JW's Discussing Sex In Front Of Children. Is This Right?

Wow, I would have to say no. I feel that anything to do with sex should be left up to the parents to explain. I would imagine that if taken before a sympathetic school counselor that quite a bit of trouble could be made for the elders of any congregation who took it upon themselves to read what could be considered abusive language to a child or where a child could hear it.

I am referring to the Watchtower Article that was studied on February 15, 2009, paragraph 10 in particular. Here is an excerpt:

"We also need to be obedient when dealing with members of the opposite sex. We know that God's Word forbids fornication. However, it is easy to let an obedient spirit lapse into a permissive one. For instance, some youths have engaged in oral or anal sex or mutual masturbation, rationalizing that these acts are not so bad because they think they are technically not "having sex." Such youths forget-or may choose to ignore-that the Bible word for fornication includes all those practices, wrong conduct for which one might be disfellowshipped."

As far as the excerpt, I find fault with some of the material it covers. I feel the wbts has gone beyond what is written when discussing mutual masturbation . Nowhere in the Bible is masturbation condemned, mutual or otherwise. In fact applying it to fit the porneia definition is just plain silly. Porneia / fornication have a varying range of applications, but I could find no concordance outside of the wbts that mentions masturbation as linked with porneia. The society is dictating its own rules and laws here and has clearly gone beyond what is in the Bible with that application at least.

If I was still attending their meetings and had a young child I would consider running this by child services to see if they broke any decency laws by presenting this information in front of the kids.

References:

American Heritage Dictionary defines Fornication as Sexual intercourse between partners who are not married to each other.

Strong's G4202 - porneia:

1) Illicit sexual intercourse
a) Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.
b) Sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18
c) Sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11, 12
2) metaph. the worship of idols
a) Of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols

The New Testament Greek Lexicon Definition:

• Illicit sexual intercourse
• Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.
• Sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18
• Sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11,
• Metaph. the worship of idols
• Of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols

Is God Using The Watchtower Society?

One of the most highly promulgated of the Watchtower Society's teachings is that in order to be acceptable to God Jehovah you MUST be baptized into His organization.

Here are some quotes from their literature:

"PUT FAITH in a VICTORIOUS ORGANIZATION" - The Watchtower, March 1, 1979 p. 1


"Any person who wants to survive into God's righteous new order urgently needs to come into a right relationship with Jehovah and His earthly organization now." - The Watchtower, November 15, 1981 pp. 16, 17

"... come to Jehovah's organization for salvation ..." - The Watchtower, November 15, 1981 p. 21

"A third requirement is that we be associated with God's channel, his organization. God has always used an organization. ... To receive everlasting life in the earthly Paradise we must identify that organization and serve God as part of it." - The Watchtower, February 15, 1983 p. 12

"identifying themselves with Jehovah's organization is essential to their salvation." - Our kingdom Ministry, November. 1990 p. 1

They claim that Jehovah has ALWAYS used an organization and that they are the modern day incarnation of that organization. But is this claim true? Is the WBTS really God's Organization?

In short there is no evidence of any kind. Especially lacking is any Biblical evidence that the Watchtower is any sort of organization being used by God. The time-line of the Watchtower Society goes back to the mid 19th century and no further back.

While they claim apostolic succession dating back to the First Century, there are no names to be found of anyone who passed the proverbial torch to C.T. Russell, the WBTS founder and first president. In fact, if God Jehovah were actually using an age-old organization to direct His works here on Earth, C.T. Russell either abandoned it or completely disregarded it in favor of starting his own organization.