If it isn't bad enough to be gay then try to be gay and be a jehovah's witness. Although the general tolerance of homosexuals has gone up in recent years, the attitude of many in todays congregations has stayed the same as before. Unlike other sins which can be forgiven and forgotten, homosexuality seems to be something to look out for and the admitted homosexual is never seen the same way as the heterosexual again. No wonder some of us in the "truth" tend to hide our real sexual desires and usually explain them as a lack of interest in sex or no desire to marry. We almost have to lie about our real feelings.

So what can we do about these feelings? One of the first things that we can do is to deny that they exist. It is common for one to say " It is only a phase" or "I just have not found the right woman yet". While it is true in some cases, the majority of the others just continue to feel an attraction to the same sex anyway. The true homosexual can only hope to suppress the bad feelings by distraction. Taking up a hobby, putting more time in at school or work, or the society's favorite: devote more time to kingdom interests. You can only hope that you do not see an attractive member or the same sex in front of you with tight clothes or hardly any at all because that would ruin the distraction technique temporarily.

CAN THERE BE A GAY JEHOVAH'S WITNESS?

This is a question I have often asked myself. To find the answer it is necessary to define the terms "gay" and "Jehovah's Witness". The term gay is used to describe the sexual orientation of a person the same way as straight is used to define the "straight" person. A few individuals define "gay" to be a sexually active homosexual- especially a male. However I use the definition from many dictionaries shown here in summation:

GAY------------- a homosexual.
HOMOSEXUAL----- having to do with or manifesting sexual feelings for one of the same sex; homoerotic.

Notice that nowhere in the definition does it mention sexual activity and/or intercourse. This is why I refer to the word "gay" as describing the person with sexual attraction to the same sex regardless of sexual experiences.

The official policy of the Society is to disfellowship practicing homosexuals. However it is not thir practice to remove someone for being homosexual and celibate. This is why some choose to suppress their homosexual urges and remain in the organization. These ones usually do not tell others about there feelings for fear of being marked as one to avoid. There have been cases of individuals telling the elders their feelings to get help only to have the confidential matter leak out and become common knowlege in the congregation (or circuit) to the detriment of the individual's reputation. No wonder so many of us struggle alone with our feelings.

Sooner or later the homosexual desires become too strong to ignore. This is when the all-out attack is necessary. An intense program of personal study, field service, and meeting participation along with prayer is developed to fight the cravings for flesh. If the homosexual has some heterosexual feelings he can try to develop these into amorous feelings to the opposite sex. Sometimes getting married is the method used to " straighten out" the homosexual drive. In the hands of the wrong person this is a recipe for disaster. Otherwise, if the homosexual cannot be aroused by the woman, he cannot "pay the wife her due" and would be violating this principle if this is what the mate wants. This is also true if the homosexual is the wife. Maybe if they are both homosexual they can just be good friends and develop love for each other without sex. This could be a very fine arrangement as long as neither has adulterous affairs on the side.

A minority of us, who believe the bible to be true, choose to not participate in sexual relations but to remain celibate. Our best hope is to be "cured" of the mental defect that makes us different. We try to identify when and where our life took a wrong turn. For many of us it started in puberty, for some it was much sooner. Unless we meet another homosexual who is similarly moral and physically attractive (almost impossible) we are in little danger of commiting a sin in this regard. For those of us with less experience in life or those with lower standards, the danger is greater and it is necessary to avoid gay people as much as possible. Just suppress those "bad feelings" and try to get them out of the mind completely.