If we are to progress to Christian maturity, we must learn to distinguish right from wrong and then make decisions that reflect our own convictions, not those of someone else.
Ya. Riiiiiiiight. 
No one who goes to the KH is allowed to "distinguish right from wrong" and then "make decisions that reflect [their] own convictions". Virtually everything---from brothers wearing a beard to celebrating a birthday to refusing a life-saving blood transfusion is determined not from any individual 'Christian maturity', but from the Boardroom of the a group of senile old men who change doctrine more often than a politician changes a mistress. At the height of the 'Big Apostacy' in the early 1980s, there was left no doubt in a Dub's mind that they cannot make decisions based on their own conviction, especially when it came to doctrinal matters:
"...Yet there are some who point out that the organization has had to make adjustments before, and so they argue: "This shows that we have to make up our own mind on what to believe." This is independent thinking. Why is it so dangerous?
Such thinking is an evidence of pride. And the Bible says: "Pride is before a crash, and a haughty spirit before stumbling." (Proverbs 16:18) If we get to thinking that we know better than the organization, we should ask ourselves: "Where did we learn Bible truth in the first place? Would we know the way of the truth if it had not been for guidance from the organization? Really, can we get along without the direction of God's organization?" No, we cannot!-Compare Acts 15:2, 28, 29; 16:4, 5.--- w83 1/15 p. 27 pars. 19-20 Armed for the Fight Against Wicked Spirits ***
The Bible clearly condemns the misuse of blood. (Acts 15:28, 29) Other matters that have to do with health care, though, are not clear-cut and require that each of us make a personal decision as to what treatment we will accept or reject.* Our loved ones may have strong opinions on these issues. However, when deciding about those matters, each dedicated, baptized Christian needs to carry "his own load" of responsibility. (Gal. 6:4, 5) Our primary concern is to maintain a good conscience before God, not men.-1 Tim. 1:5.
Personal decisions? Ya, that's like a guy holding a gun to your head demanding your money and you giving it to him. Was it done using your own personal decision? Technically yes, but considering the alternative he was giving you, it wasn't much of a choice. Likewise when it comes to a Witness making a 'personal decision' about blood transfusions. When you have a spiritual gun pointed at your head (go ahead---take that transfusion and make our day), it's not much of a 'personal decision is it:
"Questions from Readers:
"In view of the seriousness of taking blood into the human system by a transfusion, would violation of the Holy Scriptures in this regard subject the dedicated, baptized receiver of blood transfusion to being disfellowshipped from the Christian congregation?" "The inspired Holy Scriptures answer yes."----- Watchtower, January 15, 1961, p. 63
Note what Paul said on the matter of eating foods that might seem to have been sacrificed to idols. He acknowledged that a decision may not in itself be wrong, yet it could cause harm to someone with a weak conscience. What was Paul's resolve? "If food makes my brother stumble," he wrote, "I will never again eat flesh at all, that I may not make my brother stumble." (1 Cor. 8:4-13)
Hang on here. The Witnesses use Acts 15:29 to 'prove' that blood transfusions are wrong, wrong, wrong and there is no leeway for taking one, even in the face of death. That scripture says: "keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication". Yet when it comes to eating food that had been sacrificed to idols, it is not a blanket condemnation of it (although it was discouraged, lest you make someone stumble in their faith). Since blood, eating food offered to idols and fornication are all mentioned in one breath, why is taking a blood transfusion to save your life a disfellowshipping offense while eating food sacrificed to an idol (if we actually still did this), is only a 'conscience matter'??
but children should not just assume such authority. (Col. 3:20) Wives and mothers have a measure of authority within the family but do well to recognize the headship of their husbands. (Prov. 1:8; 31:10-18; Eph. 5:23) Likewise, husbands need to recognize that their authority is limited and that they are subject to Christ. (1 Cor. 11:3) Elders make decisions that affect the congregation. However, they make sure that they "do not go beyond the things that are written" in God's Word. (1 Cor. 4:6) They also follow closely the direction they receive from the faithful slave. (Matt. 24:45-47)
Notice how of all the groups of people mentioned here, that only the 'faithful slave' has no one to answer to? 
One of the most important lessons we can teach Bible students is how to make good decisions. To do so effectively, we must resist the urge to tell them how to act. It is much better for us to teach them to reason on Bible principles so that they can decide for themselves how to act. After all, "each of us will render an account for himself to God."
Ya. So what if your kid decides they want to go to university? Are the parents going to support their decision? Are the elders? The rest of the congregation? Not bloody likely. While it's not a disfellowshipping offense, the parents will be viewed as either being 'spiritually weak' or 'puffed up with pride' and the kid will be viewed as being 'materialistic' and 'lacking in faith' as to 'how close to the end of this System of Things' we are. 
These study articles seem to be getting more mind-numbing each friggin week!!
