Could we have stumbled onto the reason behind the higher education thing ?

by Forscher 37 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Lady Lee

  The money is drying up.

  There was a huge influx of new people into the JWs in the early 70s. Many of them were young couples. Many already had jobs and were doing well enough to contribute a fair amount to the society. Well now they are hitting the age of retirement and many did not plan to be here for their retirement so they didn't create retirement plans. Many gave up lucrative jobs to "work where the need was great". Many sold their homes and lived off the money - all waiting for the end to come. Many dropped out of high school or post secondary education thinking the end was so close why invest in an education when you wouldn't need it after 75. Many didn't send their children to school for the same reasons

  No savings, no education, no retirement funds. Struggling to make do means less $$$ in the WTS coffers.

  Remember for the WTS the bottom line is always the money.

  So if they open the door for some to get better jobs they might increase the $$$ coming in.

  The problems with this are:

  • once people do get a bit of education they don't want to go back. They learn too much and getting the better job often means working longer and harder to keep the job.
  • once they get a taste of not having to struggle and do without, they aren't as willing to hand it over without getting something tangible back.
  • the older ones just can't afford to give money away when they are struggling to make ends meet. As they get older medical issues increase - which requires $$$ - stretching a budget that is already stretched to the limit

  If you consider $$$ is always the bottom line I suspect the society thought they could let some get the higher education and they would contribute more. But it didn't work that way and they had to tighten the noose again. Too many were leaving.

  As for the law degree. I suspect that the WTS has been sending people to university to get their law degrees for years. When people found out they simply explained it was needed so they could help with the legal issues instead of hiring outsiders who didn't understand their "higher purpose". And I really doubt those who the WTS sent for an education left. I suspect they bonuses for them are pretty good and they were monitored very closely throughour their education.
• 

  Finally-Free

  Even when I was serious I considered the majority of Dubz as rather "slow" if you know what I mean. They always had trouble keeping up mentally and never seemed to get the point of the discussion.

  I found that most lacked the ability to view a situation from more than one perspective. As far saying they are slow, you're obviously kinder than I am. In 20 years I was in 3 congregations, and I can count on one hand the number of JWs who manifested any intelligence, and all but one of them received a university degree before joining the cult. Most of them could not carry on a conversation for more than 3 minutes - I know because I used to time them. It was one of the few ways I was able to entertain myself when among them. It's not my intention to offend anyone, but I can say in all honesty that Jehovah's Witnesses are the most utterly stupid people I've ever known.

  W
• 

  serendipity

  
  Finally Free,

  Depending on who you talked to, maybe they didn't want to converse with other JWs, so kept the conversation banal? I know when I go to the KH, I keep the conversation very superficial and quick because I don't want to reveal anything.

  Higher education is a convenient excuse for the problems the WTS is having. But the root cause is there's a problem with WTS doctrine and procedure. People see through the errors and control and don't want to have anything to do with it, and/or, people give up trying to lead the JW lifestyle because it's impossible, and they resign themselves to destruction at Armageddon. Higher education just enables people to evaluate the situation and opens other opportunities for them. They aren't willing followers. The WTS leaders find it easier to demonize higher education rather than address the root causes.
• 

  MinisterAmos

  
  
  Speak for yourself bro.... and don't generalize.
  

  
  Which is why I specifically used the words "I consider". That verb signals a personal opinion or "speaking for myself"

  Isn't it ironic though that you proved my point, or is MY satire detector broken?
• 

  Seeker4

  My guess is that Judah Ben's father-in-law is paying for the education. He married into a very wealthy mid-West family that owns several car dealerships.
  His wedding reception was on a rented yacht in NY harbor, which caused a bit of a stir at Bethel at the time. Also, I think his wife is attending college with him.
  S4
• 

  truthseeker

  Finally-free,

  What you said is so true!

  I found that most lacked the ability to view a situation from more than one perspective. As far saying they are slow, you're obviously kinder than I am. In 20 years I was in 3 congregations, and I can count on one hand the number of JWs who manifested any intelligence, and all but one of them received a university degree before joining the cult. Most of them could not carry on a conversation for more than 3 minutes - I know because I used to time them. It was one of the few ways I was able to entertain myself when among them. It's not my intention to offend anyone, but I can say in all honesty that Jehovah's Witnesses are the most utterly stupid people I've ever known.

  Although there are intelligent JW's out there, they are few and far between and hard to find.

  I too have timed the conversations of JW's - if you can get 3 minutes out of them before they get that glazed look, you've done pretty well.

  Most dubs can't manage 60 seconds and then you catch them looking around the hall for someone else.

  An excellent analogy would be that they are worker bees - you know how a bee never spends more than 20secs on a flower, well, this is Jehovah's Witnesses.

  That's why I found it impossible to have deep and meaningful friendships - not to say I was better than them, I was just different.

  Heck, I could get more conversation from a drunk in a pub than a dub in the hall.
• 

  BizzyBee

  IMO, higher education has always been incompatible with the scheme of the WTS - if for no other reason than they can't afford to have dubs using critical thinking skills. Duh!

  But, just as with other WTS dogma, it has a downside - an uneducated R & F with limited economic means.

  Someone responsible for the evolution of the WTS stance on education calculated the odds at some point:

  1. Education = higher quality members, but less total members
  2. No education = lower quality members, but more total members

  I don't think they would get the concept of "less is more" - they lean toward "more is more."

  However, just as with the dogmas driving the the blood issue and shunning practice - there is a downside. But, like any business enterprise that wants to be profitable, the WTS has calculated the odds. (Though I think they overshot the mark on the blood issue and left themselves vulnerable to legal culpability. We hope.)
• 

  Confession

  My daughter and I actually used to discuss this before we came out of the organization. In the area where we lived (in the Midwest) most of our friends were just a bit slow--we thought. We loved these people and could enjoy ourselves, but just noticed that our conversations were pretty simplistic and one-dimensional.

  We would find pockets of JWs in other areas who did seem to be refreshingly intelligent and interesting. It's just that it was rather difficult to find them, and they were dwarfed by the rest.
• 

  Mary

  My guess is that Judah Ben's father-in-law is paying for the education. He married into a very wealthy mid-West family that owns several car dealerships. His wedding reception was on a rented yacht in NY harbor,

  Ah, it's nice to see that one of Christ's brethren is "keeping his eye simple".
• 

  drew sagan

  I think it far more likely that the WTBTS is clamping down because the YOUTH ARE NOT COMING BACK.

  
  I agree %110. Take a look around your average Kingdom Hall. Who is in the majority? It shure as hell ain't a bunch of go getem young people ready to sell their lives over to the societys goals. Most of the youth i've known at the hall are some of the selfish, rotton, spoiled and self centered people I know. Many are much worse than their parents. Can't wait for that next generation of dubdom.