Did The Watchtower Society’s View Of Sex Make Sense?

by The wanderer 18 Replies latest jw friends

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  The wanderer

  Did The Watchtower Society’s View Of Sex Make Sense?

  Wait until Marriage—this is typically the acceptable practice among Jehovah’s Witnesses.
  There can be an argument about the Watchtower’s proposal for the use of chaperons.
  However, admittedly it seems impractical and resisted in modern Western Civilization.
  
  However, did the Society have some points regarding the matter of sex?

  Pregnancy and Disease

  The Society was warning us through such publications as the Watchtower and Awake
  magazines about the pitfalls of sex before marriage including such reasons as
  pregnancy and disease, such as the deadly HIV virus.
  
  However, some individuals feel sex is a personal matter and the decisions they make
  are their own. The wisdom of waiting “past the bloom of youth” to make a wise decision
  about marriage was the practical advice offered by the Watchtower Society.

  Weighing both sides of this argument, what is your perspective on this matter?

  Respectfully,

  The Wanderer
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  greendawn

  The JW sexual ethic is the traditional judeo christian one all religions coming under it are opposed to sex outside marriage. However nowadys only some organisations like the JWs seek to vigorously enforce it on their members. The code is very good in itself but it can't be enforced in a less than perfect christian society. In that environment too many emotional strains wil be created due to the lack of love and fairness and sex is for most people the safety valve that defuses these harmful inner tensions.

  If the JWs or anyone else for that matter were perfect then they can talk about a sexual moral code.
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  nvrgnbk

  The puritanical mindset does not promote morality or ethics.

  It does promote hypocrisy.
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  jaguarbass

  The watchtower protected you from sexually tranmited disease and disease from blood transfusion and lung cancer from smoking. Also they protected you from going into debt at Christmas time.It's like going to aa or weight watchers. The way they protected you was if you put yourself in danger you were put out of the club. There was no secret about the rules. The problem I have was it was my mothers club not mine.

  They also protected you from making enough money to enjoy this life. Because this life is bad. The next life will be good. Just wait.

  There is some good in most everything. I bet a lot of people thought hitler was a wonderful fellow, Probably still do.
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  cyberdyne systems 101

  I think that there was far too much emphasis placed on sex, its talked about so frequently and sometimes a little graphic for meetings of worship in my view. I think all it did was make it more desirable, because of the constant attention the subject got.

  CS 101
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  Tyrone van leyen

  I think that the Jehovah's Witness veiw on sex makes perfect sense on paper, but not in the real world. Communism makes perfect sense on paper too but we see how that works in reality. This is idealism and does not take the individuals personal life into account. Sure there's good that can come out of communism too, but it only benefits those who have the power. The same goes for those who are on the right side of the power brokers, when judgements are handed down on sex issues.

  I have no problem living with rules. I do have a problem with seeing people do the exact same crap, and not only walk away unscathed, but laugh about it.

  Further,I think heavy handed judgements tied into sexual misdeeds can cause lifelong issues that don't go away. Rather than punish, why not counsel, or forgive. This is more realistic than idealistic, because we are made a certain way that is denied in truth, in the approach to these matters. It is a more personal approach to the individual and deals with matters more directly without causing harm.

  The case of pedophiles is another example of how unrealistic there veiws on sex are. Rather than deal with it they bury it. If they had a realistic even handed approach to life they would not be in the trouble they are in now. Fairness even in society is hard to come by at times but I think the state has a far superior system in place that has evolved from trial and error. The society would do well to integrate themselves more into society to deal with these matters rather than set themselves up as magistrates.

  Nothing ever changes in the way they deal with things because they think they have a God given mandate to follow 3000 year old instructions. Thank god they're realistic enough, not to stone anyone.

  I beleive there approach causes deviancy, dishonesty, and spite.
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  zack

  The WTS view on all things sexual is unhealthy. I often thought this view originated with the patriachal society of the near east in which female virginity was prized for it

  made daughters marrriageable; and a marriageable daughter was valueable to the OWNER, dear old Dad. This fits hand in glove with the Levitical Law of marrying any virgin that a man takes and PAYING the father the bride price. It was more a matter of economics and property and pride.

  Waiting until one is ready for sex, when one has some maturity, say out of high school at least, is not a bad idea. I think it is a good idea. Punishment, however, WTS style

  is definitely more detrimental then the failing of the human of the human being.

  Also, what of two grwon people, both either widowed or divorced who simply do not want the tether of marriage but enjoy the company of one another and the occasional

  romp. I think that is best left to the individual. I say it is all about control over women .
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  BlackPearl

  And waiting till "past the bloom of youth" was how much fun? Oh, I guess that's why the young Jduds get married at 18 years of age. They can't wait till the bloomin' is over....but what fun would that be anyway?

  BP
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  WTWizard

  It is an absolute crock of s***. Why? Would you buy a car without test driving it first? Would you buy a house without a thorough inspection to make sure it suits your needs and is in acceptable condition? I don't think so. Yet, both are relatively expendable: a car lasts only about 5-6 years before it gets traded in, and a house can be remodeled and repaired if it isn't perfectly suitable.

  In a marriage,ideally it is forever. But, if you go in sight unseen and it turns out that it isn't suitable, there is absolutely no recourse. You are stuck, possibly in a loveless marriage or one where the partner's organ doesn't work. Unlike a house, you cannot repair something if it's not working properly. For this reason, I view fornication as like a test run. It is potentially dangerous to do it indiscriminately, but perfectly OK if the people are serious about each other.

  I also don't like the obstacle course they set up to stop people from finding marriage partners. First, it has to be another robot. Then, it has to be someone that has been around for a time (and they will not say how long is enough, so they can keep stalling for someone else to take it out from under you). Then they create hardships for people to meet the opposite sex at a$$emblies--congregations now being orferedsuggested to sit in sections where they are assigned to clean. And the gatherings that could lead to courtship have all been phased out. It seems that this organization has conspired to stop people from ever having any fun, or getting any sexual fulfillment.

  It makes one wonder why Jehovah created the male and female sex organs if He intended for them to go unused. The cult harps on that everything Jehovah creates has a purpose. And yet He creates sex organs and the drives for them to go to waste. Does anyone wish to rely on an organization with this kind of inconsistency to make their decisions for them in the future? I hope not.
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  gljh

  Hi all,been reading this site on and off and finally decided to join.A little background on myself and the ties i had with the JWs is that i was raised in a divided house where my mum is still a devout worshipper and my Dad was opposed.Made life interesting i guess lol.I stopped going to the meetings when Dad finally stopped us(it was great, i hated going when i was a kid).Got into drugs+ crime throughout my teenage years,tried cleaning up my act by going back to the meetings when i was 20.Stopped going again when i was 24.That was almost 9 years ago.Still think about it a lot.I even still pray when things get tough,(not that Jah would listen to me anyway)

  In answer to the topic,i think that its very tough on younger brothers and sisters who especially live in remote areas where potential partners in the congregation are nowhere to be found.I know a few people in my age group who still go and are still single.Its not natural.Its easy for some older guy to get up on stage and tell the younger ones to control their urges etc etc but it just doesnt seem right or just.Im glad i found a "worldly" who actually turned out to be better than any potential partner in the truth.