Posted by another answer on November 14, 2006 at 14:37:27
In Reply to: Really? posted by Commentator on November 14, 2006 at 10:08:22:
You may want to read "Ban the Bomb" (ML1434) to refresh your memory, but here's a quote for your easy reference:
42. "LET'S BAN THE BUMS & THE BUGS & THE BOMB OF SEXUAL DISEASES BY KEEPING OUR SEX AT HOME! Have fun, but at home, or at your Area Fellowship with your own Home Members! Don't take a chance of getting it or giving it to somebody else!--And if your Fellowship won't observe this rule & insists on going hogwild in sexual orgies, then just refuse to go to the Fellowship & report such violations to higher authorities in the Family so that we can put a stop to them or excommunicate them to excommunicate their communicable diseases!"
I don't know what things were like where you lived, but where I lived, when a MO letter came out that specifically condemned/commanded something, that became the law. The reason that pedophilia was not universally practiced was because there had never been a MO Letter that specifically commanded member to engage in this type of behavior. And since this happens to be one of those internal, secret directives, it was not and cannot be considered PR spin. That you would find in publications with a GP designation (at that time.) If inter-home sex did continue, then those involved were breaking the rules. There was no inter-home sex going on my area, and I was well aware that this was a rule that was being followed. The last NAFM I attended in 1989 was a wholly sexless event, and there wasn't even the requisite "Glorify God in the Dance", formerly a NAFM staple.
Like I said before, what continued to go on within the Homes is another matter altogether. I have no doubt that come-union orgies took place, and maybe even frequently. But what I inferred from the OP's post was that he was inquiring about current sacraments/rituals, sans sensationalism, so I answered accordingly. Also, since this is the academic/research board, I felt a detached tone to be in order.
TF's beliefs concerning sex have never changed, except for adult/child sexual contact which was officially pronounced sin in '95. But to the extent that it is practiced, that does change and has changed, and this change began during the latter 80s, albeit gradually. By July, 1991, "QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ON SEX, FREEDOMS & RELATIONSHIPS!" ML2718, (DO designation) was published. The following quote sums this up quite succinctly:
"Because many of our previous sexual liberties have been curbed, & the reasons for these changes have not been fully understood by everyone, it's been easy for some folks to draw the wrong conclusions about why these changes have occurred.
2. Since we no longer practice all of the freedoms today that we did during the period immediately following the RNR, some have wondered if perhaps there was something wrong with our past liberties."
The scars of the persecution and raids of the early 90s still run deep and has resulted in the reluctance of most family members to return to the idiocy of the past, irregardless of what comes out in the GNs.