would justify her in not screaming. It plainly
says she should scream; hence, oppose the attack regardless of
the circumstances. If she was overpowered and perhaps knocked
unconscious and violated before help came in answer to her
screams, she could not be held accountable. The thought of the
scriptures apparently is that the girl's screaming, by
attracting neighborhood attention, would frighten off her
assailant and would save her, even though he threatened her life
for not quietly complying with his wishes and passionate desires.
Such Scriptural precedents are applicable to Christians, who are
under command, "Flee from fornication." (1 Cor. 6:18) Thus if a
Christian woman does not cry out and does not put forth every
effort to flee, she would be viewed as consenting to the
violation. The Christian woman who wants to keep clean and obey
God's commandments, then, if faced with this situation today,
needs to be courageous and to act on the suggestion made by the
Scriptures and scream. Actually this counsel is for her welfare;
for, if she should submit to the man's passionate wishes, she
would not only be consenting to fornication or adultery, but be
plagued by the shame. There would be shame, not only from the
repulsiveness of the experience, but of having been coerced into
breaking God's law by having sex connections with one other than
a legal marriage mate. Not only that, but she might become an
unwed mother, or she may contract a terrible disease from her
morally debased attacker.
It is true that a woman faces the possibility her assailant will
carry out his threat; but, then, what guarantee does she have
that such a desperate criminal would not kill her after
satisfying his passion? In fact, such a one, perhaps already
hunted by the law, may be more likely to kill her after the
attack, since she would then have had a greater opportunity to
identify him and would therefore be in a better position to
supply a description of him to the authorities. In such case,
following the Scriptural counsel of screaming could well save
one's life by attracting attention and driving the attacker away
at the outset, instead of causing him to feel that he must get
rid of his victim for fear of being identified later.
In most instances it is doubtless a matter of calling the
assailant's bluff, since the girl's screams could result in his
arrest for attempted rape. Also, if he carried out his threat
and committed murder, he would face the likelihood of
apprehension and conviction for this even more serious offense.
Of course, there is the possibility that instead of fleeing
immediately, the attacker may strike his victim or inflict a
superficial wound to silence the screams, yet would not the
endurance of such physical punishment be insignificant compared
to the disgrace and shame of submitting to an immoral man?
A Christian woman is entitled to fight for her virginity or
marital fidelity to the death. Just how best she can defend
herself against anyone who wants to defile her depends upon her
courage and quick wits. At least, as has been mentioned, she
should first try to frighten off the would-be rapist by
screaming and making as loud and noisy a spectacle of the matter
as she possibly can, in order to summon any convenient aid. This
being unavailing, then she has a right to defend her virtue by
whatever means she can.
The morals of this generation have indeed sunk to an
unprecedented low, just as Bible prophecy foretold for these
last days. The fact that over 15,000 women a year, about one
every half hour, are raped in the United States alone emphasizes
this fact. It also serves as a warning to women that they should
exercise care so as to avoid dangerous situations. Since women
are almost always attacked when they are alone, they should
arrange to have a companion along, especially when they are out
after dark. And in localities where it is considered dangerous
for women even during daylight hours, women should not go out
alone but should take along a companion. God's Word says: "If
somebody could overpower one alone, two together could make a
stand against him. And a threefold cord cannot quickly be torn
in two." (Eccl. 4:12) For a Christian woman to persist in going
out alone in a city or locality where women are frequently
attacked is to invite trouble and needlessly endanger life. It
is the part of wisdom to give thought to what could happen in a
given situation and then take the necessary precautions. The
wise person foresees danger and takes steps to avoid it. "The
shrewd one considers his steps."-Prov. 14:15.
[Emphasis Added]
*** Watchtower 1968 June 1 pp.345-50 The Christian's View of
Self-Defense ***
ATTEMPTED RAPE
If you are a Christian woman, what should you do if, in spite of
all precautions, you are set upon by a rapist? If you cannot
deter him by reasoning, or by calling upon the name of Jehovah,
then what? As a Christian you are under obligation to resist.
This resistance includes screaming and creating as much
disturbance as possible to try to frighten off the attacker and
attract help. If the attack continues and you cannot break free
to flee, then you would be justified even to inflict damage on
your assailant if necessary. Resistance is imperative, because
the rapist is after, not just money, but your virtue. An issue
of integrity to Jehovah's laws is involved here. So by no means
would it be proper quietly to submit to rape, as that would be
consenting to fornication.-1 Thess. 4:3.
The principle is like that set out at Deuteronomy chapter 22.
There it states: "In case there happened to be a virgin girl
engaged to a man, and a man actually found her in the city and
lay down with her, you must also bring them both out to the gate
of that city and pelt them with stones, and they must die." Why
would the girl have died under that Law covenant? The scripture
continues: "The girl for the reason that she did not scream in
the city." If she did not make the effort to scream, she was
viewed as consenting to fornication. But if the woman screamed
and resisted and nonetheless was overpowered, then she was not
guilty of complicity: "The girl . . . screamed, but there was no
one to rescue her."-Deut. 22:23-27.
Would it be different if the man had a weapon and threatened to
kill you if you did not submit? No, the Scriptures plainly state
that Christians are under obligation to "flee from fornication."
(1 Cor. 6:18) It is true that you face the possibility of death
in this case. But you have no guarantee that if you meekly
submit, your assailant will not kill you anyhow to avoid
identification.
Christian women are wise if they do all they can to avoid making
themselves targets for rapists. Knowing that the morals of this
generation are sinking to new lows, take every precaution. In
unsafe areas avoid traveling alone after dark. As Ecclesiastes
4:12 states: "If somebody could overpower one alone, two
together could make a stand against him. And a threefold cord
cannot quickly be torn in two." Also consider how you dress. If
a woman adopts the provocative, suggestive styles of dress now
so prevalent, she indicates that she is a woman of loose morals,
and in so doing she may invite trouble.
-=-
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