Annoying comment in Sep 1 WT about higher education

by penny2 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Pahpa
    Pahpa

    The reality of today's life is that nearly every good job requires a higher education. Even those in the service and trade sectors usually need further schooling to keep up with the advancements. There is no shame in cleaning and maintenance work. And many hard working people have no choice but to follow this course. But it has limited opportunities to earn the income that is required to raise a family today. Unlike years ago, men and woman could find decent jobs with good benefits as blue collar workers. But times have changed. Most of those jobs have gone overseas.

    The Watchtower leaders have no compunctions to use members who have educations. Doctors, lawyers, computer experts, etc. are all called upon to render service when needed. And they are glad to have their expertise. So, there is a certain amount of hypocrisy when they discourage other members from pursuing a course which will benefit their own stations in life. The leaders don't have to worry. Their needs are well covered by the generosity of others in the organization. One can not help but think of Jesus' words: "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them." (Luke 11:46)

  • besty
    besty
    "Why don't you post your profile on the Internet?" someone suggests.

    never mind Higher Education - they are also suggesting there is something dangerous about Bebo, FaceBook, MySpace, LinkedIn....ohh the evils of social networking - heaven forbid they meet a non-JW online who sends them a link.....

  • eyeslice
    eyeslice

    The whole no further education is a farce. The bottom line id they don't want people who think for themselves - they want control over the R&F.

  • wha happened?
    wha happened?

    "How the hell do dubs look people in the eye when "placing" these magazines in educated or college towns?"

    My territory was upper middle class which meant that the majority of the householders were well educated. Going to the door meant u were going to get called down on anything. Most JW's don't watch the news or care to keep up on current events. So the only news they get is at the meeting for field service. I would go to the door and whoever my partner was would just dribble out these half ass current events and try to tie them in with the WT mags. It was embarrassing at best.

  • penny2
    penny2
    This is probably an example of why there's one Watchtower for the public
    and another for "Personal Study".

    Get this, these comments were in a public edition!!

  • ID Crisis
    ID Crisis

    I often wonder what it would be like to be in a congregation with many others with uni degrees. In my congregation, whenever a talk is given about 'the love of money', there is always clarification that 'there is nothing wrong with having money (or being rich) - we have many brothers and sisters in this congregation who have a lot of money (or who are rich)' ... In contrast, whenever the topic of university education comes up, there is never such clarification: no speaker ever says 'there is nothing wrong with having a university education - we have a sister in this congregation who has a degree' ... I can only dream! However, our numbers are increasing - soon there will be 3 more with uni degrees. Perhaps then we'll be excused - together with our rich brothers and sisters.

  • penny2
    penny2
    we have many brothers and sisters in this congregation who have a lot of money

    I can't imagine what that would be like - I was only ever in "poor" congregations. There were no uni degrees either! Many JW kids left school at the legal leaving age (15 in my time). Barely enough education to get started in life. I think that's improved - I hear of more JWs who are completing high school these days.

  • ID Crisis
    ID Crisis

    Penny2, the 'brothers and sisters with a lot of money' in our congregation are not university-educated people but business and/or self-employed people in (1-2) specific industries which I don't want to specify here. But in our congregation 'having' (versus loving) money is pronounced to be OK but 'having' (versus loving) a university-degree/professional-career is repeatedly pronounced to be not OK. Having a uni degree and an associated profession, I'd like a bit of slack, same as those with the money.

    Having said that, I shouldn't really care ...

  • truthsetsonefree
    truthsetsonefree
    How many young people will be destined to a life of poverty because of articles like this? Impressionable kids making life decisions based on rubbish like this!

    I know I did.

    Isaac Carmignani

  • Open mind
    Open mind

    I think I might try hoarding several copies of this particular WT. I will save them for future use as "smart bombs" in my pseudo-field service activity.

    In fact, thanks to this thread, I already used one last Saturday. It was the first time in almost 2 years that I actually left a magazine with someone other than my handfull of die-hard RVs. (They are old guys who just shoot the breeze with me and the only time I leave a magazine is if a hard-core "true believer" happens to be with me.)

    So here's how to use them as a "smart bomb", IMO. When you hear of someone having a great "doorstep Bible Study", drop by at a later time and offer this particular Watchtower, highlighting this article including the box. Point out how clear and simple these "warning signs" are laid out for young people who probably wouldn't take the time to read the whole article.

    Then take your leave and let the insane equating of "Higher Education" with smoking and drug abuse do it's magic.

    :-)

    om

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