Boredom got the best of me, and I took a glance at the "Do You Remember?" on pg 30 of Aug 15th WatchTower 2006.
The question: "Under the Law, why did certain natural sexual functions make a person "unclean"?"
The answer: "The laws concerning uncleanness ascribed to seminal emissions, menstruation, and childbirth fostered good hygiene and a healthy lifestyle, stressed the sanctity of blood, and showed the need for atonement of sins."
I'm curious as to how others on the forum feel about this. First off on the list, semen. In Leviticus, it is established that a guy with an emission is dirty. But what about a guy who's had one in his sleep? Is that what they are talking about? What about when a couple has intercourse? Don't they know that once the "deed" is done, it doesn't "disappear", instead it lingers around pretty much for the rest of the day (of course, we know where it's emitting from now, exactly where the man left it). So does that mean that after a couple would do it, the woman would have to hide until it's finished (God forbid I say it), leaking? Also, they have catergorized semen with periods and childbirth. Are they assuming it is equivalent to blood? Honest question here!
Menstruation. So the Bible is FULL of remarks about the filth and dispicable-ness of a girl on her period. You can't touch her, let alone lay down with her. It's spoken of as something she should be ashamed of, much like the semen of a guy. I realize this has something to do with blood, but why would a loving god give a woman a monthly cycle that she should hide away for? Today, we have sanitary napkins, and we are clean. Back then, they had pelvic wraps, am I correct? It's basically the same sort of garment. I understand that this is placed under the OT, and many JWs now are "proud" of the fact that we aren't under it anymore. But they often teach us to abide by many guidelines in the OT, yet I have yet to hear anything about the elders' wives, among others, to hide or be ashamed of their periods. Do they disregard this rule because it's too inconvenient? Or if you are hiding, you aren't recruiting in service? What about JWs who do it on their periods? Are they guilty of not respecting blood?
Also on the blood side of things, childbirth. Correct me if i am wrong, but wasn't the law back then that if a woman had a baby girl, she was supposed to be quarantined for almost TWICE as long than if she had a boy? Now tell me, what makes the blood of labor involving a girl dirtier than that of a baby boy? Twice the female filth? I've absolutely never understood this, and I have always believed this to be a Middle-Eastern male mentality......NOT something that any God would put in place. I know that these men were quite disappointed that they couldn't get a son every time, but is it worth punishing their wives? Apparently so, because I just can't see how all these male vs female childbirth rules could hold any water. After all, the blood that comes out of mom is THE SAME.
And last, but not least, the final comment in the JW answer. The need for "atonement of sins". Can anyone please tell me how my husband's NATURAL semen emission, my NATURAL monthly cycle, and the NATURAL miracle of birth is a reminder that we are sinners??????? Circumcision also comes into the picture here. Why would he put something there, and then tell them to cut it off? It's unnatural. If female circumcision was practiced more widely, we would be going insane to try to stop it, because it's painful and meanningless. I know they would argue that it was to seperate the good from the bad, but why mutilation? It certainly isn't cleaner, because the foreskin of a male has a cousin on the female side, known as the clitoral hood. This is kept clean through hygiene, not cutting. From what I understand, this practice is much more common in the US than in the UK. But I could be wrong.
I know I am not the only one who believes that the Bible was dreamed up by men. But what I'd like to know is how religious people can read this stuff in the Bible, and somehow think that these were loving provisions by God? Why would God come into the picture and suddenly want to either change everything about human sexuality, or make humans feel disgusting with themselves? It's so sad to think of those religion has hurt over the centuries (probably more than it has helped).
I've also heard of some who like to say that these were Biblical lessons so that we can learn them and use them to gain God's approval. But why is it ok to use people and animals as an example for us today, when it was costly and painful (often lethal) to those who were being made an example of? I'm not trying to make the Bible add up, because I simply don't believe it is the word of God, but I would like to understand why someone could accept these teachings? And how on earth does the WatchTower expect the above quoted answer, to answer anything at all. All it does, of course, is causes more questions, and reinforces some persons' beliefs that the Bible was made-up by old dudes who wanted control.
By the way, this is the reason I have started thinking on my own. It didn't have so much with the Society itself (although I do believe they're out of their minds), but it was with religion in general. It's painful growing up as a girl and reading this stuff and wondering why God doesn't love me as much as the 2 year old boy sitting across the hall, just because of gender...not age/intelligence.
Thanks for listening to me ramble! Please, give your opinions!