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

  • willyloman
    willyloman

    I became a dub several years after graduating from a university. I had a "professional" job which I continued in after I studied and got baptized. I have to say that when I came into the org I was viewed as a "prime catch." Later, I got flack over my education from a few people but it didn't hinder my "progress" at all - I was a MS a little over a year after baptism, an elder after 5. I was told later that the elders had quite a debate at the time about that rapid ascension but my "teaching ability" was the deciding factor. I think in reality they just wanted to put a college grad up there on the stage so they could say: See? Smart people buy this crap, too.

    One of my memories on this topic is when a young man moved into our congo. He was about 23 and had recently graduated from college and moved to our town to take a job as an engineer. He had been serving as a MS in his previous congo just prior to moving and came with a positive letter. We appointed him, but not without quite a bit of discussion about "how this will affect our young ones."

    Within days, he was being invited over to dinner at homes where there was an eligible daughter. A "prominent" elder's beautiful 18 year old pioneer was the lottery winner. They were married in less than a year. When I left back in 2003, he was an elder in another congo.

    Another memory: When I was a newbie there was a elder who conducted the School. I was appalled at his lack of speaking ability and questioned the elder studying with me about it - he said the elders rotated into those positions annually (this was in the late 70s) and that it was a learning experience for the brother. Not long after that, the guy disappeared into what we liked to call "a life of debauchery" and was DF'd. About 5 years later, he was attending meetings at another KH and applied for reinstatement. The CO asked our congo to handle the hearing, since he was DF'd from our congo originally. Only one elder in our congo was on the original committee, so the CO picked the other two, including me.

    There was some tough questioning at the hearing focused on what his current "works befitting repentance" were, and then a break was called. Everyone got up to stretch. The DF'd former elder walked past me towards the door and said, "You've come a long way in a short time." During the hearing, there had been a visible look of contempt on his face whenver I questioned him, as if he could hardly believe this "kid" was pressing him for details about his life when just a short time ago he was teaching me how to be a good little dub. Talk about irony.

    Final memory: Judicial hearing, wife of elder in neighboring congo was accused of apostasy. CO send special committee to handle, including me and four other elders from various congos (yes, five of us - it was a hot potato). She tesified the elders in her congo misinterpreted her comments because they were "uneducated and not smart enough to understand" what she was saying. The chairman chuckled and said something like "well, we're educated by Jehovah, not by the world's institutions of higher education." Then he turned to one of the elders on the JC and said, "For instance, where'd you go to college?" The brother paused for a very long time before naming a large university in the midwest. The chairman looked stunned for a moment, then nodded at me, seated on the other side of him, and asked me the same question. I told him the name of my university. People in the audience, and there were about a dozen who were there as "witnesses" to testify, started to laugh a little. The chairman's face was bright red by now and he said, "Well, I think we all get the point."

  • cult classic
    cult classic

    I think there has to be a differentiation between "higher education" and schooling to get a skill/trade. The witnesses have a problem with higher education as it pertains to expanding your mind. That's why anything beyond the most basic psychology and science courses needed for a particular skill set is frowned on. And forget about getting a degree in a field of study simply because you want to learn how the world and its people work.

    In my area it's very common for the JWs of all ages to go to school for work-related skills. You'll rarely be criticized for getting skills necessary to support yourself. But it's rare for a witness around here to take a class or get a degree simply for personal growth.

  • thetrueone
    thetrueone

    Part of the long endearing corruption of the WTS. was expressed through some of their instructions, such as not getting married , having children,

    pursuing higher education and so forth. Universities and collages were said by the WTS. to be places of immoral godlessness, not suitable for

    true Christians wanting to protect their faith. And as its been said many times before why would anyone pursue higher education when the system

    of things is about to come to end anyways. Much better time would be to peddle are literature and cull other people into organization ,

    duly saving lives and perhaps your own before Armageddon arrives.

  • respectful_observer
    respectful_observer

    For someone so well educated - you can't even spell A-P-O-S-T-A-T-E

    http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/204486/1/Oppostate-you-have-a-PM

    cantleave,

    I assure you I can spell "apostate", but I appreciate your attention to detail!

    I'd also like to introduce you to your fellow forum member, "Oppostate":

    http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/member/34708

  • cantleave
    cantleave

    Ahhhhh!!!!

  • respectful_observer
    respectful_observer

    Now you have me paranoid...I should do a search for all my old posts and see what I may have misspelled!

  • wannaexit
    wannaexit

    I went back to school after my eyes were opened up...I didn't tell anyone...so I didin't get any flack. It's nice to see that many of you bucked the trend and went to get degrees.

    At present , there is a lot of education bashing at the meetings. It seems that a meetings doesn't go by where someone brings up the evil higher education.

    I know personally of two individuals that have quit university because of all this pressure.

  • thetrueone
    thetrueone

    The leaders of the WTS. never really had empathy toward humanity in general inconsideration of education as valuable and beneficial asset,

    they did have though the wanting desire to cultivate more distributors of their published goods by means of mental slavery, coercion and control.

    They still do this today in similar fashion.

  • thetrueone
    thetrueone

    In the eyes of the JWS, pursuers of higher education are identified as being spiritually weak but as noted if a person pioneers

    or just goes out in service this usual gets a over looking.

    If the WTS has once again turned up the do not educate yourself policy, this shows once again they are trying to build up a higher

    wall around their supporting flock of sheep.

    Keeping people complacently ignorant and poorly educated is invariable what the WTS needs to do, this is all in the organization's

    best interest for education has the potential to weaken the brainwashing instilled into their followers and

    the worse case, lose a follower (working slave) all together.

  • Billy the Ex-Bethelite
    Billy the Ex-Bethelite

    I started college after high school, but there was enough pressure to get me to quit and pioneer, because the end was sooo close. Then off to Bethel... just in time for the change that more education was okay. So, while I had crappy jobs in Bethel, newbies were coming in with "skills", and kids in the congos were getting better educations.

    I'm still "in", full-time student, and will be moving away to university this summer. I'm getting a little grief, but I've gathered plenty of ammo to fire back. I've spent more time in "full time service" than the entire BOE combined, and more time in the "special full time service" than the current CO.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit