Knew a guy who (an appointed MS) who went to college. He was treated pretty poorly. Eventually he was removed as a MS and get this, he had cancer at the time. He died not much later after that. Pretty terrible thing really, the family was very angry. I suppose he just wasn't making enough meetings to be considered for the "privlidge". Most everybody felt he was removed because of those who didn't like him.
Attending college as an active JW
by CHILD 34 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
mary stewart
nope! but weould love to take some art classes. or something in science. but i only have a ged.
are GEDs common for JWs?
-
serendipity
I was attending college for a BS degree when I got baptized in the early 80's. I asked each of the 3 elders (rural congregation) who reviewed the questions with me their opinion and they all said that as long as I was not doing it to get rich, it was ok, because I had to support myself. Others in the congregation tried to point out how meaningful pioneering would be, but not in a pushy or judgmental way. It is interesting to note that when I graduated from HS, I got all sorts of gift from the cong, but when I graduated from college, I only got one gift.
-
Scarred for life
Hmmmm.... that is very interesting, Serendipity. I think that pretty much shows what most JWs reallly think of the importance of college and education.
I know that most of my cousins that were raised as JWs have not gotten any education past high school. Some did not even graduate. And some of the next generation were "home-schooled" by their parents who of course did not have any education past high school if even that so you can imagine the quality of education that they gave their children.
All of these people have menial low-paying jobs and can barely make ends meet.
I just was talking to a relative yesterday and she told me about a cousin of mine that was a beautiful, happy, bright, artistic young girl, raised as a JW. She married a "strong" JW from another state immediately after graduating from high school. No education past high school. Many years have passsed but she is now long-divorced, suffers from severe depression, unable to hold down a job and really unqualified for most jobs. She has just recently lost her home that she loved to foreclosure and is in over her head in debt. She has no education or skills to get a decent job. She now lives in public housing and gets food stamps. She is no longer an active JW so she is cut off from any friends and family from that .
This woman could have been anything she wanted to be. I think she really wanted to go into the retail industry and become a buyer or something related to fashion way back in high school. But, no, she followed the rules of the JWs and look where she is now.
I just heard about her losing her house and being so severely depressed yesterday and I am angry about it. I'm angry about the way she was raised and I'm angry about the way my sister and I were raised. I rebelled and left the JWs and got a college degree but she didn't. She was the "good" girl and did as she was told and look where it got her.
-
loosie
I went to vocational college while I was still in. the PO's wife was so worried about me because some of the classes were held on meeting nights. She said she would be glad when I graduated so I come to all the meetings again. She never asked me how I was doing in school.
Funny thing is that after my husband and I graduated, we slowly stopped going to meetings.