Did you have higher ed when you were in? If so how were you treated as a result?

by highdose 38 Replies latest jw friends

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  highdose

  I went to both collage and uni when i was a JW, i got marked and shunned as a result. It seemed like every week there would be some dig made from the platform about " those that chose higher education" , my so called "freinds" were constandly on at me " why don't you pioneer highdose?!!". I even had the ciruit overseer denounce me from the platform as being "spirtualy weak" never mind that most of the peers i grew up with had got themselves reproved or disfellowed and that i was the only who had been good!

  When i graduated and got a job that gave me a very nice wage, One that was way above my "freinds" who window cleaned and cleaned houses. I was hated by my peers, totaly hated, every time i mentioned work they would ask how much i earned for that, how much did those shoes cost?!!

  I was given the impression that they deeply resented my earning power and also hated that i did not give most of it to the pioneers. Don't get me wrong i always paid my way for petrol etc but i think they wanted a big percentage of my pay check per month.

  There were several JW's i grew up with who were naturaly bright, but who chose not to do anything with their brains, but instead left school with the minium education to window clean and pioneer. To this day they have to work all the hours in all weathers just to scrape together enough to pay the bills. THey have no pension, no health insurance, no savings and no future. Their future is a bleak one, one were armargeddon will never come, they will never get to move into that nice house when god kills its owners, they will get sick... old and still be just scrapping by.
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  kimbo

  I want an education

  to late for meeeeeee......

  not going back to the hall ever again
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  jwfacts

  I started uni in 1987 when it was very much spoken against, before the brief period of softening during the 1990's. In order to appease everyone I regular pioneered whilst doing uni. To manage, I got the map that bordered the university and went door to door between classes. People spoke against it and even when to the CO to complain. Although he personally reprimanded me about uni, at least to others he told them that since I was pioneering and they were not, that they had no right to complain.
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  lifelong humanist

  highdose

  Thanks for starting this thread.

  I studied full-time at a nearby Scottish university during 1994/95 for a one-year MBA (Marketing) degree.

  This was an exciting point in my life, and an expensive one to take as I had to live on previous earnings to finance the expensive course. This was my first introduction to learning about adopting critical thinking techniques - an ability that I used to gradually see that I'd been conned big-time by the WT cult.

  At the time I was studying, I was an active elder for about 8 years. I was responsible for the TMS. During the course, I asked to be relieved of this pressurised responsibility to devote more time to what I found was a very difficult, challenging course. The other elders weren't at all happy with my request, and several tried to actively persuade me that it was much more important to take the TMS, rather than waste time at university. I didn't cave-in under the pressure though. I was genuinely surprised how bitter their reaction was. I held fast to my goal to pass, and graduate. Other members of the congregation commented to me that I wasn't a good example any longer to others for pursuing university. Two of my 4 sons were studying to be engineers at another university at the same time. I was viewed with a great deal of skepticism, and my motives were questionable! I honestly can't recall any positive comments being made to me at all! At the time just before graduating, one or two commented to me that they'd seen my name in the newspaper list of graduands.

  lifelong humanist

  If only I'd woken up sooner - I didn't DA myself until 2003.

  lifelong humanist
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  sir82

  I went in the early / mid 80's, right out of high school to a 4 year university. It was a local university, so I could live at home & commute.

  No one gave me any grief, but no one really commented much when I graduated with honors, either. No graduation party, no congratulations (well a couple families "quietly" slipped me a card when no one else was looking).

  Only very rarely missed meetings or weekend field serve-us, so I guess it wasn't much of an issue. Also, I & my parents played it pretty low key, certainly didn't encourage any otrher kids to follow my path. All of which probably kept me off the radar screen.
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  respectful_observer

  I, and all my siblings, eared our 4-year degrees. Fortunately, most of my peers were able to do the same in our congregation-- including most of the elders' kids (our family included) without any real trouble from others.

  To the best of my knowlege, all (including myself) are still "in" and most are "core" members of the congregations they now attend. Some have even gone back and are currently working on advanced degrees (even while they serve as MS's or elders).
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  LongHairGal

  HIGHDOSE: I know what you mean about certain people hating or resenting you because you are able to buy nice things. And, yes they are pissed if you don't give money to the pioneers. I NEVER gave anything to them. Do you think I work full time and am a responsible person so these wanna-be clergymen can ring doorbells? They are in the wrong religion. If they wanted to be paid ministers they should have joined some other christian religion. As far as intrusive, nosey questions about my salary, I would say in a loud voice that I do not discuss these things. What a bunch of jealous, covetous idiots! Just remember that misery loves company and this is mostly what is at the heart of the 'no college' campaign.
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  cantleave

  I was lucky enough to be sponsored by my company up to masters level. I had to go to another congregation's meeting for some terms, since the lectures were on Tuesday evening. I was never criticised for this, as most people assumed the WTS was against full time higher ed, not part time.
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  Prov1320

  The best time to go to university was in the early 90s. I went in '92, and didn't get the negative reaction from the hall. In fact, 2 years in I was appointed an MS and giving Sunday talks. I guess if you could demonstrate that you could do both, then people generally left you alone.

  However, it was a small window of opportunity. I remember after graduation dubs once again being criticised for "thinking" about higher education. I guess I was lucky. My parents also believed that you had to get some kind of education to support yourself, as they would see pioneers struggle with low paying jobs.

  In early 2000s I would get extremely irritated when I would listen to so-called experiences in a DC where people were abandoning their universitiy careers in their 3rd or 4th year to pioneer! They would seem extreme... why would anyone in their right mind quit near the finish line???
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  onemore

  I went to the Uni in the late 90' early 00'. There were about 8+ JWs from my area, many of them became "pioneers", "need-greaters", MS & elders after graduating. Some event went on to serve at bethel & regional. From what I hear, they are all still in.