I found this on the JW archive site
http://www.jw-archive.org/2011/07/do-jehovahs-witnesses-really-forbid.html
Do Jehovah's Witnesses Really Forbid Higher Learning ?
by discreetslave 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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InterestedOne
The article failed to mention the following from miseryloveselders when he came back from the elders school that may shed light on the situation:
Anyways, we were threatened at this school. I kid you not, threatened. When it came to education, the grand puba made the statement that if any elder, or anyone in his immediate family was attending a university, his qualications were to be reviewed. Here's the real kicker. If the other elders on that body did not review his qualifications, they were all culpable. That was the exact word he used, and in that context. Culpable. During that part, you could have heard a pin drop even on a carpeted floor. It was shocking. I'm sitting there thinking to myself, "did he just threaten us?"
I wonder what would happen if you went to a KH and asked an elder about it.
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AnneB
How is it that a discreetslave talks to much like a serpent? (Gen. 3:1)
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diamondiiz
There, I added a comment there. They speak out of their ass when they say they don't discourage education - this can be believed only by the brain dead dubs or outsiders who may not know any better. WTS paints higher education as bad, and all the talks point out what can happen - drugs, orgies, alcohol........ BAD ASSOCIATION!!!!! Examples are always negative, so while they may not come out and forbid higher education they paint it as something not desirable. And many educated people that are in the cult are the ones who were educated before being recruited or those who left the cult in their youth only to return to the cancer. How many hear know of actual born ins who went to university??? There is very few.
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thetrueone
They never came out and said WE FORBID but they have certainly discouraged it from as far back as one can remember.
Someone who persistently pursued their education to higher levels were perceived as been spiritually weak and not putting forth
the preaching work as their most important endeavor. The WTS always wanted fully indoctrinated people to promote their publishing
organization, even to the point of discouraging individuals to marry and have children.
They have actually said that universities are places of godlessness and are a danger for one to attend.
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clearpoison
No they don't. But, it is considered, if not directly evil, at least stupid endangerement of your spiritual health. Loss of eventual privileges, being considered as bad association and similar counter actions are possible, but higher education as such will not lead to DF'ing. Only few things are really forbidden but many will lead to loss of your status.
CP, without reading the thread concerned.
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Band on the Run
During the late 60s, early 70s, college was not forbidden outright. It was the subject of derision. My gm made much fun of college students. What was sad is that she had problems poking fun of them b/c she knew nothing of college. I had knots in my stomach when I started. The extended JW family was crucial to me emotinally. To my shock, they were supportive. My aunt would try to correlate JW stuff to my college experience. If I had a tenpage paper due, she wanted to know how long a public talk that would be. They did not embrace my choice but I expected much worse.
I hated field service and all JW, except my realtives.
My, my, what does college do that threatens them so much. Many of those with power have college educations.
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AGuest
It seems to me that it depends, dear DS (peace to you!). If they don't need you at Bethel/Patterson/a Branch for anything, it's pretty much discouraged. However, if Bethel/Patterson/a Branch finds itself either with mounting legal concerns... or babysitting too many 18 year olds who barely finished high school (but were sent off to "Bethel" by parents who really just wanted them out but where they would be "watched")... having a college degree (which means one had to GO to college)... is greatly desired. I even remember an announcement in the KM, once, asking for folks with 4-year college degrees in various areas.
They count on their members, however, to forget stuff like that... quickly... which most of them do.
Again, peace to you!
A slave of Christ,
SA
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White Dove
They really don't like the required critical thinking class.
Once one passes that class knowing how to actually think rationally and critically, one begins to do that to everything, including the literature.
Many leave the WTS after learning how to think and not get duped.
Basically, we have BS detectors installed in college.
The WTS hates BS detectors.