Posts by scotsman

78

Hello to everyone - new member from Scotland - just registered and wanted to introduce myself

by 88JM in

greetings to you all from scotland!

it's nice to finally be able to say hello to you all, having been a long time reader of the forum.. i put off signing up as i didn't feel i had much to contribute, but if i'm honest, seeing atlantis' post about confidential information pushed me into it.. i hope i can get round to writing my story - i always enjoy reading others and it never ceases to amaze me how many have had similar experiences.. so there goes my first post!.

.

scotsman

Hello 88JM, if you want to have a chat with another ex JW LGB Scot feel free to message.

16

Questions about disfellowshipping and 'non-sanctioned' shunning

by Steve_C in

basically, i have a couple of questions about the current rules regarding disfellowshipping and shunning.

by current i mean since 1999.. sorry, but i have to put a bit of my history to clarify my situation.. i was a born-in who was baptized in 1983. got married to a sister in 1984. then the kids came.

by the mid-1990s my wife and i had become increasingly irregular, so that by 1999 we were both inactive and only went to the memorial and conventions.. in 1999 i committed adultery, confessed to the elders, and had a judicial committee.

scotsman

Sounds a familiarly sad story. I'm gay but not dfed or daed, out 10 yrs and when my brother discovered I was gay he said he loved me but could be friends with me and that was that. Occasionally see my mother but won't be attending her funeral for similar reasons to you, plus think I would probably experience more grief over seeing people who cut me out of their lives after 30 yrs than the death of my mother.

Hope you're not feeling too blue, and it's great you've maintained a relationship with your kids.

39

Is The WTBTS' View Of Homosexuality Softening?

by JW GoneBad in

or at least the public may be given the impression that jws and the wtbts are fair minded and do not discriminate against the homosexual lifestyle.

check out this quote from the nov 1, 2011 watchtower (public edition).

the article on page 4 is entitled 'ten questions about sex answered'.. question 8: does god approve of homosexuality?.

scotsman

Well if it is softening they have forgotten to tell any of my family and former friends. Not heard a peep out of 99% them in 8 years. I'm not disfellowshipped, just a"practicing" gay (although I probably now qualify as "professional/expert").

117

Is homosexuality ever justifiable? I say YES!!!

by TimothyT in

in the january 2012 awake, pages 28-29 there is another article about homosexuality.. .

the writers argue that genetics, the environment, and sexual abuse do not justify homosexuality.

the bible clearly states that homosexuality is wrong and is an abhorrent sin.

scotsman

In a 14 day period TimothyT started 9 threads only 3 of which were in relation to homosexuality and faith/church/Watchtower, hardly "a constant stream of Gay-Promotion".

You (plural) do appear to have shut him down which is unfortunate as the chronicling of his struggle to reconcile faith and sexuality may have been helpful to others, as Monkey's far more extrovert and sexualised account has been.

If you don't want to read about homosexuality, don't read the thread that has it in the title.

On Saturday morning a 28 yr old man was found dead on the edge of a small former mining town in Scotland having been burnt and severely beaten. He was also gay. At present the police are trying to say it possibly wasn't a homophobic attack but the community is rife with rumour that it is. His name was Stuart Walker.

Will anyone reading this see any connection between closing down discussions on homosexuality and this crime? I imagine they will refuse to see it But in my nearly 10 yrs on here I have repeatedly seen it tolerated less than other issues and gay members warned to 'pipe down' about the subject.

It makes me very very sad.

117

Is homosexuality ever justifiable? I say YES!!!

by TimothyT in

in the january 2012 awake, pages 28-29 there is another article about homosexuality.. .

the writers argue that genetics, the environment, and sexual abuse do not justify homosexuality.

the bible clearly states that homosexuality is wrong and is an abhorrent sin.

scotsman

I agree with ohiocowboy and Quendi, you post on this subject as much and whenever you want, the Monkey doesn't have to read it or shut you up.

I'm slightly ashamed by some of the comments that the gay threads draw, you know the ones that don't like gays ramming it down throats or complaining about flamboyancy etc. Not all of us want to wear polo shirts, chinos, shop in the mall and fit right in. The media is full of gay people playing unthreatening little comedy roles, neutered and de-sexualised, and that's also sometimes how JWD likes the gays to play too.

Timothy, you've made huge changes in your life this year and if this is a safe place for you to process it, go fo it.

90

I told the baptist church pastor that I'm gay!

by TimothyT in

his reaction wasnt as liberal as i hoped it would be.

he said that we needed to discuss it.

however, gone are the days where im putting myself in the firing line and not sticking up for myself.

scotsman

Shop around Timothy, you'll find somewhere that you're comfortable in. The friends I have that attend church have all fallen for smells'n'bells at episcopal churches.

90

I told the baptist church pastor that I'm gay!

by TimothyT in

his reaction wasnt as liberal as i hoped it would be.

he said that we needed to discuss it.

however, gone are the days where im putting myself in the firing line and not sticking up for myself.

scotsman

19

Shredding the Organised to Accomplish Our Ministry book

by scotsman in

just read through the 2011 letters to usa boe and the 8 february one on disposing of old wt books/magazine struck me as apparently the co needs to authorise their disposal.

what really intrigued me was that the om book was required to have it's cover removed and the pages "shredded".. was everyone in the congegation asked to shred their personal copies too?.

scotsman

Timmy, I'm presuming they want the whole thing shredded as the contents were superceded by Organized to do Jehovah's Will (which I've never seen) in 2005.

I know I'm supposed to hate, and have been traumatised by, the Paradise Lost book but I loved the graphics and it was certainly better than the grotesquery that followed: My Book of Bible Stories.

19

Non NWT use in Public Talks

by cantleave in

i am sure that when i gave talks, although the nwt was always the main bible used, other translations could be used to make a point.. the elders recived a letter dated may10th 2011 re:public speakers and it stated under the subheading "reading from scriptures".

scriptures should be read by the speaker rather than requesting a volunteer from the audience.

the new world translation should be used, if available.

scotsman

Blondie, how would the COs know? They only public talks they hear are the ones they give.

19

Shredding the Organised to Accomplish Our Ministry book

by scotsman in

just read through the 2011 letters to usa boe and the 8 february one on disposing of old wt books/magazine struck me as apparently the co needs to authorise their disposal.

what really intrigued me was that the om book was required to have it's cover removed and the pages "shredded".. was everyone in the congegation asked to shred their personal copies too?.

scotsman

Sapphy, the instruction was for unused copies that remained in stock.

I've been out for 10 years and that instruction seemed wholly bizarre. As if they were trying to bury the past...