So I was just browsing the June 15, 2011 (study edition) Watchtower and came across this seemingly desperate article in the last two pages (29 & 30):
A Christian has a Scriptural obligation to care for his family, and that includes providing for their material needs. (1 Tim. 5:8) Still, does this really require a college or a university degree ?
It would be good to consider what effect pursuing higher education could have on one’s relationship with Jehovah. Let us illustrate this by considering a Scriptural example.
Baruch was the secretary to the prophet Jeremiah. At one point, rather than focusing on the privileges he had in serving Jehovah, Baruch became ambitious. Jehovah noticed this and through Jeremiah warned him: “You keep seeking great things for yourself. Do not keep on seeking.”—Jer. 45:5.
What were the “great things” that Baruch kept seeking? He may have been tempted to make a name for himself in the Jewish system of things. Or the great things could have been material prosperity . In any case, he had lost sight of the more important things, those having spiritual value. (Phil.1:10) Yet, Baruch obviously listened to Jehovah’s warning through Jeremiah and thus gained his soul as a spoil.—Jer. 43:6.
What can we draw from this account? The counsel Baruch received indicates that something was amiss. He was seeking great things for himself. If you have a means of supporting yourself, do you really need to spend time, money, and effort on further education just to realize personal aspirations or those of your parents or other relatives?
Consider Grzegorz, a computer programmer . Persuaded by his colleagues, he took up an intensive course of additional specialized training . Soon he had no time left for spiritual pursuits. He recalls: “I constantly felt on edge. My conscience troubled me because I could not reach the spiritual goals I had set for myself.”
A couple of things that really need to be pointed out here… First, the Biblical account of Baruch is (not surprisingly) taken way out of context. If the entire passage is read in its full context, it’s quite clear that God was merely reminding Baruch to stay focused on the task at hand since Jerusalem was about to be destroyed. At least, that’s the way I read it. But the Watchtower writer here is really reaching when he presents the possibility of Baruch looking to “make a name for himself”. Second, Baruch’s example has absolutely nothing to do with teenagers seeking to gain some skills in order to prepare themselves for the tough world they live in.
But this last example (Grzegorz’ specialized training) is an area where the Watchtower has only treaded on rare occasions… So not only are young JWs discouraged from seeking a college degree, they are also being discouraged from seeking “specialized training” as well.
Also, it’s interesting that this June 15, 2011 Watchtower starts off by pushing JW children to get baptized (pages 3-5) and ends by suggesting that they avoid college AND specialized training… Is the Watchtower really getting that desperate? What say you?