They're born that way ... but it's not genetic.
Are homosexuals born that way? The March 15 Watchtower seems to say so.
by matt2414 76 Replies latest watchtower bible
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RubaDub
I can't think of the name of the famous poet who wrote the following. I will look it up and report back later but it is beautiful.
Ok, I found the poet's name.
It was written by some woman named Stefani Germanotta.
My bad, I thought it was someone famous.
Rub a Dub
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rocketman
This excerpt does seem to acknowledge that such tendencies are with a person from the get-go.
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Open mind
People born now are 6,000 years away from Adamic "perfection". Therefore we have people with a predisposition towards homosexuality and those who are susceptible to alcoholism.
Both are sins deserving of death and must be fought. You'll have to wait until the New System for Jehovah to "satisfy the desire of every living thing".
It's not Jehovah's fault. It's Satan's and Adam & Eve's.
So goes the "logical" party line.
om
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THE GLADIATOR
This is a new truth for the Watchtower.
It was always my understanding that homosexuality is cause by wearing flared trousers or pants to you Yankees.
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Apognophos
I agree with Open mind -- the Watchtower isn't necessarily being progressive here; even if they acknowledge that homosexuality is innate, they can simply make the comparison to other in-born "sinful" tendencies that people have.
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BluesBrother
I was raised "old school" dub..but I have become a lot more tolerant in recent years ......However, it is noticeable and has been commented on by the dubs of my acquaintance that the WTS has toned down the rhetoric in recent times. It was attributed to the demands of Legal Dept and current law but this article does also seem to recognize that it it is not always a chosen course of life.
Awake 2012 01/12 p29 (extracts)
"The Bible does not promote prejudice against people. However, its view of homosexual acts is clear....[still condemned]
Some may wonder, ‘Would genetics, environment, or traumatic life experiences, such as sexual abuse, justify one’s giving in to homosexual desires?’
(they say, "No" but encourage empathy)
Likewise, while the Bible does not condemn those who struggle with homosexual tendencies, ..........
[The Bible] does not encourage hatred of homosexuals."
That may not seem very much to the normal reader, but to the r & f inside the WTS , it is a seismic shift of attitude, from condemning and hating the gay ones...
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Apognophos
Hmm, I'm probably not as old, er, old-school as you :-) But it still doesn't seem that progressive to me. The Society has long said that gay feelings are not a sin, only acting on them is. That's about as helpful as saying that sexual feelings are not a sin but masturbation is. You're still screwed if that's your inclination.
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Fed-up
Ok...if that's what they are saying (it's so hard to tell sometimes) then they are speaking out of both sides of their collective mouths again.
http://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/family/teenagers/ask/pressure-to-be-gay/
"Fact: In many cases, same-sex attraction is nothing more than a passing phase.
That’s what Lisette, 16, who was at one time attracted to a girl, found. She says: “ Through my biology classes in school, I learned that during the adolescent years, hormone levels can fluctuate greatly. I truly think that if more youths knew more about their bodies, they would understand that same-sex attraction can be temporary and they wouldn’t feel the pressure to be gay. ”"
Between the "fact" presented in the first sentence and the comment "pressure to be gay" it's still clear to me they still are not sure what they think about it. Still clear they don't understand it either.
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Splash
Homosexuality stems from other sinful practices:
*** yy chap. 5 p. 39 par. 9 Masturbation and Homosexuality ***
In fact, masturbation can lead into homosexuality. In such instances the person, not satisfied with his lonely sexual activity, seeks a partner for mutual sex play.
Splash