HIGHER EDUCATION "FRACTIONS"

by The Searcher 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  The Searcher

  In the Congregation Bible Study yesterday, the big stick regarding Higher Education was wielded again.

  The Question was -

  6, 7. (a) How might a Christian unwisely reason, despite counsel from the faithful slave class today?

  Here is the answer:

  jr chap. 4 pp. 45-47 pars. 7-8 Guard Against a Treacherous Heart

  7 A Christian might mistakenly think that his heart could never deceive him, as happened to many in Jeremiah’s day. For example, a man might reason, ‘I have to hold down a job to support my family,’ which is understandable. What if that led him to think, ‘I need more education to secure or hold a decent job’? That too might seem logical, leading him to conclude, ‘Times have changed, and to survive today you need to get a college or university education to hold on to your job.’ How easily one might start to minimize the wise, balanced advice from the faithful and discreet slave class (not from the Bible) about additional education and start to miss meetings! In this area, some have gradually been molded by the world’s reasonings and views. (Eph. 2:2, 3) The Bible aptly warns us: "Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould."—Rom. 12:2, Phillips. Granted, some Christians in the first century had riches and perhaps a bit of prominence in the world. That is true of some Christians in our time too. How should they feel about their accomplishments, and how should we view such ones? Jehovah provided the answer through Jeremiah. (Read Jeremiah 9:23, 24.) Rather than bragging about human accomplishments, a person is wise to acknowledge that knowing the Universal Sovereign is of chief value. (1 Cor. 1:31) (deceptively misapplying a Scripture to back up a spurious man-made teaching.

  Why doesn't the Governing Body avoid the accusation of hypocrisy & forked tongue-speaking by expelling every brother working at Headquarters and Branches throughout the world, who have "exalted" themselves by getting degrees.

  This of neccessity would mean booting out all the lawyers, doctors, architects, accountants, surveyors, electronics experts, and I.T. specialists. We cannot have such reprehensible men working for the Organisation when a congregation elder can lose his privileges because his offspring wants to get a degree as well!

  Being selective as to which recipient of a college degree gets vilified is demonic thinking, nothing less! (1 John 4:1)

  Challenge: Correctly apply Paul's words at 2 Corinthians 11:7-9 to the Worldwide Order of Special Full-Time Servants of Jehovah’s Witnesses!!! This is a Scriptural principle which should be applied from the Governing Body downwards, but it is rejected.
• 

  Slidin Fast

  I sat through that crap myself. The amazing thing is the spin. Worshiping canaanite gods becomes worshiping your family, health and job. Put your family or health first? Try to support your self and your family? False gods, shun them.

  How do they conjure this crap out of Jeremiah? They just decide what stick they want to beat us with, what drum do bang and claim it is direction from Jehovah. It makes me purple with rage.
• 

  DATA-DOG

  I was so mad last night! I almost posted this myself! I noticed what you did, that the counsel comes from the FDS, NOT the Bible.. The scriptures make absolutely no mention of Higher Education. Here is the line of reasoning that the Elder conducting the study regergitation said..

  " We have a scriptural obligation to support our family. We might think that we need more education to do that. So we take a class knowing that we will miss the meetings for a certain amount of time until the class is done. So we are fooling ourselves by missing the scriptural requirements for meetings to meet the scriptural requirements to take care of our family. Jehovah is going to do that..."

  WTH?! So what about a person who does not want to work because of laziness? The Bible say that if you want to eat, you better work. Plus that reasoning above is so convoluted and circular. If God is going to do everything for you, where is your requirement to take care of your family? The FDS/GB must really believe this nonsense on some level, or why print it? The less income a family has the less they can give to the WTBTS. Maybe they make so much more money with free labor and property flipping that it is worth it to have a higher volume of low income members????

