I really think those in the Writing Dept. should be checked over for Dementia or just plain insanity. Here are some highlights from the April 15th WT magazine that I thought you'd enjoy:
Page 14: Take, for example, the decision a young man might face in choosing his hairstyle. No bible command specifically condemns a certain hairdo...........[but] the young man can ask himself, 'Will my hairstyle reflect the modesty that befits a Christian?' (wow! you mean the WTS has nothing else to worry about than what hairstyles young men are wearing?) Page 16: (this is hilarious): "...Suppose you were thinking of accepting a job. Perhaps there is nothing immoral or inappropriate about the nature of the work. You will be able to attend Christian meetings and conventions. They paycheck will be more than you ever expected. The employer values your skill very highly and wants to use you to the fullest......Should anything hold you back from accepting the offer? Well, what if you foresee the possibility of your falling in love with the work. (yes, you read that right). You are told that you would not be forced to work overtime. But to finish a project, would you be willing to push yourself more than you should? Might such overtime become frequent? Could that take you away from your family and eventually from spiritual activities that you definitely should not miss? Page 22: "...Frankly, how much emphasis do I put on my home and its decoraton? What about arranging for extra education to advance a career, though doing that would take up considerable time for a number of years, crowding out important aspects of my spiritual life?.." Page 27: "...Do you not agree that to continue enjoying divine blesings, we must resist seeking things for ourselves at the expense of Jehovah's worship? (no, not really). That is so whether the activity or interest diverting our attention is the pursuit of wealth, get rich quick schemes, ambitious plans for advanced education to have a desirable career in this sytem or programs for personal fulfillment. (no, I'd much rather have a job where I can say "you want fries with that?). Page 28: "...[these things mentioned above] are "dead works"......they are spiritually dead, vain and fruitless. If one persists in them, such works could lead to spiritual death. It happened to some anointed Christians in the apostles' day. It has happened to some in our time. You may know of some who were gradually distracted from Christian activities and from the congregation; now they show no inclination to return to Jehovah's service." (gee, anyone here that that applies to?)
Yep....they're trying harder than ever to squash out anything, whether education, a job or a freaking haircut, that doesn't go along with their narrow view of "worship". I'm wondering if they're doing this because so many have finally said 'screw this---my kids need a good education' or '...I want to re-decorate my home like Martha Stewart...' It's incredible considering that the only people they want at Bethel now are ones that have post-secondary education. I know of one sister who was specifically told that they couldn't use her because she "has no formal training in anything" except scrubbing toilets.
I say it's too late. I don't think the majority of the R&F will pay the slightest bit of attention to articles like these. Even though they may believe this is still "the Truth", they also can see what happens to people who don't have an education, who don't have a decent paying job with benefits and they want better than that for their kids.
I wonder how much longer they're going to drone on about the evils of higher education and 'falling in love with your job'..........