Can Jehovah’s Witnesses Kiss? (Are Jehovah’s Witness Allowed to Kiss?)

In my free time, I volunteer at our church’s youth camp, where I share God’s word and address questions brought up by the campers.

I rely on my theological background to offer a balanced view on contemporary issues and share biblical truth. During a recent campfire session, someone asked whether Jehovah’s Witnesses can kiss.

His question was part of a discussion about beliefs held by other Christian communities. It sparked an interesting debate, with some insisting that they didn’t while others argued they did.

The campers finally turned to me for answers. We had a brief back and forth-where I answered follow-up questions and addressed misconceptions. That session inspired me to share more on the topic.

So, can Jehovah’s Witnesses kiss?

Join me in exploring whether Jehovah’s Witnesses couples kiss before marriage and what they say about dating outside their religion.

Let’s get started.

Can Jehovah’s Witness couples kiss before they are married?

Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t have strict restrictions against kissing before marriage. Instead, they advise caution since kissing puts you at risk of premarital sex, which is forbidden.

However, some members discourage kissing before marriage. They believe kissing should be reserved for married couples as they won’t have to worry about giving in to their sexual desire.

As a contingency, older couples chaperone unmarried ones during the early stages of dating. They ease off after they get engaged.

Can a Jehovah’s Witness kiss after an engagement?

Again, the Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t prohibit kissing. However, they advise that you keep it at a minimum to prevent you from falling into sexual sin.

Some go as far as to discourage it, believing that kissing should be for married couples. They impose strict rules about physical contact among engaged couples to keep them from fornication.

They insist that the couple’s conduct during the engagement be impeccable to use the Kingdom Hall for their wedding.

Can Jehovah’s Witness kiss someone outside their religion?

The Jehovah’s Witnesses discourage dating (and kissing) outside their religion. They base this on 2 Corinthians 6:14, which teaches believers shouldn’t be unequally yoked to unbelievers: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”

This verse is applied to marriage and offers practical advice for Christians when choosing a spouse. Members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses use it to teach against dating outside their religion, believing such a relationship is bound to run into problems.

Instead, they encourage members to date and marry from within their faith.

Can Jehovah’s Witness give friendly kisses?

Yes. Many differentiate between a friendly or “holy” kiss (Romans 16:16) and a sensual one that leads to sex. They base this on the Biblical use of kissing as a greeting as mentioned in Gen 29:11: “Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.”

Members can display affection through kissing. Unmarried couples are encouraged to exercise wisdom and self-control when kissing to stop them from falling into fornication.