Think about it.
In the mid 1990s the WTBTS backed-off just a little bit on its stance about higher education publically while it was still discouraged unofficially. Now, all of a sudden they are publically clamping back down. And coincidentally they are clamping back down just as Ben Schroeder was entering his final year or years at Columbia Law School. Now is it really coincidental that they loosened their stance about the time he sought to get his education? Is it also coincidental that they are clamping down now that he is finishing up? I don't recall seeing that aspect of the topic explored here. And I don't think it is all that coincidental at all though I can't prove it.
What burns me up about the whole affair is not that Ben got his education. Rather it is that he may have done so on my dime (my contributions to the worldwide work), with the Governing Body's blessing by means of relaxation of the policy during his schooling so his father wouldn't look like a hypocrite, while I was being harrassed by the local BOE for trying to get mine.
I just want to spit nails!!
Forscher
Could we have stumbled onto the reason behind the higher education thing ?
by Forscher 37 Replies latest jw friends
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Forscher
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chipa
mm interesting theory.. I wouldnt put it past them...
Kinda like , (well not really, but sort of), politicians here in Australia, trying to debolish free education and putting ridiculous fees for University Studies, when the reason they are politicians now is because they got a 'Free' education at a university level..
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A Paduan
Could we have stumbled onto the reason behind the higher education thing
I thought stumbling Was the reason behind the education thing
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jgnat
I think it far more likely that the WTBTS is clamping down because the YOUTH ARE NOT COMING BACK. It seems they've always expected a fair number of youth to leave. After they'd sowed their wild oats and settled down however, most would come back to raise their children and perpetuate the cycle.
BUT NOW. Not so many are coming back. The WTBTS is blaming higher education.
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MinisterAmos
JGNAT
That would be in contrast to Jews and Mormons who remain two of the best educated religious groups. Their kids leave, and they are exposed to other views but stay faithful (more often than the Dubz) That is because the other members are educated as well, and the kids "fit in"
Even when I was serious I considered the majority of Dubz as rather "slow" if you know what I mean. They always had trouble keeping up mentally and never seemed to get the point of the discussion.
Kids go to university and meet people who speak using euphamisms and satire and thay are just captivated because it takes more intelligence and wit to speak that way. They are amazed because it's new and exciting rather than the same old "new system" "old system" crap.
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XBEHERE
Even when I was serious I considered the majority of Dubz as rather "slow" if you know what I mean. They always had trouble keeping up mentally and never seemed to get the point of the discussion.
Speak for yourself bro.... and don't generalize.
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schne_belly
Even when I was serious I considered the majority of Dubz as rather "slow" if you know what I mean. They always had trouble keeping up mentally and never seemed to get the point of the discussion.
Speak for yourself bro.... and don't generalize. Ya - I hate people who generalize!!! Seriously though - JGNAT is correct. The youth are leaving in droves.
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Mary
I can't really see that the policy on higher education revolved around one individual. I think the problem is that when you go to university, it takes up a great amount of your time. For every hour you spend in class, be prepared to do about 3 hours worth of research/homework. If you're taking a full course load (5 courses per semester) and each class is 3 hours each; you're looking at a minimum of 45 hours a week that cuts into meeting and service time.
As we all know, meeting attendance and knocking on doors is the center of the Dubdumb universe, but if you're going to university, it's virtually impossible to make all the meetings because there simply isn't enough hours in the day to do both. To the Borg, the stats are bad enough and if they don't clamp down on kids getting a university education, then there's going to be fewer and fewer at the meetings and more falling away.
And then there's the obvious reason why they don't like higher education: university teaches a person to be an "independent thinker"----the Organization's biggest bugaboo. If a youngster starts to think outside the WT bowl, then they just might start to question the doctrines and why salvation seems to be dependent on works instead of faith. Then you have the local elders who sneer at anyone pursuing higher education (SickofLies is an excellent example) and tell them how "knowledge puffs up" and how "prideful" they've become. With absolutely no encouragment or congradulations coming from what's supposed to be a young person's network of support, it's no surprise that most of the youth are saying "screw this then---I'm out of here."
The reason the Mormons and Jewish youth remain with their faith (to a great degree), is because they're not being hounded about meeting attendence and knocking on doors. Their families and leaders realize the time involved in getting a degree and far from hounding them and putting them down, they actually encourage their youth and praise them for their efforts. So it's no surprise that once they're done university and have a good job, that they continue on with their faith and continue to support it both spiritually and financially.
If the WTS weren't so damn negative about higher education and if they didn't demand the R&F's body and soul, they'd probably find that many of the youth would not be abandoning ship. But of course, the Governing Body never stops to think "...Gee, maybe we're asking too much from the flock and need to be more supportive and less critical..." No, the blame is ALWAYS with the individual who's trying to better their life.
They just don't get it.
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jgnat
Or, how about the straight-A JW youth who is ambivalent about their educational future, frustrating their teachers? They get a speaking part at the next DC before "settling" for a midrange job. I think THESE young JW's are far more disturbed than the simple ones.
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looking_glass
Wouldn't it be ironic, if Ben passed the bar and then turned around and left the org. If he said to the powers that be ... Hey thanks for the free tuition, but I really cannot stand this religion. Gotta go. Bye.
Although it would be disturbing that the worker bees paid for his schooling (if in fact that is the case) and then he left. Talk about a slap in the face to the WTBTS.