Dear readers,
I remember a comment on a post from "Jehovah's Witness Blog" from a Jehovah's Witness who said he didn't understand why Episcopalians tolerate homosexuality or why Fundamentalist Mormons practice polygamy. Well, why shouldn't Episcopalians tolerate homosexuality. Homosexuality doesn't hurt anyone. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints practice polygamy because the Book of Mormon and the Torah support such a practice, they believe that Yahweh commands them to practice polygamous marriages. They kind of have to if they want to make it into the Celestial Kingdom. Another JW wrote on another post, a very homophobic comment denouncing non-JW Christian groups for allowing same-sex couples full membership in their denominations. He then talked at one point about following Jesus' example of being non-violent. Well, this JW dude named "Max" may be non-violent, but he is still a homophobic bigot at the end of the day. He called the elders who allowed a repressed gay men to remain a JW "Christ-like" as long as he never had sex with another man. That's not "Christ-like" to me. That's very manipulative, hypocritical and not to mention, it is a double-standard. In fact, his god's "standards" aren't very "moral" if you ask me. It doesn't seem logical to have someone born with an attraction to the same-sex and then annihilate them for eternity for acting on their sexuality with another consenting adult when the sexual behavior is not hurting any outside parties. I don't know if most or any JW's who may be reading this post are even capable of understanding what I have written, not because their stupid (some are), but because their very ignorant about such issues as this and really cannot think about it for themselves, unfortunately. As I said, even if being gay was a "choice", so what!
I think it's a shame that this gay man has deny himself the pleasure of having a boyfriend or husband who he can be romantically and sexually intimate with. I'm a heterosexual monogamous, married woman who believes that every responsible adult should have the right to form consensual relationships with other non-related adults. Why would anyone want to belong a religious group that requires them to deny a fundamental part of themselves, especially when the group will shun you if you decide to leave them? The JW's really aren't that different than the Amish when it comes to shunning and only showing outright, complete rejection, condemnation, implied bigotry and feelings of unacknowledged hatred towards people who are "different" and express themselves differently. I think it would be better if the JW's outright refused to have any LGBT members ( whether they are living a life of romantic and sexual repression until death or who are openly or even secretly involved in a romantically and sexually-active, same-sex relationships) or people who " question too much" at all, that way LGBT and skeptical persons can avoid having to deal with the difficulties of belonging to such a strict religious group that doesn't welcome them or even want them around in the first place.Why are practicing Jehovah's Witnesses going on ex-Jehovah's Witness websites to begin with? I thought such behavior was forbidden?
Naturally, the JW's that comment on JWB will make some sort of unjustified excuse for why they leave comments there. "The Watchtower" magazines have articles that read, quite clearly that Jehovah's Witnesses are not supposed to go on websites that are critical of their denomination. " Jehovah's Witness Blog" is run by two atheistic men who are both ex-JW's and their blog has a lot of great information for anyone who is interested in the JW denomination as told through a non-religious perspective. I'd highly recommend that you go check out " JWB".
If two or more consenting adults want to be in a same-sex relationship and are not hurting anyone else, that wouldn't be a very good excuse for a "loving" god to kill them and denying them eternal life for simply engaging in a consensual activity with other people that isn't hurting anyone else. This repressed man stated that he and his friends don't follow the WBTS. Well, if your a JW, you do whatever the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society tells you. The authors of the Bible don't even good a good reason for why Yahweh supposedly thinks same-sex male relationships are an "abomination", why they should be put to death or why same-sex relationships are "shameful lust", " unnatural", that it is " lusting after strange flesh" or for why they should " receive recompense for their error". It doesn't make sense. Gay sexual acts when done between consenting adults isn't hurting anyone, in fact, it is very natural. Homosexuality is found in many animal species, we humans are a part of nature and the animal kingdom, so it is very natural. Sure, in the 1980's many gay men became infected with the AIDS virus, but AIDS is not a "gay disease", anyone can contract AIDS. Whether the " The Watchtower" magazine considers homosexuality to be an inborn or "chosen" characteristic really is irrelevant, because there is one important factor that they and other religious homophobes are not taking into account, they are forgetting the harm factor. Who is the act of gay sex hurting? No one. I think Yahweh, if he existed or exists, would be pretty immature to act all offensive over men getting it on with each other.
Sex between men really isn't all that big of deal. It isn't hurting anyone. Yahweh wouldn't even have a good reason for murdering all sexually-active gay male couples. The idea that it makes him "angry" or "sad" does not count. It isn't doing any harm to him. It would be more for him having to learn how to deal with his discomfort over an activity that isn't hurting anyone. I wouldn't worship such a god that would make such a big deal over gay sex or non-marital sex between consenting adults because both situations are not hurting outside party. Questioning the passages of the Bible isn't hurting anyone, especially Yahweh. Making emotional appeals to his "hurt feelings" don't count. I don't understand why you would give people sexual organs and desires or the a brain in which to think critically if your just going to punished for using them. One reason pedophilia is NOT permissible by most people is because that is an act that does harm to the child or teenager. The molester who repeatedly sexually-abuses children is just being selfish and isn't taking in the harm that he is doing to the said child or teenager. It wouldn't matter if the child's body or mind are very mature for their age. That would NOT give them the right to agree to have sex with an adult even if they consented to such behavior and understood the implications of the said action. The fact remains that child needs to wait until their older, until they become of legal age before engaging in sexual activity and must have sex with someone who is around their own age.
