Jehovah's Witnesses anti-gay?

[Sheep]

I should have figured. A few months ago we produced a video called One Man, One Woman, and following it several LGBT organizations were accusing us of being anti-gay, discriminatory, or homophobic. (See this thread.) Now, one of our recent magazines has come under attack for the same reason! What do you make of this?

 

http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/jehovah-s-witnesses-distribute-anti-gay-harness-your-habits-in-north-devon/story-29679291-detail/story.html

 

It amazes me how some people can twist a very balanced presentation of Bible facts and turn it into justification of their hatred toward us!

[Tortuga]

Amazed but not surprised,  we know this will happen...

[Bob]

Basically, anyone challenging or disagreeing with the status quo is a bigot, or "anti-{insert term here].

 

If promoting hetero-marriage is anti gay, then promoting gay marriage is anti-straight. Idiots never want to think of it that way. They love that victim complex.

[kejedo]

Our recent mag mentioned that  the Bible is silent re: homosexual marriage. The following illustration used is about cigarettes. Because I don't smoke does not mean I am anti someone who does smoke cigarettes. It also does not mean that someone who smokes cigarettes is anti-me.

[Tortuga]

8 minutes ago, kejedo said:

Our recent mag mentioned that  the Bible is silent re: homosexual marriage. The following illustration used is about cigarettes. Because I don't smoke does not mean I am anti someone who does smoke cigarettes. It also does not mean that someone who smokes cigarettes is anti-me.

I was going to make a joke about anti-matter but it's late and it doesn't really matter..

[On the huh]

Did they even read it? Or just looked at the title and made there own conclusion before reading it.  A balanced article in a un-balanced world will never be well received.  Even it was 9/10 pro-gay and 1/10 anti-gay, it would still be condemned for the 1/10.

 

Also it seem like they were linking the cover article with that one.   And a religious magazine quoting the bible, shame on them.

Just wait until they realise that it was not just North Devon we distribute the magazine, but all over the world!

[Thesauron]

Our recent mag mentioned that  the Bible is silent re: homosexual marriage. The following illustration used is about cigarettes. Because I don't smoke does not mean I am anti someone who does smoke cigarettes. It also does not mean that someone who smokes cigarettes is anti-me.

I know a number of people who have homosexual tendencies in the congregation. It would be far from them to exercise them, but they also know that they might have to fight them until the end. They are loved by the brotherhood, much more than they sometimes understand. But some things are for marriage only, sex for example, and they know it. It does not mean we hate them or that we are anti them. Now, people are free to do whatever they want, and we could never forbid anyone anything. But, if they want to remain in Jehovah's congregation, they will have to live up to his standards. His standards are sometimes in conflict with the standards of this world. He forbids sex outside of marriage since marriage is a holy union, and if you keep that up, you show that you do not want to be a part of his congregation. But if we meet such people in the ministry, we love them just as much and would want them to come rectify their lives in harmony with God's word, as we do people living a homosexual life. This is what some people don't get.

[On the huh]

What they don't also realise is that there are brothers and sisters within the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses who were gay, or who do still have gay feelings and that they everyday fight those feelings because they know that pleasing their God Jehovah is more important.  And these ones prove that such feelings and desires can be controlled with God's help.  Even though they know that such feelings will still be with them until the new world, they keep trying not to give into them.  But nobody writes about that for their "news" papers.

 

Even unmarried heterosexuals have to keep their desires under control.  We all do.  Married ones as well.  How many marriages end in divorce, because one can't keep their desires under control.

[bohemian]

As the newspaper reprinted the article in full, they gave a wider distribution to it that would otherwise have been the case.  That can't be a bad thing.

[carlos]

Jehovah's Witnesses as a group are obviously not anti-gay. We don't attack gays, we don't protest against them, and we don't treat them differently than we treat any other person. That article is a perfect example.

 

However, some individual Witnesses do have strong prejudices against gays. These prejudices are not taught by the Slave, they probably come from their previous background in "Christian" churches. Jehovah by means of the Slave is using this kind of articles to correct that wrong and unloving attitude.

 

 

[Soala]

I was going to make a joke about anti-matter but it's late and it doesn't really matter..

LOL

[Shawnster]

 "It perpetuates the myth that you cannot be of faith while also being part of, or supporting, the lesbian, gay, bi and trans community," he said.

"Stonewall will continue its work with faith communities to ensure that all LGBT people are accepted without exception in their place of worship and within their own faith communities."

 

 

Really? Really? We forced the literature into the home?  Really? This is the mindset I simply cannot understand.   Where was the use of  force?  When did offering a magazine become the same as forcing a magazine?   I guess all that unsolicited junk mail was also forced into the home,  eh? 

