Sex in the New Book "Learn from the Great Teacher"

I just obtained a copy of one of the new releases from the summer JW district conventions, Learn from the Great Teacher. This book is oriented towards children, and frankly, is a stereotypical piece of propaganda from the "faithful and discreet slave". In some ways the book is incredibly revealing, since it has to break down a number of ridiculous JW teachings into a form that even JW children can swallow, and when those teachings are put into simplest form their ridiculousness is evident to everyone but small children and stereotypically braindead JWs. I suppose that's why the writer could actually write such nonsense.

The book is designed purely as a propaganda tool to fool children into becoming full-fledged JWs. The foreward explains how the book was designed to propagandize (p. 7):

In chapter 10, "Jesus' Power Over the Demons", a bit of sexual advice is given. One can see the not-so-subtle mind control being excercised (pp. 60-61):

So the Watchtower Society here connects "illicit" sex with violence in the minds of impressionable young people. Of course, "illicit" sex tends to become confused with "sex in any form" in the minds of many JWs, which has caused untold problems in married couples.

One of the most striking things to me, in the above quotation, is that the Society for the first time explicitly acknowledges what a great many young people do. It also uses terminology that in past times has been much more subdued. Note the previous "new light" on sex from the 1976 book Your Youth -- Getting the Best Out Of It (p. 22):

One gets the impression, upon reading the above, that the writer has but a theoretical knowledge of sex. The "male organ fits naturally into her birth canal"? Doesn't the writer know anything about "in and out"? At least, the writer of the 2003 book seems to be somewhat aware of such mechanics.

Unfortunately the writer also seems to be unsure of the technical distinctions between "vagina" and "vulva", and "male organ complex" and "penis". The first terms comprise the whole, and the latter terms are merely part of the whole. When people engage in sexual play, they play with everything, not just the penis and vulva. The writer of the Watchtower material is either extremly stupid about sexplay, or is deliberately deceitful. I suspect the latter, since the Society got a shitload back in its face when it told the entire JW community about oral and anal sex back in the early 1970s, educating them in something most of us had never even thought about.

The book further warns against learning from non-JW sources (p. 61):

So here we again that the Watchtower Society is demonizing TV, movies, computer and video games, the Internet, and even silly comic books. Can anyone imagine a more paranoid bunch of religious leaders?

AlanF

Today children we will learn how the happy the penis rowed down the happy birth canal.

On the positive side of things, you could say that teaching this to young children can help them resist being molested by older children, or even adults. To equate sex play between children ("a boy and a girl") with hurting Jehovah and making "the demons happy" can be a safeguard.

 

" So you see, God made the sex organs for a sacred purpose, that of passing on life. That is why it is proper that they be used according to God’s rules."

So we have now moved into the "present sex only as a means for procreation"  in an attempt to make it less appealing, since obviously the usual death at Armageddon threats aren't holding water anymore.  I laughed out loud reading these excerpts. The whole thing was written so simply as to be absolutely mind numbing, and the blatantly leading questions asked in those paragraphs are just a hoot. The overly simplified manner of writing is actually almost insulting to the reader.

 

Well, helloooooo..... we are talking about 5 year olds here. I don't think it's an appropriate age to talk about oral or anal sex, do you?

 

This sort of reads like Mr. Rogers on acid reading Dr. Ruth as printed by Pravda.

 

Well hello?

How many in the audience have had oral or anal sex done to them before the age of 5?

Oh wait, we are in la la land and Silentlambs is a farce.

However you feel about the person, you have just done all the victims a great injustice.

I'm glad you didn't take your medication  this week Prisca, your true self is shining.

 

 

Alan,

I got married the first time in 1974, and before my sacred marriage I remember another article or book about sex relations, of course blended with having a baby.

I was 15 or 16 at the time, I remember a Missionary couple...<ROFL>  who had to leave their wonderful assignment cause she was pregnant, their grand assignment was the bowels of the Arizona desert. Now that I look back on it, man were they punished. This was in the late '60's.

All I could do at book study , which was in my parents home while he conducted was stare at his crotch, and think, he put that in his wifes there and now they are having a baby..ewwwwwwwwww

My mom has pictures of me making that face, she thinks it's cute, she thought I hated boys.

I did for years, 'till I figured out, sex good.....sperm carrier going to birth canal bad........after 3 adorable kids.

:

This sort of reads like Mr. Rogers on acid reading Dr. Ruth as printed by Pravda.

Hahahahahaha, Big Tex!  You nailed it!

 

I never got through the Your Youth -- Making the Best of It book myself, let alone with my kids.  (Although I do thank the WT for encouraging me to talk frankly about sex with my kids.)

 

Prisca,

 

I read somewhere that his is for kids of an age between My Book of Bible Stories and Young People Ask reading level.  (Did Alan say that? or was it Blondie in another thread?)  So I'd guess pre-pubescents: 8-10 year olds?

