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This is a LONG comment on what John W Wirtanen and some others have posted in reply to my topic. I am not saying what follows as a personal affront to him or anyone else. It is simply my deeply held convictions and beliefs in the Bible, not the organization.
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First off, it is obvious that there are numerous people here who no longer have any true love or faith in the "religion" called Jehovah's Witnesses, nor the truth that they were once taught from the Bible. I am not one of those people.
Although I am openly gay, I do have a boyfriend, and I am knowingly going against what I believe to be right and what I know to be the truth... I have not, do not, and will not allow myself to confuse what I WANT TO BE THE TRUTH from the Bible, with what actually IS THE TRUTH from the Bible.
I would love nothing more that for Jehovah himself to speak from the heavens and tell us all that it's ok to be a homo, that he understand how hard it is for us little people down here, and if it makes us happy, go ahead and do it, he'll forgive us. But he hasn't and he won't because that isn't the case and that's not the truth.
This is my response to those comments previously posted that God understands that we're gay, that he'll know it's really "not our fault," and that he'll throw everything out the window and forgive us...
I have read 90% of the literature published by the Society during my time in the organization as an active publisher (1985-1999). I have also read nearly every article and scap of information published by the society that is currently considered up to date and correct as the Body understands it... as well as numerous other sources on God/religion and homosexuality.
In that reading if you have any objectivity at all and really want to know the TRUTH from what you read in the bible and not just what YOU YOURSELF WANT to see in the pages, if you are truly honest and don't throw in any of this "oh god loves everyone and he is caring and forgiving..." etc, etc... if you honestly, openly, and truthfully read, meditate upon, and attempt to draw an honest and true conclusion as to what the bible says regarding homosexuality and God's view upon it you will deduce the following...
1. Homosexuality is among the most detastable sins mentioned in the Bible.
I say that because not only does the Bible specifically say that "man must not lay with man..." "nor men kept for unnatural purposes...shall inherit God's kingdom" "do not leave the natural use of the male... do not leave the natural use of the female..."
Specifically saying "DO NOT DO THIS..." it also gives an overwhelmingly clear example with Sodom and Gamorah. These cities were filled with evil and wickedness and THE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF THIS GIVEN WERE MEN TRYING TO TAKE MALE ANGELS AND HAVE SEX WITH THEM. Jehovah desimated that city with fire.
2. Not only should you deduce #1, if you are wanting to know the truth from the Bible and not your own truth, but you will also deduce that this is not something that Jehovah has, does, or will approve of. Nor should you deduce from ANY example in the Bible that he will forgive/spare any who ACT on those homosexual feelings.
Why do I say that? Give me one example...just one... in the Bible where after Jehovah repeatedly gave commands to his people NOT TO DO...whatever... and they decided that they were going to do whatever they wanted... show me one example where Jehovah said "Ok, I understand that you felt that you couldn't resist doing this thing and that you knew I would understand, so even though I told you that it was wrong, told you not to do it, and told you that you would be punished for doing it... I'll just forget all about that, don't worry about it."
Show me ONE example from the Bible where he did that.
Homosexuality is something He despises, does not aprove of, and if you are truly honest with yourself and you do believe in the Bible... NOT in the organization, but in the BIBLE... you would realise that what you posted was absolutely rediculous.
It's not ok to act on homosexual feelings, it's ok to have them but not to act on them. I have done that, so I'm not being hypocritical here, I am gay, I do have a boyfriend, so this is something that I am saying from my heart not something I'm just spouting off about and expecting everyone but me to follow.
God WILL NOT, in my opinion from my learning and reading from the Bible, forgive anyone for doing something over, and over, and over again without even attempting to change when he said that what they did is wrong. Why would he give commands and laws to live by if they were ok to be broken and there were no consequences if you did break them??
Congratulations John on beginning your own JW bashing site, because that's all I see it as. I'm not looking for any group or person to help subvert JW's nor am I looking for any group/person to tell me that everything I was taught, believe in, and struggled to hold on to for so long is bullshit and was a waste of my time.
All I was looking for is people to talk to who are gay and were or are JW's. I wanted to discuss with them their experience with dealing with their situation. How they felt, what they did do get through it or what they are doing to get through it.
I didn't want to be told it was alright and all that stuff I learned is wrong.
Anyway, this went on a LOT longer than I anticipated and isn't nearly as coherent as I would have prefered, but alas I must drop it.
Feel free to contact any of us [links to our emails are on our pictures]. BTW, I'm also from Michigan. I left the Dearborn Congregation for California [still a very active JW at the time] in the fall of 1980. I've never regretted my move. Also, I've never regretted disassociating in 1994.
John W Wirtanen