[CHecker]

I remember a news item on CNN or HLN right after gay marriage was legalized, in it the LGBT people were suddenly complaining. They said yes we have the legal right to marry now, but it was anti-climatic for them. Now what were they supposed to do? When I listened to the news article and heard what the LGBT people were saying I thought that it's about getting attention. Not all of the LGBT people, for sure, but a majority of them who were caught up in a "cause" were experiencing let down, nobody was fighting them anymore and they got what they wanted. But they still needed a cause so here comes more issues they need to fight over.

Actually when you read this article one thing stands out- it's dangerous to be homosexual, everyone is after them! Me thinks maybe the lifestyle isn't as grand as they say it is. 

 

I found this article which goes to talk a little about it but it's not the one I heard.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/26/same-sex-marriage-is-legal-now-what.html

“Now that we’ve won marriage, we need immediate and concrete support for bisexual community issues like domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, poor health, poverty and suicidality,” they told The Daily Beast.

Edited September 3, 2016 by bagwell1987

[Thesauron]

I remember a news item on CNN or HLN right after gay marriage was legalized, in it the LGBT people were suddenly complaining. They said yes we have the legal right to marry now, but it was anti-climatic for them. Now what were they supposed to do? When I listened to the news article and heard what the LGBT people were saying I thought that it's about getting attention. Not all of the LGBT people, for sure, but a majority of them who were caught up in a "cause" were experiencing let down, nobody was fighting them anymore and they got what they wanted. But they still needed a cause so here comes more issues they need to fight over.

Actually when you read this article one thing stands out- it's dangerous to be homosexual, everyone is after them! Me thinks maybe the lifestyle isn't as grand as they say it is. 

 

I found this article which goes to talk a little about it but it's not the one I heard.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/26/same-sex-marriage-is-legal-now-what.html

“Now that we’ve won marriage, we need immediate and concrete support for bisexual community issues like domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, poor health, poverty and suicidality,” they told The Daily Beast.

Well, it is dangerous to be gay, but not nearly as dangerous as being born with one set of genitals on your body that does not correspond to the genus, the sex, in your brain. We had a study with those issues in our congregation a while ago. The brothers treated the person lovingly, but the world did not always.

[sunshine]

"  Stonewall will continue its work with faith communities to ensure that all LGBT people are accepted without exception in their place of worship and within their own faith communities "  Interesting comment from a religious point of view.

 

What most reasonable people (including JWs)  think, when they hear the above sentence is ... "Fair enough they don't want their people to be mistreated or abused and have the goal that church communities treat gay people with dignity."  We Jehovah's Witnesses already respect people from all walks of life , so no problem with us.  What they REALLY MEAN however is "We will continue to work until all churches pronounce  homosexual practices and homosexual marriage as acceptable in their faith."  Discrimination, abuse, rape, are already illegal behaviors, but on the back of that trojan horse rides the radical gay agenda of making homosexuality acceptable to everyone without exception  whether they be in their church (or kingdom hall) or in the  privacy of their own home teaching their children, and make teaching the contrary socially inacceptable and finally illegal.

 

Jehovah's Witnesses on this issue will eventually be "the last man standing" and then we'll see how tolerant they really are.

 

 

Edited September 11, 2016 by sunshine

[Alexa]

3 minutes ago, sunshine said:

Jehovah's Witnesses on this issue will eventually be "the last man standing" and then we'll see how tolerant they really are.

They will see we are happier than them too 

[Bob]

On ‎9‎/‎2‎/‎2016 at 9:39 PM, Sheep said:

I should have figured. A few months ago we produced a video called One Man, One Woman, and following it several LGBT organizations were accusing us of being anti-gay, discriminatory, or homophobic. (See this thread.) Now, one of our recent magazines has come under attack for the same reason! What do you make of this?

 

http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/jehovah-s-witnesses-distribute-anti-gay-harness-your-habits-in-north-devon/story-29679291-detail/story.html

 

It amazes me how some people can twist a very balanced presentation of Bible facts and turn it into justification of their hatred toward us!

Here is what think is the most important quote from the article:

 

"Devon and Cornwall Police looked at the leaflet and stated: "We have been made aware of some religious materials which have been distributed in North Devon.

"Whilst it doesn't appear to meet the threshold to be considered a crime, these have been passed on to our Diverse Communities Team to look into."

 

Basically, they were trying to say that our article contained hate-speech, and this was dismissed by the police. The only reason why they are passing it on to the "Diverse Communities Team" to look into is to temporarily pacify the anti-JW folks complaining, in my opinion. I wouldn't be surprised if the case was simply dropped by the police, and resources allocated to pursue real criminals committing real crimes.

