Re: Witness Youth and Education

by Inquisitor 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Inquisitor

  The WTS would prefer to believe they possess a balanced view of education. "no hard-and-fast rules should be made either for or against extra education" w92 11/1 p.15

  It has even acknowledged that college education may be necessary in certain job markets today. And the WTS has very generously suggested that decisions on education are of a personal nature. No one should judge a Christian's decision in this regard.

  My question then is: If the WTS and the brotherhood of Witnesses do not judge college-going Witness youths, why have the latter been completely side-lined at talks, demonstrations, experience-sharing? I have never once heard a speaker make a peep about their efforts to stay loyal to the organization. Surely these youths also juggle studies with their christian activities.

  Talks tell the elderly, the sick, the kids, the servants, the sisters, the school-going youths, the pioneers, there are talks to re-assure each of them that God will not forget their works and sacrifices.

  College youths? They are only mentioned in passing, in talks about education, and that only as a DISCLAIMER!!!

  I have never seen a college youth step up to a microphone and tell the audience that it IS possible to go to college AND be a good WITNESS.. followed by the famous "I have no regrets" line.

  If one chooses to 'glamorize' the ONE career option for youths and not even ACKNOWLEDGE the other at ALL meetings, assemblies and conventions, can it be genuinely said one is unbiased towards college education?

  If our retort is that meetings and assemblies must encourage youths to put God's Kingdom interests first, then are we saying that: 1) College going youths do not? 2) College youths do not EVEN if they try keeping up with a spiritual routine, hence their efforts are negligible?

  My challenge to any witness out there is this:

  Prove to me the WTS is genuinely concerned about college youths! Prove to me we have not in recent years "embraced" supplementary education only as a ploy to avert criticisms that JW's are against further studies!

  If one cannot prove with deeds, save the rhetoric. Was it not once said "Religion is a Snare and a Racket"?
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  Periodic Bedlam

  Prove to me the WTS is genuinely concerned about college youths!

  They are "genuinely concerned" about college youths if those youths pioneer and can come to bethel and give free labor as doctors, dentists, physical therapists, nurses, lawyers, engineers, etc....

  ...but keep those college classes a secret...you'll never see a youth on an assembly part expressing how he or she is pioneering and attending college in order to go to Bethel (one of the only ways a single sister can make it to Bethel & I have known sisters who did just that and are at Bethel)...

  ...the borg unspoken view is that only the "spiritual super-heros" can handle college and spirituality at the same time but that can't be revealed to the "regular" JW youth cuz we all know what would happen then....
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  Soledad

  No doubt, the WT doesn't really encourage teens to go to college, and the ones that are in college are basically invisible.

  I know while I was in college I was completely ignored.
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  Frogleg

  Inquisitor,

  You are absolutely correct. However, to the person considering higher education yet fearing the WTS reaction, ask them to show you FROM THE BIBLE where it says that you shouldn't educate yourself. No fair quoting the GB, elder Dickwad, or some magazine or book. They claim all authority is from the Bible, okay, then if it don't specifically say 'no', then it must mean 'yes'.

  Or is that too simple?
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  Narkissos

  The WT cannot officially praise both those that leave high school to work part time and pioneer and those who go to college and become successful professionals: how would the former feel about it?

  However I think many JW parents and/or elders privately recommend college and career to the youth they really care for, and secretly look down upon those who are silly enough to take official exhortations at face value.
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  Dune

  So true @ what all of you are saying.
  
  I am currently in college and i'm basically ignored by everyone in the congregation. I'm from a single parent family and my legal guardian hasnt been doing well spiritually lately so i never was surprised at the whole cold turkey thing but, I think its kinda funny because I read the watchtower (doing it today, lol), go out on saturday and sundays, do the mic/attendant work and recently had a part in the special day assembly. But its kind of like everyone forgets about those things or completely ignores my efforts and it sometimes feels like you are being taken for granted.
  
  And if i thought it was bad now, next week the watchtower article is about college so i'm bracing myself for witty and sarcastic comments about what i'm doing with my life.
  
  Personally i really dont care what anyone says. If there is one thing that i've learned in the 10 years that i've been a witness (yeah, i had a preteen baptism). Its that when the going gets tough, the brothers and sisters will NOT be around to help you. I've seen elderly folk have have to beg for rides to the kingdom hall, and seeing brothers tired as hell trying to get to the meetings where they are scolded for missing one or two because they have to work overtime to support themselves.
  
