This was something that really pissed me off when I was still in. When I graduated high school, any higher education was looked down upon. A couple years later, they started adopting a more balanced(slightly) view of it. I remember when I went back to school in '95, to get my degree, being encouraged to do so by a couple of the local elders. The worst part was when we had a local needs part about higher education, and the brother making the point that we shouldn't just "scrape by". Oh really? Then why did the FDS rail against higher education for all those years?
Education Flip Flop
by hoser 14 Replies latest jw friends
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hoser
Me too when I was out of high school there was no way I was allowed to go to university or college it was off to pioneer and clean toilets. Now
my kids are old enough for post secondary and they change the rules again.
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yknot
Take both for what they are......
Representations of leading personalities when being written.
Jaracz is gone, this too shall pass.......
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dinah
I agree with St George.
Put them on the street, give them a job at McDonalds or Wal-Mart, make them pay rent, utilities and buy their own food. They live on easy street in the Twilight Zone. They wouldn't survive a week.
Oh snap! If you work in retail it's hard to get meeting nights off.
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wantstoleave
They make it that way because they think that Jehovah will come to your aid as long as you're faithful. Basically, don't support yourself - Jehovah will. And also because they know that when you go onto higher education, you are open to new ways of thinking. It's all about control.
I remember going to University and boy was it drummed into me by the elders how wrong I was! They would not leave me alone, yet I made all meetings and field service. Looking back, I was running on auto pilot. I never got to experience University life, because I was either studying or being a good witness girl. In fact they got to a point where they wouldn't let me answer up at meetings. It was SO noticeable. There'd be no other hands up, but no, they wouldn't call on me.
Conventions here as long as I can remember discourage against higher education in any form. They only seem to encourage brothers to get a trade, a physical one like window cleaning or building houses etc. Doesn't leave much for the sisters other than to raise a family and pioneer! I was never going to be a pioneer, so for me University was the way to go. Funnily enough, the same elders who 'poo pooed' me going to University now praise me for having a degree to fall back on. Go figure!