Please don't take offence at this ...

by Joe Grundy 74 Replies latest jw friends

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  dido

  Kudra, it proves that they must believe in god.
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  Joe Grundy

  Dido, I was asking about education level rather than intelligence. I'm sure, of course, that there are many many intelligent JWs.
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  looking_glass

  
  But why would be it hard to believe that there would be doctors or professors that are JWs. There are educated people of all religions, even fundamentalist ones. Don't you think that some people just go on faith and not on their religion's doctrinal theories. I believe my mother is an intelligent woman, when she does not understand something or agree with it, she says "well some day Jah will make it clear". That is a very easy out for many who may not agree with the doctrine, but they cannot figure out a way to make sense out of it, so they hang their hat upon the "faith" peg.

  Stalin - I do agree that they need to figure out a why to write articles that do not speak down to people any more so then isolating people. My guess is that it would be too hard from them to find a happy medium and it is just easier to dummy it down then strike a compromise.
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  dido

  Joe, if your not intelligent, you dont usually pursue an education, unless you want to work your butt off.
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  Kudra

  Hm. I don't know what I think about myself in this whole education level/intelligence debate. I am supposed to be all smart and am getting a PhD and all but my own "innate intelligence" *rolling eyes* never made me question the truth, embarassingly enough.
  It was only when I started attending classes that made me stare certain issues, like evolution, timeperiods required by the geologic record etc in the eye, that I realized that the truth couldn't be ...truth.
  BUT, there was also a non-academic element of realizing that all these people were normal, generous individuals, again contrary to wha tthe JWs teach. Another thing was thtat my life was fuller, more interesting etc OUT of the truth and I didn't have "demon problems" "depression at the removal of Jehovah's blessing" etc when I left either. Soooo, perhaps all the "critical thinking" you are required to do in an academic setting flows over to other aspects of your life (thank god).
  My sister on the other hand was NEVER suckered in by the JWs. She said she thought I was an idiot for believing all that crap. And she got Ds in high school and had to drop out of community college. Go figure- obviously there are a number of independent factors that influence whether or not one accepts the truth. So there are no hard and fast rules i.e. educated people never are witnesses, BUT I think that it is less likely that an educated (beyond bachellors) person stays in the truth.
  I know this post is a little off subject.
  -K
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  XBEHERE

  Educated and also Intelligent people do accept what the WTS says and many,many still believe it too. Who knows whats going on in their minds but surely we can see the point that intellect and education have have little to do with becoming a JW in many cases. I don't consider myself a genius but I am not stupid either and though raised in the "truth" I really did believe it for a long time. Religion is emotional and emotions make people do rash, foolish things sometimes. Afterall "Religion is the opium of the people" drug additcts don't behave like themselves either and that includes intelligent,educated drug addicts as well.
• 

  unique1

  There was a brother in our hall that was nearly a brain surgeon. He only had one semester to go before he became ill and needed a kidney transplant. He found the witnesses then and decided against finishing school.
• 

  JeffT

  I agree with what Dido said. I was introduced to witnesses my junior year in college, and started studying with them the following year. I was at a very low point in my life, and the WTBS gave me something to grab onto. I graduated with a degree in English and passed up a chance to go to grad school, because the end was coming so soon (this was 1973). I did not take the time to do my own research.

  In looking back I see a couple of things. I don't think the literature was as dumbed down as it is now (or maybe it was just incomprehensible - that was the Freddy Franz era). Also I was disillusioned rather quickly and wasn't that great a dub, although I didn't actually leave until 1988.

  Bottom line, I think being educated and a dub at the same time takes some mental gymnastics.
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  GoingGoingGone

  I think that someone becoming a JW or remaining a JW has less to do with their intelligence and more to do with their suceptability to mind control. The longer I am away, the more I am amazed at the level of mind control used in the WT organization.

  People who are well educated generally have a more secure job situation than those who aren't. Again, generally speaking.... They have likely picked a career that they enjoy, instead of being stuck in a dead end job simply to pay the bills. They feel better about themselves and their ability to make decisions for themselves. They aren't as vulnerable to the WT conversion techniques.

  I know some extremely intelligent JWs, and have also wondered how on earth they can continue in this religion... There is no way they can't see the inconsistencies.... But again, I think it comes down to their inability to break free of the WT mind control techniques. Very sad.

  GGG
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  Kudra

  I think GGG put it into words very well.
  True true true.
  -K