 

These people should be ashamed of themselves for misusing police resources to go after a us because of petty personal and religious differences.

 

Shame on them....

 

 

 

 

[Bob]

Oh and one last thing, they're helping us distribute a magazine to people that would have otherwise not received a copy. Now police officers can see the truth we preach from the Bible, and may even check out JW.org, or listen to us when we come to their homes, etc. Not saying that they will agree with us and come onto the Truth, but the word is getting out to them as well, informally.

 

I always, ALWAYS reflect on how the Truth researched Siberia. In an attempt to break the organization, the Soviets only helped the Truth spread to remote places!

 

I call this "The Balaam Effect" -- turning curses into blessings!

 

 

 

Edited September 11, 2016 by Bob

[Bob]

On ‎9‎/‎3‎/‎2016 at 7:50 AM, bohemian said:

As the newspaper reprinted the article in full, they gave a wider distribution to it that would otherwise have been the case.  That can't be a bad thing.

Sorry I did not read this, but I basically restated what you said!

 

I guess we agree.

[MizPeg]

Due to our imperfections we all are subject to failings. We all have to put up the strong fight to keep Jehovah's Way!

As humans we all have to fight these inborn feelings, and measure them up against the Word's standards. We know how Jehovah feels about marriage, as He instituted the marriage act. It is holy, and therefore inviolate.

[MizPeg]

Went back, re- read the article, and picked up another thought.  It is a myth that LGBT people cannot be of faith? Don't recall reading that in the Bible, have you?

[ChocoBro]

Quote

It also compares gay people to animals

Actually, it doesn't do that at all, it actually contrasts human beings, such as gay human beings, to animals. *yawn*

 

Moving on now.

[Brother_Bliss]

 

Quote

(Article): It also compares gay people to animals, but says "unlike animals, they can choose not to act on their impulses".

 

Lol! No it doesn't. It's disgusting how they will distort the information and put words in our mouths.

 

Quote

(Article): "But when people actively seek you out to force their beliefs upon you and tell you that what you are doing is wrong then that does upset me.

 

Jehovah's Witnesses do not force their beliefs on people. We do not even tell you what you are doing is wrong. In fact, we'll usually gloss over every thing you say that we disagree with and just talk about the things we agree with to keep the conversation going.

 

Quote

(Article):  "They have encroached on my life by forcing their literature into my home and belittled my relationship and my life."

 

Forced? They willingly accepted a copy of the journal. The article itself said "While Jehovah's Witnesses uphold the moral code set forth in the Bible, they do not force their views on others."

 

Quote

(Article): But Matt Horwood, senior communications officer for national LGBT charity Stonewall called the leaflet "damaging vitriol". 

 

Look up the word vitriol in a dictionary. The article made several clear statement against "damaging  vitriol".

 

Quote

 

(Article):  "Stonewall will continue its work with faith communities to ensure that all LGBT people are accepted without exception in their place of worship and within their own faith communities."

 

 

And as the article clearly said, people who struggle with such tendencies are more than welcome among us, just as they were in bible times.

 

[Bob]

11 minutes ago, Dismal_Bliss said:

 

 

Lol! No it doesn't. It's disgusting how they will distort the information and put words in our mouths.

 

 

Jehovah's Witnesses do not force their beliefs on people. We do not even tell you what you are doing is wrong. In fact, we'll usually gloss over every thing you say that we disagree with and just talk about the things we agree with to keep the conversation going.

 

 

Forced? They willingly accepted a copy of the journal. The article itself said "While Jehovah's Witnesses uphold the moral code set forth in the Bible, they do not force their views on others."

 

 

Look up the word vitriol in a dictionary. The article made several clear statement against "damaging  vitriol".

 

 

And as the article clearly said, people who struggle with such tendencies are more than welcome among us, just as they were in bible times.

 

How DARE you bring intellectual honestly into this discussion!

[Daniel244]

Quote

 

Stonewall will continue its work with faith communities to ensure that all LGBT people are accepted without exception in their place of worship and within their own faith communities

 

The time will come when we will be strongly attacked by the LGBT community, even sent to trial because we expel from the congregation people practicing porneia, specially "men and women who submit to homosexual acts, men and women who practice homosexuality" (1 Cor 6:9) .

 

"Now we know that the Law is fine if one applies it properly, recognizing that law is made, not for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, ungodly and sinners, disloyal and profane, murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, manslayer, sexually immoral people, men who practice homosexuality, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and everything else that is in opposition to the wholesome teaching. 1 Tim 1:8-10".