How many of you followed the WTS direction on education years ago and have been screwed by it? (page 2)

whathappened

I have 125 IQ and in order to please Jehovah, worked as a cleaning lady for thirty years. I have little saved for retirement and didn't buy a home until 9 years ago because we were told that Armagedon was coming any day now and I would never pay it off anyway. I am 59 yrs old now and will probably have to work until I drop dead.

scotinsw

My parents who are now in their mid 60s were affected by this.

My dad, who is highly intelligent never went to uni but could have had a great career if he been able to go. Instead he worked 6 days a week in a manual job until he was 65.

My mum, whose father was not a witness only allowed her to pioneer after leaving school if she got a job that allowed her to learn something worthwhile. She did this and had something to fall back on.

Because of this my parents actively encouraged me to go to university because even they admit that their financial situation could have been so much different. They also acknowledge that so many others of their generation are facing the same issues.

villagegirl

I was a single mom, so, already one strike against me in the congregation - Then I had the audacity to go to university and be a single mom at the same time. I got my BA degree and when I wanted to go on for the teaching credential, my "best friend" in the Borg put up such a fuss I relented and I started an after school program and ran summer camps and nearly killed myself with work. You are smart to have that teaching credential, and if you are still under 45 or so go back for the MA and the PhD if you can - the best life is a tenured professor at any college .

cedars

I actually feel my parents were more lenient than most, at least when it came to whether I went to college or not. Even so, I think there is a strong likelihood I would have gone through university if it hadn't been for the organization and its demands on young people. It ended up that, by the time I left college, university wasn't remotely a consideration. Pioneering was the thing to do, and part time work could fit around that. In that respect, I have lost out.

Cedars

ambersun

I was another one, well and truly screwed. I started out as a normal teenager in the 1960s with parents who believed in higher education and wanted good careers for me and my sisters. I attended a good grammar school and had everything going for me. Then my parents got converted and by the time I was 15 everything had changed. There was no point even thinking about universaty as armageddon was going to come before I had chance to finish the course. By the time I was 18 I should have been at university studying for a degree, but instead I was out knocking doors as a full time pioneer with a part time cleaning job. Thanks WTS, I hope you are really pleased with yourselves the way you screwed us all over

erbie

I am now in my 40s and studying at university.

This is a great topic and one that we all seem to feel very stongly about.

They really did screw us over didn't they!

Julia Orwell

Holy moly! What vehement responses! Thanks so much, and I know there will be more replies in the next day or two. Some of these stories are truly shocking. I bet though that they're only the tip of the iceberg.

When I was studying at age 18-19 I dropped out of my psychology degree because 1. I didn't like it but 2, because I thought like a lot of you thought, that the end was near and university was evil. Of course my non-believing mum hit the roof, and even the sister who was studying with me said I should go back. I floated for the next year, got baptised unable to get out of fast food and decided to go back to uni and do teaching. Bloody glad I did! I also had the opportunity through work to get a business certificate and a vocational teaching certificate.

I've always told the kids in my congregation to get some sort of education or trade. Vocational education is not so frowned upon here in Australia (ie a trade or an administration course or other 6-month course at a technical institution) but university will get you viewed with suspicion.

flipper

JULIA- Good thread, thanks for starting it. Yes indeed, at age 53 I am one of those persons you speak of who was raised from birth in the JW cult who was not permitted to get a college education out of high school. I had a 3.6 Grade point average in high school and had lots of interests and abilities in sports , English, and psychology ( good grades in those subjects ) but it all went for nought when I felt pressured to marry my then JW girlfriend at age 19, she was 18. So I became the soul provider and within 6 years we had 3 children thus forcing me into becoming self employed in a pretty physical job at age 23. I'm still at it 30 years later self employed. But no retirement, just hard work and my current wife and I of 7 years get by but are by no means wealthy materially. We are happy though and thats what counts.

I do hold a lot of resentment towards the WT organization for manipulating peoples lives through the years ( mine included ) and preventing many of us from pursuing education, interests, and employment we may have attained otherwise had we NOT followed those directives. The last couple years I've taken up playing guitar and singing and writing songs starting to perform at open mikes now. Who knows ? Maybe when I get older unable to work as hard physically I can perhaps supplement a little, small bit of income with playing small gigs down the road . LOL ! I'm really enjoying playing music so you never know what may happen. My wife and I are both in our 50's so we try to keep a positive attitude. We know a lot of other people are in our same boat. Hang in there folks. Peace out, mr. Flipper

Lozhasleft

I was in the middle of a B.Ed when I got baptised and felt the pressure of "putting faith in the world" so I left with a Dip.HE. This was in my early thirties. I then spent years with a sick husband trying to manage a home and 4 kids on very little income. Fast forward 20 odd years, one divorce and one exit from the WTBS and here I am, having just gained an honours B.A. I am now on a Post Grad in Education. All very enjoyable to do, but full of deep regrets that I didn't complete this years ago and secure myself in a great career. Hey ho, I'll make the best of what's left. At least I'm free.

Loz x

Perry

I actually left the Watchtower to get a university degree in sociology. I found some of my sociology professors to be just as narrow-minded as the elders. I was disappointed in the "education" but did benefit overall from the experience.

A bad education is still better than no edumacation.

How many of you followed the WTS direction on education years ago and have been screwed by it?

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