Please don't take offence at this ...

by Joe Grundy 74 Replies latest jw friends

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  Joe Grundy

  I'm not a JW, never have been, and in no danger of becoming one.

  Having read several of the WT mags and publications (and many more extracts on this and other sites) they come across to me as being very patronising in tone and full of pseudo-scholarship, misquoted (or unnamed) sources, references taken out of context, mis-translations, etc. I'm aware of JW 'teaching' on the subject of higher education for its members (i.e. not a good or necessary thing) so I can understand why many JWs raised in it may not challenge the publications. (Obviously from what I have seen here and elsewhere, many do, and a good thing too!).

  My question is this: in all the door-to-door canvassing and 'bible studies' do JWs attract what might be called 'academics' or professional types who have had a high level of education? Or do 'these types of people' see through it at the start? And do JW congregations contain any of these 'types'? (Sorry to generalise about types of people, but I hope you can see what I'm trying to say).
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  Satanus

  The wt does get the odd one, but those types are highly immune to wt psuedo intellectualism. There was a thread on exactly this subject, some time ago. I believe it was started by scully.

  S
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  snarf

  One of the women that studied with me had a degree in political science, but she obtained that degree before studying with the witnesses. She married a guy who was disfellowshipped at the time and later was "converted" to understand her husband more. She is now a realestate agent, has been for about 15 years. That is the only one though. All the other ones I knew were either homeschooled, or had no education after the 12th grade.
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  lovelylil

  Hi Joe,

  thats a good question you brought up. I for one was educated prior to being a witness (BA Business Management) and I did see problems in the literature right from the beginning. The elder I studied with down played those issues and told me it was not necessary to believe everything in the magazines. This changed drastically once I got baptized though and it became even more difficult to stay or to even hand out this nonsense at the doors.

  It is my personal experience that some do come in educated, but do not stay long term. Those who become "lifers" are usually from less educated backgrounds.

  Most of the people that accepted studies from me, were of the high school education level, but some below that.

  I hope this helps, this is my experince. I know the WT likes to keep you uneducated so there is something to your observations.

  Have a good day Joe, by the way that is my son's name too (and was my dads) . And I never met a Joe I did not like.
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  dido

  In my experience, the majority of jw`s are very intelligent, and i would say that it attracts intelligent thinking people on the whole, other reasons they came in is because they could be lonely or needy.
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  Satanus

  Here is the address for that thread. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/94163/1.ashx

  S
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  Lady Lee

  In my 22 years as a JW I don't think I met one person who was college educated. My husband was in college when he met the JWs and dropped out after his first sememster to become a JW.

  I also knew 2 young men in our cong who as active JWs went to college but I know one was considered weak and was eventually disfellowshipped (DFed) and the other was always considered weak or different.

  I have heard that there are some educated people who became JWs and I have to wonder what happened to their critical thinking abilities.

  However there are many ex-JWs who go to college after they left and are really glad they did.
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  looking_glass

  Joe - I knew/know a lot of JWs that have degrees, some have PH.D's. So it just depends.
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  Kero-kero

  There are a lot of clever people among the JW's. I read once an article about a Biologist (I think he was a biologist) that became a JW. He became interested in the possiblity of a God through his research.

  I actually do know of JW's that went to university and have degrees and PHDs...etc.

  I think we oaught to be careful and not say things like JW's are stupid and uneducated. They are just mislead...we have all been mislead and sometime in our lives.
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  mouthy

  other reasons they came in is because they could be lonely or needy.

  I dont think intelligence has much to do with it. I truly believe that when the JW knocks on the door of a depressed,saddened by a loss or ,just deserted, found out they have a terminal illness .or in great trouble it is a drowning mans life safer, It gives them HOPE!! Then because they are LOVE Bombed when they most need it. They are slowly & deeply under mind control...just my two cents!!!