by Sam the Man 37 Replies latest jw friends
How sad (((Gretchen))).
I have to wonder how many others chose to die than be ostrasized by friends and family. I'm just really glad that some get the support they need from people like razorblade and I believe there is a group in CA and probably other cities too
I understand your anger at the question. But if we don't talk about it then the abuse and crushing of a person's spirit goes on and on.
You know Gretchen what really bothers me about all of this is that there were men on the Governing body who were gay and they had a part in demonizing homsexuality.
But then I guess I shouldn't be surprized. They demonize everything and then go out and do it themselves
But it does surprise me. I hadn't known the problem was as big as it was or was more than the odd event. And it angers me a lot that is was hushed up like everything else
There is a poster on here who I met at the Wisconsin ApostacheesebeerFEST - - he witnessed first hand some homosexual experiences in The House of God . I will not give more detail in open thread
Any time you put a group of humans together in one place, you're going to have some predominately heterosexual people, some predominately homosexual/lesbian people, and some purely bisexual people. It's got nothing to do with morals or choices, it's just the way we are. So, I would assume that there were a number of predominately homosexual men at Bethel, (along with some bisexuals and mostly-straights with some homosexual tendencies who ended up in homosexual relationships partly because there were only other men to choose from.) I wonder why this information is important to have.
Gretchen, I'm so very sorry about your nephew.
I wonder why this information is important to have
I don't know about the intent to set up the thread but my perspective is that the WTS has this nasty way of saying that issues only are rare incidents and these things do not occur as a wide spread issue. That is what they have tried to do with the pedophilia issue within the org. So someone here says they saw this in London Bethel. And knowing the WTS and how they work I would bet that they tried to say this was a one time occurrance. And then just sweep everything under the carpet.
I'm amazed anyone can even see the carpet considering how much has been swept under it.
I spent 5 years in the French Bethel and never heard about it. There were a few jokes (which we would call homophobic now) going about the possible homosexual tendency of some Bethelites but nothing more.
This being said, I would agree that a mostly "one-sex environment" (whether Bethel or monastic or military life) plus sexual prohibitions and homophobic prejudice can be destructive to some -- perhaps especially to those who get there in an attempt to escape from their own shadow.
Reflections in a Golden Eye comes to mind.
Though I too share the concerns about the motivation for this thread, I will say this:
I sat through one of the most heart-renching experiences I could ever have imagined for myself, at Brooklyn Bethel, about this very matter..which I will explain at another time.
Heard rumors mostly but never did see anything firsthand. I had a co-worker (at bethel) tell me that his friends roommate left and when he got home he was DFed for homosexuality. Other than that there were many bethelites whom I'd say fit the stereotype of a gay man but of course its just that, a stereotype and therefore not verified. Either way it doesnt really matter, I dont care what people do on their own time.
I was in a congragation in NSW Australia where we had two bethel boys move in to serve where the need was greater we soon found out they were more than friends this must have been in the mid seventies