  My biggest problem is that i really feel like telling them off when they ask me why i'm not going to bethel and all that other crap, cause i'm pretty sure that if i told them how i felt i'd be soon labeled an apostate and as of now i'm not ready to leave. But i guess saying all this is a great outlet for my feelings
  
  ~Dune
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  Inquisitor

  I'm well aware the WTS does not encourage its youths to go to college. I was referring to their claims that these youths will be treated with respect and not prejudice. I'm referring to the claims that the WTS and JW's as a whole are not enemies of college education. Did they not make these claims in publications of the 90's?

  I'm asking any fellow witness to justify the WTS treatment of college youths in light of these claims. We needn't talk about praising these youths, no! Far from it! lol Let's start with merely acknowledging them!

  My issue is not with WHO the WTS DOES PRAISE. I'm talking about acknowledging the presence of college youths in God's household... yes just a little bit of recognition... no need to dig deep for a praise.... where's the aknowledgement? As i have said before every other type of witness gets acknowledged, not necessarily praised, acknowledged... for their efforts in christian service, for sticking to high moral codes.

  Why then are college youths side-lined as if they have committed a sin? If they haven't, why the silence? Is college a dirty word? Why must further education be whispered about if it is not wrong? So has there actually been a change in Witness practice or is the "new policy" merely lip service?

  What is said in our publications doesn't seem to match what is practised in the Halls. Should we make this known to our householders/ RVs/ Bible studies? Or shall we spring this surprise on them after they emerge from the baptism pool??

  INQ
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  luna2

  However I think many JW parents and/or elders privately recommend college and career to the youth they really care for, and secretly look down upon those who are silly enough to take official exhortations at face value.

  So true. My boys both got a chance at college because my ex paid for it and I didn't oppose it. However, I didn't especially encourage it either....something I regret deeply now. Both had trouble settling in, picking a major and working hard at their studies. I think that if I'd been prepping them for college and discussing it with them as they were growing up, they'd have had better attitudes and been more prepared. It was like I was afraid to seem too in favor of a college education, not wanting to be disloyal to the WTS. As I got more and more fed up with being a JW, I noticed that there a two standards...many of the 'friends" with money were quietly sending their kids to college and weren't letting the WTS dictate their children's futures. Those that couldn't afford it, made a big show of how spiritual they were and pushed their kids hard to pioneer after highschool.

  When I first came into the cult, post-highschool education was very much frowned upon. We had several kids in our congo in college. There was a university in our town so we had several kids from other areas who were trying to be good dubs while still going to school. I know they weren't really welcomed very warmly, and there seemed to be an awful lot of talks and comments about how selfish and dangerous going to college was.

  The college-hate eased up in the 90's, but it appears the WTS is entering into another period of higher education bashing. They sure have trouble making up their tiny minds down there in Bethel.
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  Dune

  Totally agree with luna. However, I pretty much have to pay for college myself. I think that i was never given trouble from my witness parent because my family was always into education.
  But yeah, i'm trying to think of a way to skip the meeting next sunday so i can avoid the bashing.
  and to answer the question. I've never been commended outright about my decision to go to college. But i think its amusing that out of all the kids in my congregation that pioneered when they were my age, only one was never disfellowshipped or judicially reproved. This is out of 9 kids, eight of which were children of elders.
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  Inquisitor

  
  Dear bedlam

  Good point! College educated witnesses seem to emerge from their social banishment AFTER they graduate. One needn't look as far as Bethel, even in the local cong, everyone will have a quick smile to offer you ... idle chatter quickly followed with a tale of a back problem or of a computer programme that needs fixing etc.

  It's nice to know that the "ice age" is not permanent. That is... if the witness youth has been patient enough not to be by the double standards.

  It is tragic that one should need to pioneer in ADDITION to college study to be a source of encouragement.

  Is college life alone too easy and boring in the eyes of Jehovah's Witnesses? The elderly, the sick, the little children, the servants, did they have to pioneer to be models of christian living? Is it not their struggle that makes them admirable? Again i ask fellow Witnesses, are we under the delusion that college youths have no need to struggle?

  INQ