Pedophilia is something that does do harm. Many religious communities to not enforce harsh penalties for sex offenders. Sadly, the Bible contains no passages that condemn pedophilia. We don't need a " Biblical" or "religious" justification to condemn pedophilia, we know it's wrong because we have examined the situation and have discovered that the child is the one who ends up suffering because of some disgusting pervert's actions. Religious arguments for accepting "divine" authority without question are not convincing. I don't accept the argument that " the Bible 'says' it, that settles it". No, I don't think that making appeals for authority ( whether "divine" or not) without question is a good thing. Remember what Adolph Hitler, a Roman Catholic did in Germany between the 1930's and 1940's? Remember what Joseph Stalin, an atheist who was formerly religious did to people in the Soviet Union who dared challenge his political regime? These men developed a "cult of personality" type following. They manipulated naïve people who were suffering from hardship, they claimed to have all the answers to their problems and blamed the problems of the world on other people who had done nothing wrong. Jehovah's Witnesses seem to forget that the LGBT community, the Jews, Gypsies and other religious groups as well as political groups were also victims of Nazi and Communist regimes, persecuted just like the Jehovah's Witnesses were because they were "different" and didn't fit into these leaders ideas of what a "perfect" world should be. Where is the JW's sympathy for all those other groups? Sadly, I have seen very little of it. It's almost always about how " bad the Witnesses of Jehovah had it and how they fought so hard to remain true to their beliefs and continued to spread the 'Word' of Jehovah to 'worldly' persons". Yes, I would never ever deny the fact that the Jehovah's Witnesses have faced horrible circumstances of prejudice and discrimination throughout their history that they didn't deserve. I truly do and can sympathize with them over that, but they don't seem to realize how nastily they often view and treat other people who don't fit into their religious worldview.
No, the JW's may not get involved with politics, but they do often act and view other people in a very hateful and bigot light even if they don't mean to. Now, I'm not out to deconvert any JW or any other religious person, I merely try to get people to think about what I have written. Atheists are victims of prejudiced and persecution. Granted, we are not at the top of genocidal maniacs lists of people to exterminate, but some religious people would be more than willing to do this, if you gave them the opportunity. The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses may not be willing to have their followers go out and kill people, but what happens if one of them though that Yahweh wanted this action performed?
In many of the stories included in the Torah, Yahweh commands the Israelites numerous times to slaughter their pagan neighbors who are accused of engaging in some very "evil" practices. They had to do it, unless they wanted Yahweh to wipe them off the face of the earth.
I would never do such a thing. Even if the pagans were engaging in morally wrong behaviors that hurt others, I would either try to get them to reconsider what they were doing or have them locked up and do whatever it would take to prevent them from hurting others.
I don't accept the argument that " oh well, thing's were different back then or that God has the right to take a life away that He created" from religious people. That is immediately setting up a double-standard. We have no proof that the pagans did all or any of those things, even if they did, that wouldn't make it right for the Jews to slaughter all of them.
Yahweh kills many people in the Jewish bible, most of which seem to be unjustly. Yahweh murders one man just for touching the Ark of the Covenant to keep it from falling of the cart that it sat on. Abraham nearly kills Isaac when he commanded to sacrifice him to Yahweh, just to prove how much of a devout Jew that he is before he is stopped by an angel. I think that's a cruel way to prove one's loyalty. Abraham makes a wager with Yahweh that if Abraham can find ten "righteous" people in the city of Sodom, that Yahweh will not destroy the city which has been committing all sorts of "detestable" deeds. Well, two angels are sent down to earth, looking like mortal men, to warn Abraham's nephew Lot that the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah and the plains are going to be destroyed. Apparently, the men of the city come to Lot's home because they want to gang rape the angels and Lot offer his two virgin daughters (who are already engaged) to the men of Sodom instead. Well, as the men of Sodom begin to break down Lot's front door, the angels blind the men, grab Lot, his two daughters and wife, but leave the two girls' fiancées who don't believe the angels claims of impending destruction. Lot's wife is turned into a pillar of salt for merely looking back at her burning home. Lot and his two daughters make it to the hills, where Lot's daughters get their father drunk and then have procreational sex with him. Eww! That's pretty gross if you ask me!
This really makes these "heroic" Biblical characters look very sadistic if you ask me, not people that I would want for a role model and I really wouldn't want to worship a god that praises such men.
A bigger point should be that you mind your own business when it comes to other people's sex lives. We seem to glorify murder and violence than healthy,committed, romantic and sexual relationships between consenting adults. We really need to learn to do better as persons.
Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
B.W.
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