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JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES AND HOMOSEXUALITY
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (WTS) is a conservative Christian denomination whose theology differs greatly from that of Fundamentalist and other Evangelical denominations. Their attitude towards homosexuality goes beyond what most other conservative religious groups require. The WTS requires that both homosexual behavior and feelings be suppressed. That is:
They must remain celibate.
Jesus' stated that to lust after another person is to commit adultery with them in your heart. Thus a gay or lesbian must attempt to suppress their desire, longing, feelings of attractiveness, love, sexual fantasies etc towards others of the same sex.
Homosexual Witnesses are expected to refrain from both sexual activity and sexual thoughts involving other persons of the same-sex. Although individual with a homosexual orientation can choose celibacy, it is quite impossible for any person to totally control and eliminate their sexual feelings. The Witness' policy places an immense emotional load on its gay and lesbian membership who try to live up to the group's expectations. Failure is almost inevitable.
Jim Moon is webmaster of A Common Bond, an international support group for ex-Jehovah's Witnesses who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. 1 Their web site states that: "The Jehovah's Witness religion teaches its membership to believe that homosexuality is 'detestable', 'an abomination', 'abhorrent', and is caused by demon possession. Because of this, thousands of gay Witnesses are living lives of deeply closeted guilt, and fear of destruction by God. Those who choose to leave, or are expelled from the Witnesses face immediate isolation and shunning from family and friends. It is for this reason that A Common Bond was created - to offer support and comfort to those who once thought they were alone and condemned." Moon commented: "Gays and lesbians who have been kicked out of the JWs are in a special need for all the emotional and spiritual support they can get. If JWs don't conform completely to the sect's doctrines and practices, including a strict prohibition against merely being gay, they are disfellowshipped,' which is a severe punishment. It amounts to total ostracism."
If detected, gays and lesbians who refuse to remain celibate are disfellowshipped. Under those conditions, fellow members are required to shun him/her completely, avoiding all contact. If the disfellowshiped person is a family member, then they are treated normally within the family, except that they are made to understand that their actions are disapproved of. There is no discussion about church matters in their presence. This can have a devastating effect on a person whose entire religious, family and social life were grounded in the Society.
As in all large organizations, official policies must be administered by junior officials. Some consider even celibate gays and lesbians as unsuitable for membership.
Confidential Textbook
The Society publishes a confidential Kingdom Ministry School Textbook which is titled "Pay Attention to Yourselves and to all the flock." The name comes from Acts 20:28. It is used by congregation elders and traveling overseers.
Pages 92 to 94 deal with "wrongdoing", which they regard as increasing "in frequency and depravity..." in society. In the area of sexual misconduct, they differentiate among three escalating levels of seriousness
uncleanness (e.g. momentary touching of another person's sexual parts outside of marriage). This does not require a judicial hearing.
loose conduct (e.g. heavy petting outside of marriage). This requires judicial action
"por.nei'a" which "involves immoral use of the genitals of at least one human (whether in a natural or a perverted way), and there must have been another party to the immorality: a human of either sex or a beast...It includes oral and anal sex or mutual masturbation between persons not married to each other, homosexuality, lesbianism, fornication, adultery, incest, and bestiality." Any person who engages in such activity must be handled through judicial action. Neither actual penetration or orgasm need be involved.
In Page 111, the handbook covers the evidence required to convict an accused person. Either two eyewitnesses or a confession of wrongdoing are required. However, evidence that "the accused stayed all night...with a known homosexual...under improper circumstances, is acceptable proof."
Article in Awake! Magazine
"Awake" is one of two mass-circulation magazine published by The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York. Their issue for 1995-FEB-8 commented on homosexuality"
"Scientists may never resolve exactly how much of a role nature and nurturing play in same-sex attraction. But one thing is clear: All humans are born with the tendency to succumb to wrong thinking and inclinations. --Romans 3:23. A youth who desires to please God must therefore conform to his moral standards and shun immoral behavior, though doing so may be agonizingly difficult. True, some individuals may very well be prone to homosexuality...
Similarly, a Christian cannot excuse immoral behavior by saying he was 'born that way.' Child molesters invoke the same pathetic excuse when they say their craving for children is "innate." But can anyone deny that their sexual appetite is perverted? So is the desire for someone of the same sex."
Reference:
1. A Common Bond is an international "support network for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered former and current Jehovah's Witnesses." The California chapters have a web site at: http://www.gayxjw.org/ They have a list of web sites maintained by other "A Common Bond" chapters at: http://www.gayxjw.org/links.html
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