by african GB Member 8 Replies latest jw friends
I have read a lot of JW books without seeing anything on gay and lesbian community. Is there a place for them in this Organization? If Jehovah does'nt care about them why does he carry on "creating" them? If they were not created by Him, who did? Is'nt "everything"(Genesis) created by Jehovah?
GB
Ummmmm.....no.
I believe God cares about gay people and that they are indeed born that way. I know nothing that tells me otherwise. From my friends and family members who are gay this is what I'm told, and I believe them.
Jehovah's Witnesses do not allow homosexual activity among their members, they think it is a behavior that one can choose to avoid if you love God enough. Their view on the matter is strict and similar to fundamentalist religions. It is forbidden, no exceptions. Anyone engaging in homosexuality will be shunned if already a Witness, and not allowed to become a baptized member if a homosexual.
I've examined some of the scriptures that most homophobic religions, including JWs, base their views on and they don't hold water as proof that God disapproves of homosexuality.
I Cor. 6: 9-11 is commonly used by the WTS, where "men who lie with men" are among those who will not inherit God's kingdom, according to some translations.
The original Greek words there are two separate words, "malakos", and "arsenokoitai" and they're translated by the NWT (New World Translation) as "men who lie with men".
Those words literally mean, "soft" and "lewd sexual acts among men" according to the more accurate translations I've found.
For centuries, the Catholic church translated "arsenokoitai" in their Bibles as "masturbators", also not too accurately, to uphold their opinion on towards this behavior, which they thought was much more serious that homosexuality in the past. *G*
"Malakoi" or soft, when applied to people, generally meant people who are "loose" "wanton" or "undisciplined", and "arsenokoitai" refers to men who sexually abuse or use people of either sex. Those word was used for both homosexual and heterosexual behavior that was sexually abusive or "using", wanton or undisciplined, but never confined to only homosexual acts.
So, some Bibles striving for more accuracy translate this phrase "Oute malakoi oute arsenokoitai" as "users and those who use them" without reference to gender or sexuality. The translation of this word "arsenokoitai" is highly debatable, as you can see, its exact meaning is somewhat obscure because it is a vague word and it's exact meaning has been lost through time. But, it does not really refer to or condemn consensual and non-promiscuous homosexuality.
The other scriptures used to justify homophobia are equally able to be explained by more accurate translations that leave out bias on the part of the translator.
I'll have to look for the bits I've written in my blog on those and post it here later.
The Bible and homosexuality has been well discussed on this forum and possibly every angle on this topic explored. It is my belief that if Jehovah truly did not approve of homosexuality, he wouldn't have made men so damn good looking.
Wasn't there like a gay community back in Sodom and Gomorrah?
Genesis 19:4,5 " Before they could lie down, the men of the city, the men of Sod′om, surrounded the house,
from boy to old man, all the people in one mob. 5 And they kept calling out to Lot and saying to him:
“Where are the men who came in to you tonight? Bring them out to usthat we may have intercourse with them." [NWT]
And we all can kinda remember what it says in the bible happened to Sodom and Gomorrah.
So not sure if thats what you're after but I guess for all those that believe in the bible that may shed some light on
how He feels.
And yet later on in the bible it appears as if is ok to have like 300-500 wives and concubines as did King David and Saul.
Some people have even referred to them as whoremongers. Yet marriage was to be between one man and one woman
and anything other than that was to be Adultery (fornication) Sometimes its easy for people to jump on the men that lie
with men bandwagon and forget that Adulterers and fornicators are the ones listed as not inheriting the kingdom of God.
But as for me I'll leave everything up to God (as far as judging others) and I will continue to do as the bible and many other
books suggest about doing good to all. Hard to beat the golden rule about the way we want to be treated to treat others
the same.
But I would have to go on record as saying the gay lifestyle isn't for me. (and my lifestyle isn't for them)
I've been married for over 20 years and would have to say the female form is very pleasing to StoneWall.
If all the females dropped off the face of the earth tomorrow then I'd be one of the ones saying lord here I am send me.
It's time for me to leave this place.
It is impossible for the LGTB community to have a place within Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses accept the Bible as God's Word. The Bible clearly states that homosexuality has no place in God's purpose for mankind. Homosexual desires are a result of the imperfection inherited from Adam and Eve. That is Jehovah's Witnesses believe.
Nevertheless, Jehovah's Witnesses also believe that the Bible can only be understood by them, that they are the only true religion and that billions of non-Witnesses will die in the End.
To all the lesbian/gay/transgender/bi who struggle to fit in among Jehovah's Witnesses - don't even try. You need to accept yourselves as you truly are. You can find real happiness outside the suffocating organization Jehovah's Witnesses have created.
Nope...doesn't get much better for straight folks.
Well, I don't think the Bible teaches homophobia, but the Witness intepretation of it seems to be fixed in cement, so I don't see them changing that.
They can change their minds on other doctrines more than I change my underwear, but not on that one.
Too bad they dont accept GBLT people...they have no idea what they're missing. LOL I learned all I know about sex from gay men. They know EVERYTHING about making a man happy.
Seriously guys...get your wife a gay boyfriend. You'll never regret it and you won't have to go shopping with her anymore either.
My husband came with one built in, my BIL.
