Here's a view on homosexuality for you...

konceptual99

...right from a pro-jw site in response to a post about the relative seriousness of homosexuality

All you can do is reason from the scriptures, which you appear to have done. Homosexuality is as serious as bestiality, or adultery and fornication. Actually, the Bible describes homosexuality as a greater sin than adultery or fornication. The reasoning is that the desire for same-sex intercourse is one "contrary to nature" according to Romans 1:24. At least with heterosexual fornication the wrong doers are acting in harmony with the natural desire for the opposite sex.

I'm sorry to post direct cut'n'paste but I think it's important for people to see the thinking that "mature Christians" continue to have regarding homosexuality. It's probably not news to many but does demonstrate that ones continue to treat homosexuality as different to other sins and how blurred the lines around hating the sin and not the sinner really are.

Xanthippe

Yes in my recent experience of talking to JWs they cite gay marriage as a sign we are right at the end of the system, as in how could it possibly get any worse.

Lieu

Good thing they weren't in ancient Greece, Sparta, and Rome. Boy were they something else!

Homosexuals get the same punishment as adulterers, child molesters, liars, murderers,, the greedy, etc. It's a pretty long list

Paul was a murderer, so I wouldn't worry too much about being forgiven.

1 Timothy 1:7-11 NET

They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or the things they insist on so confidently. But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately, [9] realizing that law is not intended for a righteous person, but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, [10] sexually immoral people, practicing homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers-in fact, for any who live contrary to sound teaching. [11] This accords with the glorious gospel of the blessed God that was entrusted to me.

Christ didn't pop down for righteous people; his message of mercy and forgiveness wasn't for them.

1 Timothy 1:12-15 NET

I am grateful to the one who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful in putting me into ministry, [13] even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, [14] and our Lord's grace was abundant, bringing faith and love in Christ Jesus. [15] This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"-and I am the worst of them!

James Mixon

How would things worked out if GOD had said, "I leave you these words only, I

created you and now you work it out, you are on your own".

From the book of Adam, One chapter and one verse..

Lieu

So called Christians are busy throwing rocks at the very ones Jesus said his message was for. JWS don't know what they're doing by condemning others.

Fisherman

how blurred the lines around hating the sin and not the sinner really are.

I strongly disagree. WT has continued to be compassionate, merciful, understanding, tolerant towards homosexual sinners, never hate or repulsion or rejection -always compassion mercy and understanding for the sinner but not the sin. That is something that I have learned from wt which has made me a better person.

Simon

Who is god to judge?

Seriously, I mean if people paid the price (of death according to the bible story) of being able to decide right or wrong for themselves, then why does that crusty old fart think he has a say in anything?

How about we make the fucking rules?

Rule 1. Gods piss off back to never-land.

Rule 2. No more gods.

Half banana

All you can do is reason from the scriptures (JW post on another site)

This defeatist mentality is at the root of the JW belief. Instead of thinking there is only one set of rules by which we must organize our lives it makes greater sense to take a leaf from reality and not run your life on hocus pocus from the ancient world.

We are born with undifferentiated sexual proclivities and usually early on, sometimes after a little experimentation we realize where our natural interests lie.

Homosexuality exists, not from choice or by design, it is simply a fact of mammalian life on Earth. Religious people fear things which do not accord with their childish concept of what an invisible spirit creator decreed, i.e God made man and woman and they had sex and the woman gave birth to children. No room for homosexuality or bi-sexuality there.

How crushing this must be for those of the minority who do not fit the Biblical prescriptions. How disgusting for Jehovah's Witnesses to blindly follow the Bible and each other in asserting their hurtful ignorance.

konceptual99

I strongly disagree. WT has continued to be compassionate, merciful, understanding, tolerant towards homosexual sinners, never hate or repulsion or rejection -always compassion mercy and understanding for the sinner but not the sin. That is something that I have learned from wt which has made me a better person.

I will concede two points. Firstly, the humanist views presented by Jesus can help engender tolerance, mercy and so on. Assuming those qualities are the preserve of Christians is a different matter of course. Secondly, the WT is generally fairly tame in it's public condemnation of homosexuality and does leave the door open technically for gay people to be accepted in the congregation. The latest Awake article is a case in point.

I will also concede that some Witnesses are about as tolerant as one can be in the constraints of the doctrine. I know I was (as if that's any kind of badge of honour) and I know others with similar viewpoints. This is the exception not the rule.

The reality of what individual Witnesses think on the ground is often far more polarised than the public rhetoric would indicate. Unfortunately not all the content I originally posted has made it through Simon's moderation. I won't try and post the whole thing again but here is a little bit more that is of interest:

If homosexuality is about love, then why can't a homosexual ever feel enough love for someone of the opposite sex? By that same token, is a straight man's love or affection for another man limited because the straight man is NOT attracted sexually to the other man? Does that really make sense? No, it's clear that homosexuality is about attraction, desire, and so forth. It's not about love.

This is a clear refusal to accept that it possible to equate homosexual and hetrosexual relationships. The poster also states "the act itself is against nature and will always be prohibited". There is zero tolerance here. Time and time again I continue to see Witnesses allowing revulsion to homosexuality affect their view of homosexuals in a way that rarely is replicated with hetrosexual immoral acts. In this poster's opinion homosexuality is as unnatural as bestiality and it's very hard to separate the act and the person when conditioned to have a physical revulsion.

truthseeker

The Bible does condemn the practice of homosexuality in many verses, so in Judeo-Christian culture it is condemned. It makes for uncomfortable reading for those who are gay. And for those who aren't, it reinforces current beliefs.

Across the other side of the world, Native American's, who did not have the Bible, referred to some persons as "two spirits" although this seems to refer to transgendered people first.

http://www.nativepeoples.com/Native-Peoples/May-June-2014/Two-Spirit-The-Story-of-a-Movement-Unfolds/

Here's a view on homosexuality for you...

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