No more JW religious classes in schools!

by fair dinkim 15 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  fair dinkim

  Just heard from a friend whose husband is an elder that a letter was read to the congregation from WBTS stating that effective immediately "no religious instruction by JWs in schools" or words to that effect. Here in Australia they are called "scripture classes" and most schools conduct these as part of the school curriculum. Usually a member of the cong is assigned to conduct the lesson with JW kids in local school.(They get to count the time). The letter further stated that it is the parents responsibility to instruct their own children.

  JW kids will now have to attend non-scripture classes for atheists. ha

  Has anyone else heard about this? Can't help but wonder if there is some legal reason behind this or the WBTS moving to protect itself.
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  Stephanus

  JW kids will now have to attend non-scripture classes for atheists. ha

  Usually the non-religious classes, IIRC, entail the kids watching the latest Pixar flick on DVD. I wonder if the Dubs are even comfortable with that?
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  Stephanus

  Can't help but wonder if there is some legal reason behind this or the WBTS moving to protect itself.

  Quality control, perhaps? Scripture teachers are almost always women, these days, and I imagine that would be the case among Dubs - possibly some pioneer taking the time. Maybe this is a way of further reducing what little authority women wield in the org?
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  blondie

  If you look back far into the history of JWs, you find that they used to have separate bible classes for the "young people" but through the organization. (Above and beyond the Kingdom Schools during WW2 when many JW students and JW teachers were kicked out of the public school system)

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  yb87 pp. 139-140 Switzerland and Liechtenstein ***

  Sunday school? Yes, indeed. For a time we had a separate youth group for those from 13 to 25 years of age, and a Sunday school for younger ones, based on the publication The Way to Paradise (edited in 1924 and "Dedicated to Youth for the Study in the Holy Scriptures" by W. E. Van Amburgh). Adult members of the congregations took turns instructing the children on Sunday mornings. Ulrich Engler from Thalwil explained: "We parents went preaching on Sundays, and it was not the custom at that time to take the children along, neither would we take them to meetings in the evening. So when a youth group was formed in Zurich, we were glad that the children from the Thalwil Congregation were also invited."

  The association "Jehovah’s Youth" even had its own secretary’s office in Bern. A special magazine named Jehovah’s Youth was edited there and printed on the Society’s presses. The preface to the first issue was written by Brother Rutherford. These youths conducted meetings and took an active part in the witness work. They also performed Bible dramas at bigger gatherings organized for the young ones. However, this was really an organization within the organization. The Bible shows that in ancient Israel the provision that Jehovah made was for adults and children to assemble together for instruction. (Deut. 31:12) When we came to appreciate this more fully, these special arrangements for youths were dissolved. This was done in 1936 at the time of Brother Rutherford’s visit.

  It has been the official WTS position that parents should teach their children at home. Is it now illegal for religion classes to be conducted in schools in Australia? If not, I think the WTS has probably received complaints from some about the WTS indoctrinating children and the complainant has been savvy enough to invoke the WTS' own policy on parents only teaching children about religion.

  Blondie
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  Stephanus

  This creates an interesting problem for the Dub kids. My wife (a scripture teacher herself) just informed me that at the school where she teaches, at least, there is no atheist class - the non-religious kids have to sit quietly in the class where scripture is being taught and read a book, or whatever. But she says that those kids usually see that what the other kids are doing is kinda fun, and they generally join in. It'll be interesting to see how the Dub kids fare under this system, won't it?
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  Dr Jekyll

  Its probably because the org doesn't trust a single brother to do the teaching away from the other elders. There's massive scope there for the brother to abuse the position and introduce his own apostate teachings to a wide group of kids. The org stopped small private group based watchtower preparation studies for similar reasons namely because they couldn't monitor what was being talked about and taught.
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  garybuss

  I'd say that's pretty interesting . . . especially in light of the fact that Rutherford taught SUNDAY SCHOOL in prison. In fact, all of the Watch Tower governing body taught Sunday School while they were in prison.
  
  
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  jwfacts

  Today i received official word from my 14 year old as to why this is, she was told at school today by her Scipture teacher. It is for the Australian states of NSW and WA.

  Australian schools are now requiring scripture teachers to have a teaching certificate. The WTS has decided not to put Jehovah's Witnesses through the courses required to get the certificate. They reason given was that there is too much turnover of scripture teachers, and it is the parents responsibility to teach their children anyway.

  Can you believe it. Not only don't JW's have Sunday school, or religious camps for the kids, now they can not even be bothered holding scripture class!
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  blondie

  The WTS has decided not to put Jehovah's Witnesses through the courses required to get the certificate.

  After harping on higher education for the last couple of years, I guess it wouldn't do for the WTS to openly encourage JWs to get higher education to get a teaching certificate...
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  sass_my_frass

  Australian schools are now requiring scripture teachers to have a teaching certificate. The WTS has decided not to put Jehovah's Witnesses through the courses required to get the certificate. They reason given was that there is too much turnover of scripture teachers, and it is the parents responsibility to teach their children anyway.

  Good call too... scripture in school is a ridiculous idea. For an hour a week the local minister would drop in and bore the kids, and we'd troop off to the music room to be bored there. I remember one year our task was to learn the order of the scriptures, five per week. I got it eventually, and went and showed off my new talent to the minister as he was leaving one day. He looked puzzled.

  I wouldn't read too much into it, as in, well of course WBTS is too cheap to put anybody through an actual education to take care of their kids.... but in reality most of the churches running the regular scripture class don't have a qualified teacher on staff either, so it will probably stop happening everywhere. I don't know whether that's a good or a bad thing.