 

At any rate, it's nauseating...

outnfree

Today some young boys and girls have sex relations, but this is wrong for them. The Bible talks about the male "genital organ," or penis. (Leviticus 15:1-3) The female genital parts are called the vulva. Jehovah created these parts of the body for a special purpose that should be enjoyed only by married people. It makes the demons happy when people do things that are forbidden by Jehovah. For example, the demons like it when a boy and a girl play with each others' penis or vulva. We don't want to make the demons happy, do we?

LMAO! However I think this is a prime example of cult-like indoctrination. Scary shit really...

Greven

Thanks, AlanF

 

I only stopped going October last year and was unaware of this publication! Thanks for the points that you brought out, It is always interesting to hear how the Watchtower still fools millions of people with this kind of propaganda.

 

Thanks Alan for that (dis?)connection between violence and illicit sex. A few days ago, an elder had been trying to convince someone I know of this connection. He probably has read this book; I was unaware of the contents of the book. Perhaps, some JW find it easy as pie to read between the lines. I would think that rather than being deliberately deceitful (not that the Watchtower Writer in incapable of this), the Writer got into a ditch trying to be as simple as possible, assuming he's not stupid about sexplay in the firts place. It's a taste of what makes bad parenting advice/information and the inadequacy of governing body directions. Imagine talking to a kid for the first time about sexuality and using the contents of this book. And, about the "vagina, vulva", "male organ complex, penis" matter, I hope I'm right, will your comments be correct if we wrote "vulva, vagina" and "male organ complex, penis"?

Cheers,

h.

Alan,  is this an updated version of the older pink covered "Great Teacher" book from the 60's-70's?  I faintly remember the contents of it...but that it was the first book my mom studied with us kids aimed at kids...Thanks!  Love your comments!

This strikes me as really dangerous material. I agree that sexual issues need to be addressed with children at a younger age than in previous generations, because of the awareness of sexuality generated in large part by the media. Because they are bombarded with sexual images from every angle, today's kids are much more aware of sex at a younger age, and tend to get involved with sexual experimentation at a younger age. So early training in the proper and improper use of sex can be a good thing.

What bothers me is the way the demons are injected into the discussion. Given that children who are taught from this book may be hearing about sex for the first time in their lives, I think it's a really bad idea to identify it so closely with the demons (of course, it's a wonderful control mechanism for the Society). A mental link could be created that will impair their attitude toward sex for their entire lives. And given the degree to which JW's (and especially JW children) are taught to fear the demons, the identification of sex with demons could be devastating.

I agree Neon, that part really bothered me too.

 I think it is sick the way they are putting demons into what is natural childhood , curiosity between children. So now if a little 6 or 8 yr old happens to "play doctor" or even looks, he or she will have a guilty conscience , sure that they now have demons hanging around them . They will wonder , well didnt Daddy just read to me that if I do this , I  will be making the demons happy??? Oh no......what have I done,,,,,,, I can't sleep, I can't eat, Pray, Pray to Jehovah to make me never ever do that again. etc. etc.

It is sick. I mean I think we should teach our children respect for their bodies, respect for others bodies, good conduct with each other etc. But are we going to tell our children if they kiss a girl, or touch in the places this book says they shouldnt ,,,,,,,,,,that they are making the demons happy??No way, that is too much of a burden to be put on such little shoulders.

 

Really?

I always thought that a Vulva was something to do with Swedish cars.

I shall stick with Wimwam, Fanny or Pussy, it's far more tasteful.

Englishman.

Lyineyes: How true guilt can cause all types of problems in children. Natural curiousity shouldn't be equated with demons. Geesh this is another example of them picking at the straw and ignoring their own rafter. You know I am going back to my fluff threads. I just get so upset that children are being force fed this bullshit.

Notperfect: That wasn't very nice

Prisca:

Ha, ha, Englishman.  Here in the US, we use "fanny" to describe our buttocks.  One of my friends is a schoolteacher who recently visited England and spoke to the elementary school class where one of her friends was teaching.  She didn't understand why they started laughing and snickering when she said the plane flight was so long, her "fanny" went numb!!!!! 

 Her friend had to fill her in on the meaning there...

 

So, now the WT is taking even more creativity away from people by telling parents exactly where to ask viewpoint questions.  Yeah, as if a kid with half a brain wouldn't be able to figure out how to fake the answers anyway -- what they want you to say is the very next sentence after the (--)! 

I wonder if this form of teaching will be incorporated into other publications, say, the WT study?  You know, your typical JW is pretty much on a child's level of critical thinking anyway.

Bradley (can't wait to get my copy!)

I would NEVER have read those parts to my young children.  Maybe from 9 or 10 on, but not the younger ones.  That material is way too advanced for young kids.

It may just cause a lot of experimenting...................sort of like forbidding the internet.