Green light on higher education since 1995

by Fatfreek 19 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Scully

  *** w92 11/1 p. 20 pars. 17-18 Education With a Purpose ***
  
  17 If Christian parents responsibly decide to provide their children with further education after high school, that is their prerogative. The period of these studies would vary according to the type of trade or occupation selected. For financial reasons and in order to enable their children to get into the full-time service as quickly as possible, many Christian parents have chosen for them short-term study programs in vocational or technical schools. In some cases youths have needed to be apprenticed to some trade but always with a full life of service to Jehovah as the goal.
  
  18 If additional courses are taken, certainly the motive should not be to shine scholastically or to carve out a prestigious worldly career. Courses should be chosen with care. This magazine has placed emphasis on the dangers of higher learning, and justifiably so, for much higher education opposes the "healthful teaching" of the Bible. (Titus 2:1; 1 Timothy 6:20, 21) Further, since the 1960’s, many schools of advanced learning have become hotbeds of lawlessness and immorality. "The faithful and discreet slave" has strongly discouraged entering that kind of environment. (Matthew 24:12, 45) It must be admitted, however, that nowadays youngsters meet up with these same dangers in high schools and technical colleges and even in the workplace.--1 John 5:19.

  I find it very interesting that while this is the most current official stand in print by the WTS [in other words, what non-JWs will find as evidence], almost every single District Convention™, Circuit Assembly™, and Circuit Overseer's Visit™ that has been reported on JWD over the last 4 or 5 years has singled out JWs (or their children) who pursue "higher education" for derogative commentary, including that deplorable unscriptural Drama™ about Timothy featured at last summer's District Convention™.

  Even when it was the so-called official position in writing and not publicly denounced from the platform, many JWs chose to criticize other JWs who opted to pursue an education. A lot of gossip got back to me when I went to college to study nursing. One Sister™ laughed in my face and told me I was wasting my time because Armageddon Is Right Around the Corner™. That was 12 years ago.
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  willyloman

  Thanks, fatfreek, that's the item.

  Man, look at all those cited scriptures enclosed in parenthesis. They're like the footnotes in a complex legal document!

  Despite all the caveats, we all saw what happened. Kids went to school in droves in some congos. In other congregations, of course, where hardliners prevailed, this whole article was poo-poohed and kids attended college at their peril. But there was a paradigm shift across many, many U.S. congos. Which is why the WTS brought the hammer down in the late 90's and early 00's.
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  La Capra

  The article is the black and white "legal" document that can be held up in court in a custody battle. It documents an "official WTBTS" position, while the reality of the matter was, is, and will alwyas be that those who pursue real higher education will become social outcasts in the congregation (unless they belong to an "in" family that has multiple layers of elders, pioneers, and active bethelites). Hard to establish that as fact in court. Shoshana
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  kid-A

  Hee hee, gotta love old oroborus! He certainly has his hands in a lot of different pots!

  From his website:

  http://www.oroborus21.com/special.html

  NOTE: his "mail-order" bride service for importing "Ukrainian" women into the US!! LMAO.....I wonder what his Elders would think????

  Oroborus21 Special Projects Adoption.Oroborus21.com This sub-site highlights my International Adoption services. Jehovahs-Witnesses.info This is an informational and community website for Jehovah's Witnessesand others interested in Jehovah's Witnesses, the Bible and religion. WhatsHappeningLA.info This is a one-stop informational resource for events and things to do in Los Angeles. Helliki.com My daughter Helliki has her personal web-site for which I do the web-mastering. Ukrainian-DreamGirls.com This is an affiliate project with AFA to offer tours and contact information for those seeking friendship and love abroad.
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  diamondblue1974

  I remember these times well.

  I think the society realised by having such a well documented and hardened stance on education they decided to simply lessen the reins a little; the purpose of this was to avoid criticism from outsiders and for the newly indoctrinated - no other purpose.

  The stance has not changed in the slightest although their methods of educating their members on this stance have become more subtle; its not written down as overtly as previously but through the platforms, assemblies, and conventions the message is exactly the same; DONT GET A HIGHER EDUCATION, SELL OUR BOOKS INSTEAD!

  DB74 (Gary)
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  J-ex-W

  In the nineties there was a softening of the issue of higher education. Publications actually made it a personal and family matter not to be critisized by others. However, the pendulum has since swung the other way and we are pretty much where we were in the sixties and seventies: higher education is evil and anyone persuing it is not spiritual.

  I agree with becca1's statement. Just last Sept. 2006, I heard a circuit overseer in his talk say outright, "You won't see one of Jehovah's Witnesses going to a four-year institution...no." --like that was a bad thing ...All about how we are in the last MINUTES of the last days and that time would be put toward the ministry instead, not pursuing higher education and material goals. It was an almost laughing disdain in his voice for the idea of a sensible JW wasting these valuable years in school.
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  Jim_TX

  1992 - wasn't that the time-period that the WTBTS signed up at the UN for NGO status?

  Could it somehow be related to this? - as a 'public statement' to show that the WTBTS supports (in print only) higher education?

  Just my .02 worth.

  Regards,

  Jim TX
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  james_woods

  Jim-TX may have a pretty good point on the UN...but who knows what is in these guy's collective "mind"? Maybe the left hand just doesn't know what the right hand is doing these days.

  Can it be this is just another non-teaching-teaching like the Math 24:14 being fulfilled, the creative day not being 7,000 years anymore, and the generation being whatever you want it to be. Oh, and just edited to mention "who in the world can actually name the correct teaching on the King of the North for the last 15 years?"

  Seems like they have more and more stuff on which you just cannot find a straight answer.
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  LongHairGal

  This is a topic where they have always talked out of both sides of their mouth. I always felt their articles were ridiculous, overly simple and did not deal with reality. The persons who wrote them do not have a CLUE!

  They print one thing in the magazines to give the "world" the impression they are "reasonable" BUT the real story in the congregations is something else altogether.

  LHG
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  Bonnie_Clyde

  Our son graduated from high school in 1992, and we already had plans for him to attend college even before that article came out in the WT. He graduated with honors and we weren't going to let his talents go by the wayside. It took a while, but he finally started to fade...he was learning to do critical thinking. He is doing very well financially now, he is doing what he loves to do, and we're very proud of him.

  I think back to the year I graduated. I had the application and had it all filled out, when bingo...one of the elders dropped in and used his power of persuasion to talk me out of it. I still regret that decision. Yet, I don't know for sure that my life would have better if I had gone to college. I could have messed up anyway. I'm just thankful that I finally have a normal life.