Some years ago, I was a very, very loyal Witness. I believed it all - and attempted to intellectually justify all of it!
Then at work, they hired 'Mary' to head Accounting. I had never experienced working with a woman as my equal. She was a manager and so was I.
The funny thing was that other women in their 40's in the office didn't know what to make of this either! They were apprehensive. We all found out that 'Mary" was utterly competent. She was a working mom who didn't emote or gossip or give a rats a$$ about office politics. She did her job with utter competence and was (gulp! argghhhh!) superior to those who preceded and followed her. 'Mary' left my theories about women in leadership roles utterly destroyed. I really wanted to find fault but I couldn't. She wasn't 'bitchy' or moody or whatever. They eventually promoted her to another facility.
Then there was 'Jay'. I never personally knew a gay, yes,...... a homosexual! My only observation of gays were the obvious individuals who ridiculed us from neighborhood windows in Brooklyn ( "Hey, Watchtower Boys"). Clearly, they were diseased individuals addicted to repellent acts, hidden child molesters, evil people that a world in its death throes chose to exalt. I knew it all.........or did I ?
But I found out that 'Jay' was gay. I had to work with him. Another guy ( who was born again) also thought he must be a secret monster.
Except that he wasn't. He was overweight, lacked a cute mustache and was stuck with paying a mortgage like the rest of us. He made no 'passes' at any of us ( which I now think would be hilarious!). He had back trouble and was one of the most responsible workers we had - far better than the straight guys we had to deal with. You could always count on 'Jay".
To me, this was the principle of recommending the 'truth' thrown back in my face! A wife treats her husband well and he comes in the 'truth'. Her behavior convinces him. But that's what happened to me regarding women as leaders and gays as ordinary people.
I later met a 70 ish old woman who apparently was a lesbian. Her companion was of similar vintage. I wondered Why does God care about this stuff? What possible difference does it make to Jehovah? Two wrinkly old ladies love each other and so what? Why does it matter to God?
I have changed the names of these two people but my experience with them is true, not fiction. They will never know how they changed my view of the world and the people in it.
I wish them well. Life is a journey and some of us must leave the cozy cubicle ( a business metaphor) of fixed ideas and biases behind when the facts tell us otherwise.
metatron