I've heard general comments about this talk but never knew the details. This gets me kind of steamed. I know a number of folks that dropped out of colleged for the truth. One of them is a MTS grad and who lived in a barn loft for almost a year because he had no skills and took little jobs around town where he was assigned and that's all he could afford. And then when he couldn't afford that, he lived in his car. He talks about this stuff as he if get extra years added to his reward of "everlasting life".
I just had a conversation with a friend regarding education the other night. I mentioned that I wanted to talk to my sister about starting an education fund for her children. My friend asked why when the system will not be here long enough for them to us it. These people don't learn. This friend of mine chose bethel over university when we were younger and over the past several years has been in constant dire straits with a hand stretched open in my direction.
But here's what get's me steamed......the congregations are comprised mostly of women and minorities. When I hear the org say don't get an education, what hear is "Women, blacks and latinos, your life will be miserable if you go to college. It is better for you to remain oppressed by a system instituted by white males and the only way to ensure that happens is to make sure you don't read anything other than JW material and you absolutely must not develop any critical thinking skills. Be poor and stupid for Jehovah, its the best way to live. As a bonus for us, we can treat you as we please and you won't be smart enough to know that you don't have to put up with half the nonsense that we tell you to do." This is not a new feeling, I felt this way even as a zealous pioneer. I used to tell the teenage girls to go to college and spend their summers abroad in the ministry.
I take a very strong position on this issue. I always have, in fact, one of the charities I work with now assists in empowering women. It was probably toward the middle of my junior year in college that I began to realize that most of the elders were not capable of leading or managing anything. I saw all the inefficiencies in how tasks were carried out (I did offer my assistance in areas but was shot down). This is why they say "no education". I think I mentioned this before but one of the most-Stepford things I ever heard was several years ago at a pioneer meeting. The CO talked about how everyone wanted to be smart, wanted to improve themselves, "going back to school and carrying-on", how everyone had suggestions on how to improve the process, then he followed up with this "The organization doesn't need clever people, it needs obedient people." At the time, I quickly dismissed the thought to avoid making a scene. I've heard elders say from the platform on more than one occasion that "the world goes to college after high school but that witnesses should regular pioneer because that's our college."
I think education is a personal decision. There are plenty of financially successful people that never had a college education. But my point is, its a personal decision. How can they print this very point in the YPA book (I know because I used it as part of my justification) and various WT articles and then turn around and say "If you love Jehovah, you'll drop out or don't go to college to show how much you love Jehovah." Do you know how many teenagers in the org get knocked up or get someone knocked up because they have don't have any real aspirations? I've known several teenagers that have gotten girls pregnant while waiting for a response to their bethel application. Or the youngs girl that get involved with much older married men because their just passing time until they turn 20 or 21, at which point her parents will let her go "serve where the need is greater".
And if you decide to further your education, you are often judged and looked down upon as less spiritual. I remember when I was a started college, I was in my mid-teens, and everyone was telling me how I was going to fall for some boy, get pregnant and be left crying and sorry and then come running back to the congregation trying to find a husband but no one wants damaged goods. Why would anyone talk that way to a kid? Glad I'm out.
They are right about one thing, they are not "inspired" and one other thing is for sure...dem people is krazy.
