higher education

tigerlily

hello all. first post.
i am in college studying engineering. does anyone else here in college feel like they have to work twice as hard as everyone else in the cong. to avoid the assumption that higher ed. has spiritually "weakened" you?
i get two extremes: either (A)i get treated like a helpless orphan who has gone astray or (B)i am alienated completely. many of the young ones get together and do things and leave me out completely. oh, and plus i'm not a pioneer. maybe if i was it would be "okay" for me to be in college. they don't even take the time to try to get to know me or my goals or my circumstances. they don't make the effort to find out. they automatically assume that i'm materialistic and don't know i've wanted to be an engineer for 10 years(10 years ago i was too young to be choosing a career on the sheer basis of wealth and prestige). they don't know that i have a goal to go to bethel or pioneer in the future. they don't know i've done research and found that 88% of fortune 1000 companies offer part-time work and flex-time to those with other committments(smaller companies do even better). i just want to support myself instead of living off my parents whom are not in that situation financially anyway.
it depresses me
tigerlily

jayhawk1

Hi tigerlily, welcome to the board. First, stay in school. Second, most of us here are not in the society any more. Most of us have been alienated long ago. I was forced out, because I would not shave my beard. Others have been shunned for other reasons. Do whatever you can to finish school, and do whatever you want to make your life happy.
Jeremy

larc

tigerlily,

When I decided to go to college, my buddies told me that Armageddon would be here before I graduated. Sound familiar? My buddies are all grandparents now.

You can do whatever you want to after you graduate, but please stay in college.

reagan_oconnor

Hi, welcome to the board!

Think about this; it is easier to control people if you can keep them from learning new things and thinking for themselves. You can tell them what to think, what to believe, and they believe it!

You are strong for recognizing the importance of a good education; keep at it!

Ask yourself why you should be so concerned with what everyone else thinks; you know it's good for you to be financially independent, so why are you worrying? No one who is not in your shoes can understand what you're dealing with.

Again, welcome to the board, post anytime!

Cheers,
Reagan

I am the master of my fate/I am the captain of my soul.

twvsnt

Welcome tigerlily

PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! STAY IN SCHOOL! Long ago women had to get married in order to be supported economically, and you know what that's what one sister told me to do but I didn't. Realizing how it important it is for me to care for my own needs and not be taken advantage of (not that this would always be the case) I not only went to school but didn't quit school despite the alienation I experienced and the way the friends were so judgemental of me. Like you the friends never took the time to find out that my plans were to pioneer and serve where the need was great. Instead the brothers made comments on the plateform about how education was an indication of how spiritually weak one was and the sisters got on the plateform to do the same and the friends even went as far as to make comments during the meetings (when handed the microphone) about how one was attempting to serve 2 gods when going to meetings,and field-service but going to school as well.

Like the friends at your hall the friends never took the time to find out from me that when I get my degree I'll be able to support myself working part-time and pioneering full-time and that my field of expertise allows for alot of flexibility in my schedule.

reagan_oconnor

I believe everything you said in your post because when the friends found out I was going to school instantly (like programed robots) they decided I was a very materialistic person without asking me what my goals were. WHy was this so? Because for years their thinking has been controlled and pre-programed to instantly judge even there own. You hit the nail on the head when you said you're the only one that knows what you've been through and what you have to do to make ends meet. Especially when the friends can be so selfish as to not give you a ride to the meetings but at the same time alienate you when you try to see to it that you can not only afford to buy a car to go to the meetings but also pioneer while working part-time after graduating with a degree that will enable you to do so.

The more and more I realize the type of people I associate with and the type of organization I belong to I regret ever becoming a JW. Most people steal, strip at go-go bars, and enter the workd of drug-dealing and prostitution to make ends meets and most people find this repulsive because of the risks involved but when you go to school to make ends meet most would find this acceptable especially since it's a safer and legal to better yourself ecomically.....most except JW who would alienate and shun you !!!! So much for brotherly love [8>]

Berean

tigerlily

I am currently taking a full schedule at college and working full time. I will be over 50 when I earn my degree. I have a well paying job; however, it is very physically demanding. I am also an ex-elder, I got tired of the multitude of man-made-laws that were imposed on people, among other things that have been covered by others here.

I would say that 25 percent of the congreation has commented on the fact that I am taking college courses and not one has been negative. Most of them come up and congradulate me for what I am doing; most in private with no one else around. I know that they do not want anyone else to know their feelings since the "Society" looks down on it. All have encouraged me to continue, some even said they would like to do the same.

Keep up your endeavor to get a degree.

twvsnt

Berean

I'm glad the friends at your hall are supporting you in your goal to get a college degree. Like tigerlily I also want you to continue going to college so that you get your degree, even if you will be over 50 years old when you get it Like you I also had a few friends encouraging me (in secret) to get my degree!!

gsark

tigerlily:

I did what the Society said and put God's kingdom first. I woke up one day, I was in my late thirties, tired and worn out from manual, low paid labor, my 4 children grew up with hand-me-downs and day-old bread (not that there's anything wrong with that, but a choice would have been nice)and they were on the road to doing the same.

At age 40 I graduated from nursing school, I have my license and am making better money, enough to buy a computer, dsl service and come play on this board. I have helped two of my children through school, and the other 2 start hopefully this winter/coming spring.

You would not want to go through life as I did and my children almost did, I can almost bet. I hope you stay in school, and maybe make some friends there as well. God gave you a brain, feel free to use it.

Life is a roller coaster. Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!

ozziepost

Tigerlily, A warm welcome to this happy place. There's no shunning here; we 'mark' anyone who tries it! Please stay around and enjoy the 'conversations'. We look forward to hearing your thoughts. We hope that you will be encouraged here.

The controversy that the Borg creates over higher (or further education) is something that young Witnesses have confronted for decades. In recent years there has been the occasional "softening" of attitude seen in print, as in a Watchtower article in recent years. Nonetheless, what we hear from the platform is something quite different. Condemnation or at the least, disapproval, continues to be the norm. Elders continue to flag as undesirables those who take further education. Travelling overseers continue in their encouragement to the elders to continue along these lines. Clearly the responsibility for this lies at the highest level of the organisation.

When all is said and done, IT IS NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS. I would shout that from the rooftops. We are invited to the Kingdom Hall to worship Jehovah. At least that's what the magazines tell us. What on earth has any talk or even mention of higher education got to do with the individuals' worshipping God? It's designed to put a guilt trip on the R&F. Whether you wish to go to university or not, it's no-one else's business. Whether you intend to be a pioneer after completing your studies is no-one else's business. In no way do you have to explain yourself. IT IS NOT THEIR BUSINESS.

What should be their business is shepherding the souls entrusted to their care, recognising that all of us are sinners. We need the mediatorship of Jesus who is our Lord. Together, we all come before Him in thankfulness. No other message is found in the Gospels. The topic of further education does not fit in with the gospel and should be left where it rightly is, as a private matter.

So, Tigerlily, enjoy your studies. It'll come but once, so make the most of it. Do well. And remember that your heavenly Father loves us all, even university students!!

Cheers,
Ozzie

"You can know the law by heart, without knowing the heart of it"
Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace?

Tina

Hi tiger
Welcome to the board! Let me echo the others by saying stay in school! Like Gsark,I too was a 'late-starter' thanks to wts idiocy and it can be accomplished but it's very very rough later on.
Enjoy your studies,make new friends,let go of the guilt they've burdened you with. You're doing the right thing.regards,Tina

higher education

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