Young People Ask... When Can I Start Dating?

by pale.emperor 34 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • schnell
    schnell

    Their obsession with sex affected me deeply when I was young. They simply don't deserve that kind of power.

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot
    Simon - "...they can't imagine people just being friends with someone of the opposite sex without 'doing it"..."

    Or at least wanting to do it.

  • DATA-DOG
    DATA-DOG

    Wow, I'm dating at least 10 people by the WTBTS's cult standards. Some are men.

    DD

  • punkofnice
    punkofnice

    OUTLAW nailed it!

  • OneEyedJoe
    OneEyedJoe

    Wow, I'm dating at least 10 people by the WTBTS's cult standards. Some are men.

    That made me think of something - they put such focus in the questions on the person being of the opposite sex. I guess dating rules don't apply to gay kids raised in the cult! They can do whatever they want, apparently.

  • sir82
    sir82

    By which time all the "cute guys" will be married already. Leaving poor Danielle married to some much older MS or widowed/divorced elder.

    Oh ye of little faith! Those are not the only options!

    Danielle can also quite easily fill the role of "candy lady", the sister who shambles around handing out tootsie rolls and Lifesavers to all the pre-school kids after the meeting.

  • Spoletta
    Spoletta

    Or to avoid the whole problem, you can marry the 19 year old brother who works for your Dad as soon as you turn 17, and both move in with your parents, as one young girl did in our congregation.

    To give the Elders credit, they strongly counseled against this, and wouldn't allow the wedding to take place in the Kingdom Hall. However, their hands were tied as it was all legal. The parents congratulated themselves for saving their kiddies from the perils of dating.

  • FedUpJW
    FedUpJW

    The WTS does like to focus on sex...can't imagine people just being friends with someone of the opposite sex without "doing it".

    Agreed. I really p---ed off a couple elders when I said that WT is more "sex mad" than anyone I know in the "world". When they pressed for my reason I told them only the WT is constantly preoccupied with the possibility of sex taking place at the drop of a hat between two people. Even the "world" doesn't focus on sex that much.

  • sir82
    sir82

    the WT is constantly preoccupied with the possibility of sex taking place at the drop of a hat between two people.

    Even at the Kingdom Hall, quite possibly the least sexy place on earth.

    If an elder gives "counsel" to a "sister" in an adjoining room, either the door must be kept open or there must be at least one other elder present.

  • Saethydd
    Saethydd

    I don't mean to play devil's advocate here, and I also do not agree that the only appropriate setting for a sexual relationship is marriage. But I do feel like there are good general standards that can be followed.

    One must keep in mind that even practing safe sex leaves the possibility of the girl getting pregnant, which if both parties are not at least nominally prepared for it will cause a lot of problems. Either the burden of a child before one is ready or the emotional baggage of having aborted one's child, a decision which can haunt one decades later. So I would say the first standard to keep in mind is maturity.

    Secondly I recommend that love be found amongst the couple, for one never knows which partner one may have to raise a child with.

    These are personal standards however not ones I would push on anyone else. It is entirely possible that by advocating its strict stance on such matters the WTBTS is merely trying to avoid any lapses at all, however no matter what their intention no number of rules and guidelines can fully counter human nature, and in the end it seems more likely to cause one to have an unhealthy focus on sex and then have feelings of guilt over it.

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