  I can't make sense of it. If my work wants to re-imburse me for tuition to learn a skill that gets me more pay, then I will do it. If I miss some meetings, so be it. I don't see the GB paying my medical bills so I can pioneer for them. Here is the deal IMO. Since they do not really have the truth, they must control every aspect of the sheeps lives. You CANNOT HAVE THE TRUTH if you have to lie and control to keep people in. If someone can't miss a few meeting for a class without leaving the organization then you are not the truth. Also, since when is missing meetings for a certain period of time ( if JW meetings are scripturally required ) the same a FORSAKING the gathering together with fellow Christians?
• 

  nowwhat?

  i drank the kool-aid back in the '80's and boy am i paying for it now with a crappy job. it was all i could do not to raise my hand and comment: 'oh how much better it is for ones wife to work full time because the husband can't pay the bills, that way he can be balanced" notice they did'nt give you better option. that might have been the last straw for me.
• 

  00DAD

  The truth is, it's not about truth, but about control.

  The GB doesn't want the R&F getting educated because then they'd learn to think critically and to think for themselves. Clearly, the GB cannot control a bunch of people that think for themselves. That threatens them.

  Also, they're probably jealous. What's their education level? Do any of the GB have anything beyond a High School diploma?

  00DAD
• 

  glenster

  I wasn't a JW, but you could use this one regarding the school of the GB:
  My Old School
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq8OU-7JDFA
• 

  alfredjones100

  I really get burned up by this topic too. I've got an assoiciate engineering degree and I never missed one meeting because of my studies. And in regards to thinking great things about ourselves, well I work with guys who have double degrees, master degrees and phd's ... and they are as humble as the guy that picks up my garbage. Why? Because the more you study, the more you learn how little you actually know. And in regards to uni's and colleges being hot beds of sex, well I never saw it. The guys I was with were to busy studing their asses off too pass the exams. And in anycase the young kids who don't go to college but go work in supermarkets are just at the same sexual risk there with the employees their age. The only concusion I've come to is the BG just fears the logic and analytical reasoning skills a person developes with higher education.
• 

  wasblind

  I'm gonna put on a " New set of Clothes " as an apologist for the WTS

  here's my reasonin' as such:

  Stop bein' anxious about where your next meal come from.

  Additional education makes you miss the spirtual food dispensed from the Tower

  While sittin' in the Kingdom Hall, you might hear the lions roar, trynna steal your spirituality

  Don't be fooled by the world into thinkin' it's the sound of hunger

  Keep in your hearts that this ain't the real life, and you ain't really hungry

  Ignore those Temptations cuz it's

  jus' your imagination, once again, runnin' away wit you

  It is jus' your imaginaaaaaaaaaaaaaation, runnin' away wit youuuuuuuuuuuu

  When the morgage or rent is due, tell that bill collector

  he won't get a dime from you, cuz you done stored your treasures in heaven

  and when Armegeddon come you'll live in HIS house. FOR FREE !!!!!!!

  Ain't no need, investin' in a world that's goin' outta bussiness

  Why waste time gettin' an education ????

  Time is short !!!! the world is comin' to an end. We don't know exactly when

  all we know is , you won't finish school if you start

  Yea, Laugh if you wanna, we know it been over a hundred years and countin'

  but remember. A thousand years ain't but a day to jehovah. That means you may have

  900 years left 'til the end

  Ain't no way you got enough time to complete school

  .
• 

  Fed-up

  Whats the freshman class where you write the research paper on something you feel strongly about? You state your case, make your argument, and try to be convincing? Then, the plot twist....The next paper you write has to be from the opposing perspective, and part of your grade is being as convincing from this stand point as you were regarding the one you supported.

  This one exercise alone would make a person think about their convictions and what the "know" to be true. When you are forced to examine something from another perspective it changes the way you see it, it has to.

  The WTB&TS say the warning against "higher education" is about immorality and evolution and bad ass.ociation...I truly believe its really about THINKING. When you take something you KNOW TO BE TRUE and then open your mind to the opposing viewpoint at least it makes you wonder...at most you change your mind. Likely, the pendulum comes to rest in the middle once the extremes are explored. This has to scare the pants off the GB.

  Oh, and when people learn there is a more in depth way to 'study' than underlining or highlighting and looking up the same scriptures you've read over and over...that's pretty enlightening all on its own!

  So now "college and university" education is being vilified.