Hi, folks. Been thinking of this, because of having been raised in the witnesses. I reflect back on opportunities I would have encountered and seized, had it not been for being controlled by the witness organization being told higher education was not needed. First seek the kingdom, you know, then the material things just fall down from heaven, somehow. Even when a witness I disagreed with that view.
In my own life I had a high grade point average and would have loved to go to college, perhaps studying psychology, or pursuing sports or a singing career, etc. But all of those things would put me at odds with the organization. So when raising my young kids with the ex jw wife I had to earn enough self employed to make a decent living. I would go do janitorial jobs, then take a change of clothes, rush to the meetings, then when everybody got to go home, I had to work most all night on my jobs, change back into work clothes. It was a drag doing this just to go to meetings. Had a chance to get a job with the county with great medical benefits in the mid 1980's, beat out 30 other applicants, but Oh! No! the ex wife said I could not take it as the hours were from 3:00P.M. to 11:30 P.M. would miss all evening meetings. Had a chance to work at a major prison in California with excellent benefits, passed written tests, physical tests, just a small problem, they wanted me to have ballistics training for a non firearm job, had to refuse being a witness at the time.
So many times I would hear brothers in congregations with large families say the elders harassed them because of taking jobs that caused them to miss meetings. Elders had the audacity to call these poor brothers materialistic, when all they were doing was trying to feed their families and survive. This was done to me too. At times I just felt like saying, " Look, you have taken away our opportunities to make a better living by going to college, so how dare you condemn us for doing what we can to feed our families ! "
I truly believe like all cults, the witnesses just try to keep their members so busy and occupied with meetings, service, personal study, and other church activities, they try to dominate their minds so they have no time to consider a career, education or anything else, resembling a real life ! So, would like to hear from you. What experiences did you have being told or coerced to not pursue careers or education ? When you got out were you eventually able to get a career you liked, or an education ? Have you succeeded in your own business and been able to make it financially ? Or, did the witnesses control you to such an extent, it's been hard getting other education or work opportunities ? I empathize with you all, been there, done that ! Look forward to hearing your takes and experiences ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper