Why are JWs against higher education?

[yessisan]

I believe it is a far more accurate statement to say that Jehovah’s Witnesses recommend their members count the cost of any secular activity that demands massive amounts of time and immerses them in an environment of bad association.

Jehovah’s Witnesses main focus in life is to study the Bible and to help others learn about God’s kingdom. Any secular activity that demands 8, 10, 12, 14 hours per day and immerses a Christian in an environment of people who disregard God’s rules on immorality and drunken excess would be avoided.

One writer suggested that in order to get ahead in life a person would need a Bachelors degree. Like anything, there are advantages that come with a degree. However some of the world’s most rich people were not college graduates. For example, Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Walt Disney, Tony Robbins, and many others.

Although having a college degree will open some doors, a degree is not the be-all, end-all guarantee of success. In fact, many college graduates are never employed in the area of their studies.

I know from experience that much of what I learned at the University was completely useless in building my career.

I am very pro-education, but I don’t believe that a university education is a guarantee of success.

Steve

You are 100% correct on this or at least I agree completely! I studied for 5 years, taking from 12-18 units per semester, spending M-F at school, at least 16 hrs a wk (not counting hmwk or studying time), and after receiving my BA, well, I work in Real Estate. I couldn’ve gotten this job w/o having to go through all those hours of studying.

I just wish more JWs thought the way you do because most (if not all) that I know do not want their kids to go to college because they don’t want the time taken away from their preaching. Believe me when I say this. My DH doesn’t want our kids to have a college education, but I do want them to. Not all the time someone will be successful because of their degree, but most of the time it helps to have that on your resume.

Steve, in all honesty, in all those years, we did not really
study THE BIBLE itself. We studied a series of 192 page Watchtower books (The “Truth” book was the most popular back then, but we also studied many others). During the home bible study, we’d study a small book and look up scripture quotes. During the Tuesday night congregation study, we would study a somewhat larger book, and look up bible quotes in the text (back then the study books were hardbound, all of them, by the way).
During the Sunday Watchtower study, we would study the watchtower article, having read and underlined the answers beforehand, and we’d comment, giving the underlined answer along with some of our own thoughts. But we never sat down with the Bible and read it in context. And while the Society would occasionally encourage us to read our bibles, it went without saying that if we began to see things differently than the Society’s stated beliefs, we were to refer to Watchtower materials and trust The Society and not our understanding.

What we all were doing Steve, was not really Bible Study in the strict sense, but an endless continuous study of the Society
“Catechism” or catechetical materials (the books, the magazines, the public talk, the weekly book study, the Watchtower Study on Sunday, reading the daily text from the Yearbook), etc. In other words, we studied Society publications and would look up the bible QUOTED VERSES supplied in the text of the publication, but that was about it.

I know you can’t begin to understand this, Steve, but when I ( and many other exJWs on this forum ) began to read the Bible by itself without consulting Watchtower study aids, we began rather quickly to notice that the basic doctrines of “Christendom” really ARE supported by the Scriptures and the basic doctrines of the Watchtower Society really are NOT. Once we saw THAT, there was no way we could ever remain with the Society and at the same time be intellectually honest and sincere.

This is not meant to be condescending to you, nor is it a put down

You are right Jaypeeto! I never really looked at it that way even though I saw this happen.

But my DH does read the bible on his own w/o the publications (well, did because he hasn’t picked it up ever since I stopped going to his meetings). We even read it together, and had my Catholic Bible on my hands so we could see the difference of translations (not to convince him of anything but to understand the Scriptures better - him in the JW way, me in the Catholic way).

But don’t we all do that? Pick up a book or publication and read off cited texts from the Bible?

 

[Ravyn_Guiliani]

PART 1 (post too long-continued in part 2 below)

the following is a Cult Test- JWs are a positive on each and every point! I explained some of them that the average person would not necessarily be aware of, the underlined parts are my explanations–the points not elaborated upon are obvious to even outsiders. I included this here on this thread because this is all part of the mentality that discourages higher education and if you look at the whole picture you will understand why they are so against the idea.
I personally gave up scholarships to become a “pioneer” and was encouraged to quit school in my Senior year. (I later finished on my own thru correspondence–this was way back before such a thing as home-schooling was acceptable, I can only imagine now how easy it is to get kids out of the system and forever lost between the cracks!)
Ravyn

womenofsubstance.org/Culttest.htm

The Cult Test:
If You Are In Doubt
Identifying Traits of Abusive Groups

We offer a shorthand list followed by a longer list of cultic traits compiled from: Recovery From Cults, by Michael D. Langone, Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, by Madeleine Tobias and Janja Lalich, “Crazy” Therapies, by Margaret Singer and Janja Lalich, Combating Cult Mind Control, by Steven Hassan

Michael Langone, in his article “Cults, Violence, and the Millennium,” suggests the following three characteristics as essential in the definition of a cultic group:

A. centralized control by a charismatic leader

or group such as ‘the Organization’ of WTBS of Jehovah’s Witnesses run by the ‘Governing Body’ who claims to be of ‘the Faithful and Discreet Slave class’ mentioned in St. Matthew 24:45

B. an us-versus-them mentality that isolates

C. a lack of tolerance for dissent

Compiled list:

1. Control-oriented leadership – leader claims to be an all-knowing, liberated being.

see “A” above

1. Hierarchical structure with an elite inner circle – including leader’s assistants.

see “A” above - ditto

1. Group leader not accountable to any authorities, as are, for example: military commanders, and ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream denominations.

"we must obey God as Ruler rather than men"

1. Polarized us-versus-them, black-or-white mentality causing conflict with wider society.

"un-believers", “worldly”, “apostates”, etc. JW-speak turning normal terminology into the complete opposite connotations-eg "Christendom"

1. Manipulation of members by alternating guilt/anxiety/fear/ostracism and attention.
2. Group perception of being spiritually unique/elite and separate from normal culture.
3. Denunciation of other spiritual/religious leaders and groups.
4. Mind-numbing techniques (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used to suppress doubts about group and leader.

5 meetings a week that all need preparation and study, required participation in both meetings and “field service”, constant studying of proscribed reading material and mandatory attendance of assemblies and conventions annually and bi-annually many at a distance requiring time off from work and school.

 

[Ravyn_Guiliani]

Part 2 continued:

1. Spiritual practices emphasize experience rather than rationality.
2. Sexual abuse - leader uses power to sexually exploit members.

the abuse is usually more of excessive control of sexuality of members, dictating specifics beyond morals, eg what is and is not allowed in the “marriage bed”, however there is sexual abuse and it goes unreported to secular authorities and most of the time unpunished since JWs require “two witnesses” to every offense and usually in sexual abuse cases there is only the victim coming forward.

1. Economic exploitation of members by leader and assistants.

encouragement to pursue jobs performing menial labor rather than college-educated or careers that require degrees (unless the Organization NEEDS someone to work for them, then they pay for college.) JWs expect discounts for “brothers” and when work is not satisfactory it is not allowed to settle it in court.

1. Confidentiality of members private affairs (legal, medical) violated by leader and assistants.

among elders and heirarchy there is much gossip and political black-balling.

1. Members’ subservience to group causes them to cut or weaken ties with family, friends, and personal goals and activities that were of interest before joining group.
2. Reliance on outside professional help, doctors, therapists, etc., discouraged.
3. Leader poses as self-sacrificing divine agent who only promotes members’ well-being.

see “A” above

1. Service is inner directed toward the group not the surrounding community.

JWs claim to be charitable and helpful to neighbors and communities when in reality they support no chairities and only give to other than themselves if there is an advantage to themselves in doing it.

1. Revamping of members’ cultural/moral values to suit leader’s lifestyle and program.
2. Conformity to group’s/leader’s values, life style, mode of dress, diet, esthetics, and so on.
3. Promotion of dependence on group/leader – often disguised.

ONLY the “faithful and discreet slave class” can “dispense the food from God at the proper time” no one else

1. Important personal decisions must be approved by leader – members seek his blessing.
2. Phobia induction vis-à-vis leaving the group/leader.

how about eternal destruction after graphic and gruesome death?

1. Painful exit process – ex-members ridiculed, threatened, and dumped.

complete and total shunning-families ruined, lives destroyed, many suicides

Note: If you check any of these items as characteristics of the group you are concerned about, and particularly if you check many of them, you should reexamine the group and your relationship to it. Such reexamination usually runs against the dictates of the group leaders and will be difficult for the member to do. Begin by speaking to outside health and legal professionals and ex-members. If your group is indeed healthy and non-abusive, there is nothing to fear from taking these cautionary steps.

 

[yessisan]

Ravyn,

3 things I ought to say to you regarding your post above:

1. Wow
2. Flash-back
3. Run