Jehovah's Witnesses are the most utterly stupid people I've ever known.
and their answer to this would be
Jehovah uses them...to confound the wise?
Could we have stumbled onto the reason behind the higher education thing ?
by Forscher 37 Replies latest jw friends
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tula
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diamondblue1974
My view is that Higher Education is frowned upon because more Universities these days are running seperate courses on critical thinking and critical learning as part of degree programs. Quite right too because these skills are extremely important academically as well occupationally.
The WTBTS cannot risk their members being critical of their doctrines or motives for that matter and they see a real risk and have no doubt seen the correlation between those that have had a higher education and those that have left shortly afterwards. Also too, those that are lucky enough to secure employment afterward are in roles whereby they can achieve a sense of self worth (if they are again lucky) and I think the society have a vested interest in keeping people 'small'.
People without education are less likely to question and to think about what bullshit is being spoonfed to them - those without decent careers are also not empowered to achieve outside the society and so maybe more likely to cling to any bit of acceptance or responsibility they can muster. They therefore entrench themselves socially within the society and the money flow is maintained.
The WTBTS are not stupid - they have been in the business of running cults a long time - they know their markets well!
G
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Gill
I concur with the JWs being 'stupid'.
But I believe the stupidity is not necessarily lack of ability, but fear induced mental block.
I'll tell you about me. I left school at the age of 18 with 10 'O' levels and three 'A' levels, but my mother and father would not allow any furthur training or education. Now, throughout school I had been at the top of the class in almost everything, (never was a brilliant mathematician but ...ah well).
I was a really good artist, and when my art teacher, when I was 14 found out that i was not 'allowed' to carry on taking art, but had to do needlework which I was rubbish at, because my parents thought art was a waste of time and I would need to sew in 'da noo system'. he was very angry with them. They thought him stupid and deserving of his imminent destruction at Armageddon!
Anyway, back to the being 18 and finally leaving school in total despair and no hope as I still had no job training! I was stupid in that I was unable to understand the lies of the WTBTS and gave in to my parents badgering that I only needed to do cleaning work as Armageddon was coming soon!!
There I was at 19, married and heavily pregnant and scrubbing the toilets of the college I had out performed so many in!
I ran into my Biology teacher. 'What the Hell are you doing here!!?' I explained my predicament. His last words to me were , 'I'm so sorry! What a terrible waste!'
And you know what I thought? 'Poor Mr Woods! He doesn't know that he's going to die soon at Armageddon!'
So yes!!! Jehovah's Witnesses are so riddled with fear from their teachings that the fear paralyses their thinking ability and they become stupid!!
Here I am now, in my early forties. What do I have to show for it except for multiple nervous breakdowns for the last thirty years apparantly all caused by the mental anxiety of being a JW? Not very much!
And yet, life has been an education in itself!
The only things I actually have in life, are the things that really matter, lots of love from my immeadiate family and the ability to reciprocate it!
What could have been makes me very sad, but I have to say, my own stupidity, fear, and lack of clear thinking because of the Watchtower was the absolute cause of my demise!
Yes, JWs are stupid as are most people who are mentally trapped in Cults!
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diamondblue1974
What do I have to show for it except for multiple nervous breakdowns for the last thirty years apparantly all caused by the mental anxiety of being a JW? Not very much!
((Hugs))
G
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Tyrone van leyen
I would say that a large percentage, to put it more accurately are developmentally handicapped by their parents and the rules of the org. It is the structure itself that is creating the stupidity, or shall we say lazy minds. The org' does all the thinking for you. They give you the same info over and over again. That is learning by rote. Curiosity is shut down the minute you ask the wrong questions.
For someone to enter this enviornment of their own accord, I would have to say that they have fallen into a trap into which their desire for love is overidden by the desire for knowledge. Once you have these bad learning habits your done.
The matter of medicated witnesses who appear slow is another story altogether. It's just another way the society has damaged the capacity for individuals to find peace within themselves and reach a higher level of self and understanding.
The most amazing mystery to me is that my father was university educated before he became a witness, and has remained a witnes now for over 40 years, despite seeing the damage it did to his family and all the arguments presented to him. I will never ever understand this. I can tell you one thing though, for an educated person to enter such an enviornment, the opportunity for control and power over others must be mouthwatering. He actually let these fools control him. UN FREAKIN BELEIVABLE!
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Gill
Gary - Thanks for the hugs. Life is on track again....finally but I've still progressed very little from age 19, at least financially.
At 19, I had £72 in the bank. At 43, I have £ 41 in the bank!
My dear husband says that everything that is his is mine also, but it just doesn't feel like that. I think some of us allow, unwittingly, the WTBTS and our family's and our family's fears, to destroy us when we are younger and have few encumberances in life and our greatest potential!
The real 'Beauty' of HIgher Education is that it liberates the mind, and with that liberation comes the liberation of the soul. The Watchtower has mainly, throughout its history downgraded the educated people of this world while benefiting from their knowledge. Ben Shroeder is just another interesting example of a JW who the WT has needed to have an education. BUT, I suspect that his mind is already so imprisoned by the WT teachings that even though he has the 'freedoms' that education gives, his wings have been clipped back so severely that this bird will never fly!
How very sad!
Tyrone - There are not that many well educated people in the bOrg but there are a few. Whether these 'few' have issues and problems that make them want the 'easy answers' that the WTBTS claims to provide may well be the reason your father was attracted to the bOrg's teachings. I also believe a lot of JWs have an issue with inferiority and like looking down their noses at those who are not JWs, believing that they actually know something 'superior' to everyone else!
As they say, 'Pride comes before a fall!'
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wha happened?
My wife and sister in law both sought higher education and received their fair share of flak over i. The grew up in poverty and really the only way of breaking that was (A) Marry a rich brother, or (B) Get an education. They chose (B). My sister in law decided to complete her Masters and guess what, the education busters are on her. Of course they all received higher education as they came from well to do families but they poo poo others wanting to do the same. I mentioned to her that next time they try to talk her out of pursuing her goal she should hand them her bills and tell them to pay those for her since they want to stifle her ability to do so on her own.
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greendawn
I remember back in 1980 the dubs gave some heavy sounding anti university education talks and I thought at the time this has to be manipulation for some unrevealed self serving reason the FDS doesn't want young dubs to be educated. And they use the usual manipulation, the end is so near, serving jehovah is far better, there is a risk of losing one's spirituality in the godless and uninhibited student environment etc
The real reason is that most educated people will no longer believe the
nonsense they serve out and will leave their org. They fear antagonism to their authority.