Are the Witnesses opposing God with their twisted view of "higher education"?

by matt2414 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  matt2414

  MSNBC is reporting that "the government reported Friday that the unemployment rate for college graduates fell slightly in May, to 3.9 percent from 4 percent a month earlier. For people with just a high school degree, the unemployment rate increased to 8.1 percent, from 7.9 percent a month earlier."

  The Bible says at 1 Tim. 5:8, "If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." Because many Jehovah's Witnesses are unemployed or underemployed and not able to "provide for their own" (with some even living off government assistance), wouldn't the Governing Body's insistence that Witnesses avoid higher education really be an act of defiance against God's command here at 1 Timothy? If they are "worse than an unbeliever," what does that make them? Apostate?
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  vanyell

  Armageddon is always around the corner. So what use is higher education, since Jehovah will be blasting everyone (non-JWs) away into oblivion? Unfortunately, too many JWs are willing to suspend their individual thinking just to escape self-responsiblity. Something similar along the lines of Adam blaming Eve and Eve blaming the serpent.
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  LongHairGal

  vanyell:

  I agree with you that many JWs are looking to escape self-responsibility and some do NOT want to be responsible members of the workforce. I encountered several individuals like this.

  It is also true that some have become accustomed to being "helpless" and they become dependent on whoever to give them charity. It is a sad situation, especially when they hit middle age, especially women.

  And, yes, I do believe lack of higher education certainly contributes to this situation. The religion simply does not care who is harmed by this hypocritical stand against education (they actively SEEK bethelites with special skills gotten in college).

  Believe at your own risk.
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  jworld

  I come from the upper midwest of the US. Every area of the country is different so my observations may be different from others. I observed that almost everyone did provide for themselves and their family. They may live an austere lifestyle but there is nothing unbiblical about that.

  I always took offense at the institutional stance against education. Really the worst part of the Watchtower is how manipulative they are with their followers.
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  shopaholic

  1. Those stats going down are not to be trusted those...after someone has been unemployed for certain length of time they are no longer counted. The stat is more meaningful when stays the same or it goes up.

  2. The JWs translate that scripture to mean when one has a way to support their family and choose not too. If its because you can't find a job because you didn't get an education, then its Satan persecuting a loyal servant of Jehovah.

  3. The whole religion is twisted.
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  matt2414

  My point is, that the Watchtower insists that a college degree means you are trying to be rich. But only about 50% of Americans have completed some college, and only about 1% are truly rich. If college = wealth, shouldn't 50% of Americans be rich?

  In reality, people just want work to support themselves and their families, just as 1 Tim. 5:8 commands, not simply to get rich. Who are the Governing Body to position themselves between you and God's command?

  What's wrong with knowledge anyway? You need a college education to become a school teacher, a nurse, a veterinarian, a speech therapist, and hundreds of other professions. They are all honorable careers and hardly lead to excessive wealth and riches.

  There must be an ulterior motive behind the Watchtower Church's edict to avoid higher education.
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  james_woods

  There must be an ulterior motive behind the Watchtower Church's edict to avoid higher education.

  There is - and, of course, it is obvious: They are afraid that learning about logical and critical reasoning - as taught in college - would undermine and cripple their mind control over their members.
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  respectful_observer

  "One noted scholar recently wrote in a well-respected journal that 'the focus put on critical thinking skills by universities is equaled only by their fundamental requirement that any quotes or statistics used in students' written assignments be cited in a bibliography, thereby allowing the reader to confirm the factual accuracy of the writer and to assure the reader that the writer has not used the material out of context or in a misleading way.'"
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  jworld

  I have noted there are some JW's that actually think that people who have more money have worked more hours to get it. Of course this would make sense for window washers and janitors as the amount of money you make is directly related to how much time you spent working.

  Anyone that has worked in a corporate environment knows the amount of time you work has little impact on how much you make.
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  sd-7

  "One noted scholar recently wrote in a well-respected journal that 'the focus put on critical thinking skills by universities is equaled only by their fundamental requirement that any quotes or statistics used in students' written assignments be cited in a bibliography, thereby allowing the reader to confirm the factual accuracy of the writer and to assure the reader that the writer has not used the material out of context or in a misleading way.'"

  Ha ha! Source, please??

  --sd-7