Yes screwed - And those screws just keep on turning. There are also screws for health care, life insurance, and investing. This is an excellent topic thread. Thank you J Orwell.
SeventhSojourn
How many of you followed the WTS direction on education years ago and have been screwed by it?
by Julia Orwell 119 Replies latest jw friends
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RobertT18
That is why I'm gonna give the middle finger to the WTS and go to University, I don't really care about wht people say about me in the congregation.
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RobertT18
Oppss sorry for double posting.
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clarity
My course was set by the time children came along.
But, my children paid watchtowers price!
No looking forward to a great career that would
benefit them, no,no watchtower is only concerned
about what makes money for them!
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My biggest mistake was to "listen & obey"
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Blasted cult!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
clarity
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Captain Obvious
The sad part is that those JWs who complain will be told it was THEIR CHOICE not to pursue an education. THEIR PERSONAL CHOICES should not be blamed on the bOrg. They will blame themselves, too like good little cult members.
When each of my children are born, an education fund will be started in each of their names. My goal is to offer my next generation the chance to get educated, be free from religion, and hopefully leave them something of value to inherit.
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Balaamsass
Hi all, 3rdgen here. (forgot my password) :)
Boy, does this topic strike a nerve with the Ass and me! He is too modest to say that he is MENSA and therefore was offered FULLY PAID scolarships to several high ranking Unis. He truely believed the hype of the WBT$ that it would be disloyal to God and the cong. if he went. Instead, he pioneered, went to Beth-HELL and returned to a carpentry job working for a bro without workers comp. Of course, (Murphy's Law) a wall fell on his back and he's permantly injured.
We woke up only a couple of years ago. Here we are now 60ish living in an area hardest hit by the recession with over 20% uninployment, only HS education and me with NO job experience looking for work! Am I bitter? HELL YES!
My mother inherited a 7 figure Fortune when my father died in the late 60's. She married me off at 17 to my JW boyfriend so we would't have sex before marriage and embarrass her by getting DFed. (perfect JW logic). Since the world was about to end ANY MINUTE she used her "unrightous riches " to "further kingdom interests". Now it's 40 years later, she's mid 90's with dimentia, PENNILESS, a ward of the state.
Baalams ass and I used all of OUR assets to pay for her care until it bankruped us. When we asked the WTBT$ to please pay back her last loan to them for her care, they refused and said she should "go on welfare" . Seriously????
I guess I should be thankful though, because the way they treated my faithful, insanely generous, widowed mom was enough to shock us into starting to wake up.
Thanks for the oppertunity to rant!
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SeventhSojourn
I was wondering. For someone like me and the wife who are both DA'd and shunned: We had zero non-jw friends or acquaintances for over 30 years. We have not yet made any non-jw friends of note. What do you do when you have to supply personal references to a prospective employer or fill in a least three current references on an application? Often, family members are excluded as a personal reference. Are we screwed twice? Your thoughts - Anybody?
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Jazzbo
I'm a little torn on this. I was a quite bright young man and had the opportunity to attend a number of universities, accepted at MIT, University of Chicago, etc. Didn't go even though I'd taken the SAT, etc. and had applied to a number of places and made preparations to go. Did the pioneer thing instead for a number of years and supported myself with pretty hard manual labor though I never lost my interest in things academic. Finally got married and after a while decided that things just were not working out. I've always believed life is what you make of it and so I decided to make something of myself. Got a job with a large company, boot strapped myself up the ladder in spite of the fact that I didn't have a degree, became well known in my field as an expert in a number of areas.
The truth is that I've been very successful. I'm a published author, I work with people who have advanced degrees and some of the report to me. I've made quite a lot of money and my salary is six figures plus bonuses plus stock plus stock options. I will retire in a very good financial situation. So as far as success is typically judged I guess you could say I've achieved it.
What I truly regret is missing the opportunity to learn more and to work in fields that would have been more intersting to me. I also wish that it hadn't been quite so difficult for me to climb the ladder because not having a degree made it a lot harder, induced a lot more uncertainty and in some ways limited my opportunities.
Truth be that had I achieved a degree in the field that I wanted I would probably be less well off financially but it might have been more fun. Another truth is that not everyone can follow the path I have followed and that path is more difficult now that it was when I started. You have to have the right company and the right circumstances and have the mental horsepower to pull it off. I still believe that if you really want it you can achieve at least financial goals, you just have to be ready to do what is necessary to acheive those goals and maybe do things other people don't want to do or go places other people don't want to go.
It still really annoys me that the bunch in New York were able to interfere in my life the way they did.
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rawe
Hi Julia,
How many of you followed the WTS direction on education years ago and have been screwed by it?
I did wind up following the advice. But for me, I don't feel it worked out too bad.
I fell in love with computer programming when I first encountered it in grade 12 (1982). I took computer science 11 which was offered for the first time that year. With no job, still living at home with my parents who were on welfare, I decided to go back to high school for additional year. I took computer science 12 that second year.
When that year ended, I did apply to go to college and get a student loan. I did not know what else to do to further my interest in computer science. Nonetheless, I felt like I had deeply betrayed the faith by even applying for college. When my loan application ran into problems I took it as a sign and dropped the idea.
After working as a construction laborer in Fort McMurray, AB, I returned to Quesnel, where I got a computer-related job for the school district. I was employed both as a teacher of adult education computer courses as well as the defacto PC support person. I also designed and wrote a student registration system for district as well as a few other programs.
Eventually I would be hired by West Fraser where I worked in their IT department.
So... from a career perspective I have wound up doing exactly what I had wanted and to this day still love going to work. Since I didn't take the traditional route, I also did not wind up with any student loans. Furthermore, my connection to the Witness faith did help me with some basics like reading, writing and public speaking. I also give the faith the credit for my interest in the Bible, which continued with me, despite leaving and being an atheist.
So... 100% good, right? Ah, no not exactly. I have run into some interesting issues. Without a degree, I have felt the pressure and expense to pursue industry certifications. Some of these are expensive! When we decided to move to the USA my visa application was delayed, as my work experience was evaluated by the INS to see if it was the equivalent of a degree.
When I struggle with spelling and grammar, I do think this reflects no real post-secondary education. Basics of calculus and algebra are also missing. I do try and improve of course, but time is limited. I had an on-site interview with Google and this gap seemed obvious to me. Both young guys who interviewed me were recent ASU grads and while I could explain my approach to solving algorithms in ways that makes sense to me, it was clear there was a "language gap."
I love supporting my daughters in their post-secondary education. Both my wife and I made that a priority, even when we were in the faith. My oldest is an RN, my second is an art major, my third is at St. John's College (a 'great books' college) being a philosophy major. My fouth is going into 4th grade. And... we're slowly going broke, but enjoying life!
Cheers,
-Randy -
Crazyguy
I was a very good student in elementary school way ahead of the other students but because of the no ED needed and the END being so close i dropped out after the 8th grade and went to work full time for my parents as a landscaper. I became a very good athlete in my teen years and from the experiences of playing sandlot tackle football and semi-pro for two years and what the other players said of me, i'm convinced i could of made it to college on a scholarship. But because of the ORG i have had to work full time hard labor jobs at times since the age 14. Fortunately i have a enough drive that i have been able to get some education in fields of work when needed and push myself to make myself successful enough to have an above average income. Looking back it would've been alot easier if i had the education, not to mention a lot more fun to experience life and things i love like playing football.