How Do Jehovah's Witnesses View Education?

by southyukon 45 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  southyukon

  I have a question about this article.

  https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jw-education-school/

  Higher education can lead to moral and spiritual dangers

  A Bible proverb says: "The shrewd one sees the danger and conceals himself." (Proverbs 22:3) Jehovah's Witnesses feel that the environment in some universities or similar centers of higher learning can pose moral and spiritual dangers. For that reason, many Witnesses choose not to immerse themselves or their children in such an environment.

  Is it a sin to go to university, college, or higher education classes to become electronic or electrical engineers?
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  Vidiot

  southyukon - “How do Jehovah’s Witnesses view education?”

  Suspiciously?
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  FFGhost

  You may not be so familiar with JWs and thus not able to correctly interpret the coded messages in your snippet.

  Here Is what they mean:

  Jehovah's Witnesses feel that the environment in some universities or similar centers of higher learning can pose moral and spiritual dangers

  Translation:

  ”Hey JW parents! If you give permission to your kids to attend a university, there is a 100% chance they will immediately become drug-addled drunken fornicators engaging in orgies between sessions of mainlining black tar heroin.”

  many Witnesses choose not to immerse themselves or their children in such an environment.

  Translation: “If you allow your offspring to attend a university, you will be ostracized completely by our community. You will lose any and all ‘privileges’ we may have granted you. No one will include you in any social events, and you will be a virtual outcast.

  Oh but hey, it’s ‘your choice’ on whether you want to go or not.”

  Ok yeah the above is a bit hyperbolic, but there is a frighteningly high percentage of JWs who would read the article that way, and an even more frighteningly high percentage of Bethel heavies, primarily in the Service Department, who would love to be able to print something closer to my words than theirs.

  The real reason they hate &fear higher education is that it teaches young folks how to think for themselves, examine ideas critically, and to see firsthand that “worldly” (non JW) kids are perfectly sane and rational and normal and the vast majority are not drug-addled drunken orgy-attenders as the WT paints them to be.
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  Biahi

  Completely agree with FFGhost. In addition, any kids who want to leave the organization when they reach young adulthood, they prefer them to be condemned to lesser education, so it is more difficult to make a decent living. Then they can point a finger and say, “This is what happens when you leave Jehovah.”
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  TonusOH

  Vidiot: Suspiciously?

  This. The WTS is concerned that college will lead young people astray. Keep in mind that JW parents are taught to monitor and manage their children to keep them safe from spiritual dangers. Once they head off to college, it is almost impossible to keep a close eye on them. Plus, they may learn things that don't come from the nutcases and quacks that the WTS often quotes from in their literature. Worst of all, they might learn about evolution!

  Better to get a low-grade job that pays barely enough to keep a roof over their heads. Then the WTS can gripe about how little they contribute financially during tough times.
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  Vidiot

  I can distill it down even further.

  The Org feels threatened by education because it helps young JWs realize that the WTS is, quite simply, wrong.
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  LV101

  Rule No. 1 -- any org, person, who questions education is a huge red flag re/totalitarianism/authoritarianism. The cult abhors those who see right through their show biz and college teaches critical thinking skills, debate. No thinking/debate allowed in brainwashing bunkers. How many times did I hear secular people (or negatives re/those in comfy religions) weren't interested in 'truth' and only want to debate. They don't like competition thus the rigid/horrific interpretation of scripture with respect to shunning and winning JWs' time/assets. Places them in the #1 slot to inherit all of adherents' estates/properties. What a concept.
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  Earnest

  There should be no problem studying electronics or electrical engineering. Subjects which might disturb a young Christian student would include classes in philosophy and theology as well as sciences related to evolution like biology, geology, genetics etc.

  A friend of mine who was contacted while studying electrical engineering at university was encouraged by the circuit overseer to complete his degree before making any decisions about pioneering.
  
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  TTWSYF

  Isn’t it bizarre that an organization that boastfully prides itself on “true” scriptural interpretation would look suspiciously at theological studies?

  Yes, you would learn how to come to conclusions using reason according to historical evidence (that you corroborate independently).

  You’d learn that you need more than a Greek to English dictionary for scriptural interpretation.

  TTWSYF
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  Beth Sarim

  JWs I've often heard the exclamation ""university or college makes you stupid".

  In other words, what 'higher education' does is it opens your mind up and promotes critical thinking skills and ""how"" to think in direct contrast to the Borg TELLS you ""what"" to think!!