Immoral sleeping arrangement?

by hoser 34 Replies latest jw friends

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  fulltimestudent

  In fairness to the WTS, I have a memory of Nathan Knorr talking in Sydney too many years ago (like the 1950's). He said that too many brothers (servants in those days) write the WTS asking for rulings on certain problems. He said that the WTS would prefer not to make too many rules as it would just lead to entanglement, and in any case the brothers in bethel have to rely on the Bible, so it would be better for local brothers to make decisions based on Bible principles, and apply it mercifully with the goal of regaining the brother if that person were in spiritual danger.

  Looking at the growth of rule-making since those far-off days until now (though I was kicked out over 20 years ago) maybe 'too many' rulings have been sought.
• 

  kurtbethel

  I was trying to find "immoral sleeping arrangement" in scripture and have had no success. It is as elusive as "immortal soul", "trinity" and "paradise earth".

  How could sleeping be immoral anyway?
• 

  Listener

  It is interesting that the sexual acts between two men (or two women) can be considered grounds for divorce and remariiage. Does this mean that if only oral sex was involved this is also grounds for divorce?

  This causes a problem with Bethelites. If a brother or sister is homosexual (and not practicing) are they allowed to share a room with a person of the same sex or should they be rooming with a person of the opposite sex?
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  NVR2L8

  Listener, I vaguely recall reading a WT article stating that 2 sisters living together could lead neighbours to believe they are a homosexual couple...so they should make other living arrangements if that was the case...does anyone remember this? That article struck me because my sister has shared an appartment with another JW for decades...
• 

  TheSophist

  NVR2L8 - I would love a source for this if you find it let me know. I'm going to dig around a look myself too but if you find it let me know. Thanks!
• 

  problemaddict

  "even if adultery is not proved if your ex stayed all night or is involved in an immoral sleeping arrangement you can get scriptural grounds to remarry."

  The other question is: what happened to the Watchtower's beloved "two witness" rule in this instance? The WT will let a pedophile off the hook based on the fact that two people were not watching the child being raped. But in this case, even when both adults involved in the "immoral sleeping arrangement" deny any wrongdoing, the WT will allow an assumption of guilt to hold sway.

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  ADCMS,

  Hey well done. I had never put these two together before, and it is pretty damning. Enough to I believe be able to make a point to someone I am having a conversation with currently. Thanks!
• 

  WTWizard

  This is what happens when you try to regulate sex too much. They make it difficult to marry. Usually the opportunities are so narrow that one is forced to marry outside one's preferences--and additional rules make that even more a problem. A person is supposed to find pious-sneering attractive instead of other traits. Then they regulate it to the point where adultery is almost certain.

  Once a person is stuck with a bad mate, they are locked in. They make it easy to disfellowship but almost impossible to prove "adultery" to allow a divorce. They keep compounding the issue. Before long, people learn to be scared of the opposite sex, because they are all "from Satan, out to get them to do fornication". (Not to mention that Satan Himself isn't the evil monster out to get people destroyed, but out only to free us from slavery.) Of course, if you get rid of the rule against fornication and replace it with one against willful stupidity, you eliminate most of these issues.
• 

  Balaamsass

  These rules crack me up.

  I knew a couple of well respected Pioneer Sisters who "Shared living quarters" for many, many years. Eventually one blurted out they had been practicing Lesbians all along. All the while serving WTBTS stateside and and in Foreign assignments and giving convention parts and experiences!! lol.

  Of course.... they NEVER had been alone for even 15 minutes with a man!!!!

  Of course GAY Bethelites are VERY careful to NEVER be alone with a member of the opposite SEX....that would be CHEATING on their ROOMATE.
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  Fernando

  As Ray Franz observed, apostate legalism leads to a "morass of inconsistencies".
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  Apognophos

  Truly ridiculous. I will say this, though, that I think the two witness rule is still being used in this situation. Two witnesses are required for testifying that the couple were in the same house overnight, right? Can any ex/current elders back me up on this?

  Of course no one knows whether they had anything to do with each other or slept in different rooms, but the childish assumption is apparently that sex can only, and always will, take place at night when members of the opposite sex are in a house together. I suppose this makes sense in the mind of anyone too prudish to have sex with the lights on, or anywhere besides the bedroom.