Examining Watchtower Teachings - How to Make Your Family Life Happy # 14

“What Does the Bible Really Teach?” (according to Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Chapter 14 - “How to Make Your Family Life Happy”

The book says;
Jehovah wants our families to be happy, so the Bible tells us how. 
God created the first two humans. This is not a myth. “for Jesus shows that what Genesis says about the start of family life is true”. We can contribute to family happiness by imitating Jehovah and his loving relationship with his Son. 
Husbands should love their wives as Christ loves the congregation, giving himself up for it. A wife is “the weaker vessel” and “yearns for tender affection from her husband“, so a husband should be forgiving, considerate and caring - “a successful marriage is the union of two good forgivers”
A family is an organisation and it needs a head. That head is the husband. A wife should display a calm, mild spirit and “demonstrate godly subjection, even under trying circumstances“. This applies even if the husband is not a Jehovah’s Witness. A wife may offer opinions, but should follow the man’s final decision. Scriptures are quoted, mostly from Paul’s letters. 
Husbands and wives should be sexually faithful and considerate of the spouse’s needs. 
When difficulties arise in a marriage, separation may be permitted, but divorce is only available in cases of sexual immorality. 
Jesus set a perfect example for parents in his love for children. “Children need parents who will protect them from people who seek to harm them, such as sexual predators….. As a parent, you need to be alert to the Devil‘s attempts to harm your little ones”.
Children need discipline. It should be appropriate and never administered in anger. Children should obey their parents even though it may be difficult, just as “Jesus always obeyed his heavenly father”. Children are open to temptation and peer pressure, so it is vital “that they do not keep company with wrongdoers!” Again, Paul’s words provide supporting scriptures.
Even now, we can enjoy happy family life before the wonderful paradise comes, if husbands preside over their families in a fine manner and wives are in subjection to their headship, while children are obedient. “None in the family are perfect…. So be humble, asking one another for forgiveness. Truly, the Bible contains a wealth of valuable counsel and instruction regarding family life”. 

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Broadly, I agree with some of the above because I believe a loving marriage is the best way to raise children. Every child deserves a loving mother and father. The purpose of marriage is to legitimise and recognise children, for inheritance rights.
As I have said before, the fact that Jesus knew the stories, does not mean they actually occurred, as written, so we are back to “the Bible is true because it says so itself”.
I agree that it is important for one member of the family to take a lead. I’m thinking of ships steering in a channel and captains here, but even the captain, who has overall authority, takes the advice of a river pilot. He ignores it at his peril.
However, marriage and society have changed somewhat since the 1st century and appropriate adaptations have to made for today‘s society, regarding the relationship of husband and wife. 
In the case of marriage difficulties, the Watchtower organisation discourages separation, except in cases of domestic violence. If there is incompatibility between the two people - and Jehovah’s Witnesses do not approve of couples living together beforehand, “without the benefit of marriage”, so there is no trial period - they may separate. 
They may divorce legally, according to the law of their country, but they will be forbidden to remarry by Watchtower elders, so long as they remain Jehovah’s Witnesses. Only the death of the former spouse or adultery by the spouse would be grounds for remarriage. In this case, "adultery" would include the remarriage of the former spouse, since that is "unscriptural".
Disobeying the elders on this would incur a Judicial Committee and they would be expelled (even though the marriage is recognised in Law) with the consequence being shunning by all their Witness associates.
I am not a fan of divorce, but I accept that it is sometimes necessary, even desirable, if two people have grown apart. To make a lifetime promise at say, 18, is quite a commitment, especially when one considers that the person you are today, is probably not recognisable to the child you were in youth. But, like marriage, I do not think divorce should be "undertaken lightly".
Children indeed, require discipline. In the past, that discipline was administered corporally by angry and embarrassed parents in many Kingdom Halls, when their young children would not sit quietly or still, during a boring, two hours meeting.
Children also need protection because there are thousands of sexual predators within Jehovah’s Witnesses. Am I exaggerating? No; in the recent Australian Royal Commission investigation into Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Watchtower admitted to at least 1000 cases of sexual abuse within that country alone. Worse, is the fact that these were often not pursued because of their “two witnesses” rule and when the matter was established (rarely) the elders investigating actively hid the matter from the police and appropriate authorities, following the direction of their Watchtower branch offices. 
Recently, there have been a number of successful civil cases brought against the Watchtower, resulting in huge compensation payments to the victims who suffered years of abuse, sometimes perpetrated by Jehovah’s Witness males (and fathers) holding positions of authority within their organisation. 
Once again, don't take my word for it. Do your research - Google is available!