It seems to me that there was a softening of the no further education edict for a little while. But just lately the 'dangers' of pursuing further education and worldly careers has been made a real issue again. It seems to me though that this has as much danger of driving the very ones they would like to keep, the talented, the bright, the high achievers, out of the organization.
Although I no longer attend the meetings, my 17 year son has continued to attend with his mother. That is until a couple of weeks ago when he told me that he was going to stop attending. And the reason; he wants to go to university. He was 'encouraged' by the elders to pioneer from leaving school but he can see that there is no long term future in that. So the society loses yet another youngster.
I am not saying that all the bright ones will leave. One of the brightest kids I know, who could have got into any university a few years back, left school and went straight into the pioneer service. 10 years down the line, she no longer pioneers and is married to a window cleaner. What a waste of such a sweet girl's life.
However, I do see the society hemorrhaging talent. With almost no new converts now a days, the loss of the next generation of people who in the future would be the elders, the organizers, the Kingdom Hall builders, etc, must be worrying to the leadership. Or, perhaps not.
No further education - is the policy backfiring?
by eyeslice 22 Replies latest jw friends
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eyeslice
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insearchoftruth
I can see how this will backfire, as long as children are required to attend high school (which is generally secular) the people are going to have a desire to continue on to college with their friends.....not pioneering.
The only way that they could combat this would be to further encourage home schooling or to set up their own schools, which would be way to cost prohibitive to accomplish!
I am trying to get the po and his wife that are studying with my wife to speak on the societies new hard line stance on education...since she is in college and is encouraging college for her son, may be just another wedge I can use...
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MissingLink
It's a lose-lose situation for them.
- They allow kids to go to college - A large percentage will learn critical thinking skills, and the fact that humans haven't been on the earth only 6000 years.
- They don't allow it - A percentage will leave because of this oppression.
This organization is run by bean-counters running the numbers every way. I'm sure #2 is giving them less of a loss in numbers than #1 was, or else they wouldn't have chosen this option.
Although I know plenty of "faithful" ones who have been pissed off about this subject. I know it was a contributing factor to my leaving. I want my kids to have an opportunity to do whatever they want to do.
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minimus
Eyeslice, the Organization would rather have only 300 of Gideon's men that they know are loyal to them then a large army of soft, would be defectors.
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still_in74
this is whats referred to by many "thinking" JW's as the "pendulem swinging the other way"
They were strong against education until "computers" became popular. Then all the pioneers could get part-time jobs in "computers". ( i'm sure I am not the only one that remembers all the comp. illiterate saying that!)
So now all were taking courses in "computers" and pioneering.
After time children that had completed H.S. under this "school is ok if your gonna pioneer" protocol began going to college and Univ. These then learned how to think and the obvious result of them leaving the Org escalated.
Then the Org says "No more education" - in fact the Aug KM shows the assembly refering to it as a machination of Satan.
In time, when all the mentally challenged, depressed, jobless converts begin to way down the org that is funded by janitors and window cleaners they will swing the pendulem back the other way. Thats what they do........... its all Bullshit. I hate that I am a JW.
Do you here that bethel lurkers? I am an active JW. F--k you assholes!
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stillajwexelder
it is a silly policy and why I will never serve as an elder again
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watson
WTS anti "higher education" policy. Visit your nearest DC. The results are obvious.
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KingArthur
still_in74 Why in the hell are your still an active JW if this is what you \ think?? Good Grief!
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Satanus
They do lose, in the long run. The mormons demonstrate that. Mormon theology is just as wacked as wt crap, yet they encourage education. They are doing as good or better than jws.
S