Why I will NEVER be an elder again (page 9)

Chameleon

my father (an elder) had this thing also, but the co only said that college is fine as long as it doesn't interfere with "spiritual things."

OnTheWayOut

but the co only said that college is fine as long as it doesn't interfere with "spiritual things."

I believe everyone is telling the truth. Do you people hear the discrepancies here?
We know they hate college. But are some C.O.'s applying their personal opinions
while others are towing the company line? Will those C.O.'s get in trouble who
are watering down the message?

While I hate the message, I love the confusion and chaos.

bite me

I would hate to be in this posistion of not being able to get higher education. I love to learn and I will keep doing so and when I have kids I will allow them to go onto what they want. No organization is going to stop them.

DisconnectingDrone

I think this will eventually be the undoing, they are already tightening the purse strings (see my earlier post about the magazine change). This will only speed things up:
1. Those without further education tend to earn less than those with degrees and college education, so less money going in the box, especially as the economy is going through a squeeze. Most people without extra skills are only paid the minimum wage in the UK (think it's about £6 p/h, that's £240 for a 40 hour week and probably about £200 after taxes). £800 a month pay out your mortgage or rent, council tax, fuel bills and petrol and food and their is not going to be much left for the box.
2. Those without further education tend to be employed in retail and this is now meaning more and more evening and weekend work-this will mean more meetings missed and more loss of control. Nearly most of those that window cleaned in the UK have jacked it in and gone for regular employment.
3. Any society or group of people needs a balanced mix of people skills, imagine if their were no street cleaners or bin men or shelf stacker's, if everyone was a doctor or lawyer. Now imagine the reverse...
4. Most democratic governments will become more anti-witness if they learn that they are actively discouraging further education.
5. Highly likely to cause dissension amongst the body of elders. People have different abilities, some people are academically inclined while others are practical. I consider myself an academic and I'm grateful for those with practical skills such as mechanics, gardeners, builders etc.
6. If little Zedekiah decides to go for a job at his local factory instead of going to college so his daddy can stay in the old boys club will still be associating with worldly people who may lead him astray.
7. Any elder worth his salt will but his kids life and future over his elder duties and some may consider it an ideal opportunity to offload their eldership without looking to bad, it wouldn't create too much of a fuss if an elder came off due to his kid going to college.
I have a feeling that next they will encourage home schooling for all...

OnTheWayOut

7. Any elder worth his salt will but his kids life and future over his elder duties and some may consider it an ideal opportunity to offload their eldership without looking to bad, it wouldn't create too much of a fuss if an elder came off due to his kid going to college.
I have a feeling that next they will encourage home schooling for all...

8. Time to move to the compound when the numbers dwindle enough and all the
land left to sell is the kingdom halls. Selling halls should keep them in the black
for a few more years and a few more thousand lawsuits.

9. Break out the kool aid.

I wonder if they are deciding to shake off all the excess people that are not providing
enough income for them. Maybe they want the vast majority to leave.
(Hey, I can dream)

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

In the context the elder and his wife were PROMOTING college education, they were talking about how their child getting a good eduction will mean FINANCIAL SECURITY FOR THEM, and the kid was attending a college AWAY from home. This elder's qualifications would be questioned. The context also featured an example of a child who went to a local college (part-time), the kid still aux-pioneered when they could, was used in the cong., and was planning to reg-pioneer after graduating. In this example the elder's qualifications would be safe

This leaves a HUGE gray area for open interpretation. What if the elder and his wife were NOT PROMOTING college education, and the kid was attending a college AWAY from home because there's no college nearby? Would this elder's qualifications be questioned? What if a child who went to a local college (part-time), the kid still aux-pioneered when she could (maybe once in 2 years), and said she was planning to reg-pioneer after graduating, but instead she left home, got a lucrative career, and became inactive. Would the elder's qualifications be safe?

Frankly, the GB doesn't want anyone smarter than them around.

Jehovah's Witnesses - the official religion of the uneducated, poor, and old.

B the X

stillajwexelder

By the way our PO is also diehard - if the WTS said black was white, he would agree. Total loyalist

OnTheWayOut

This leaves a HUGE gray area for open interpretation.

You can call WT's information desk and start asking.

"What if my son goes on his own to a college without me promoting it,
but ends up short of cash after paying tuition, room, and board? If I send
money to him secretly, am I promoting college? Do I have to tell the C.O.?"
"Well, if my daughter lived at home and went to a community college but didn't
plan to pioneer when she finished, do I need to step aside or kick her out of the
family home?"
"If I have twins, one intends to pioneer after college but I want to be fair to the other,
can't I offer to pay for both of them to get a further education just based on the fact
that I am providing WTS with one more educated pioneer?"
"Can my child tell his friends that he received an academic scholarship? Can I tell
his JW family and my friends how he did that? Is that 'promoting' college?"
"How long would I lose my privileges before I would be considered again? Should I
wait until my youngest child finishes college before accepting privileges or should I
serve for awhile then step aside again, because the need for good brothers is great?"

I doubt many will lose privileges over this, but a ton will use it as an excuse to step aside
as mentioned. They will not be so embarassed that they are doing this for their child.

Lady Zombie

When I was 16 and mentioned that I planned to go to college to some stuck up, smart mouthed, "zealous" JW girl I was forced to hang around with, she started raising her voice and acting an ass saying that I was going to become materialistic, self centered, I was spiritually weak, yadda yadda yadda.

Two years later, she was disfellowshiped and living on welfare and I was grooving in college.

Stupid bi_ch.

Pistoff

Hearing passwordprotected's description made me sick to my stomach.

This is worse to me than just a straight up condemnation.

It opens up the whole thing to interpretation, so that those who make their children jump thru hoops can still be an elder. It says that college is OK but you still have to make all meetings, aux pioneer and plan (pledge) to pioneer after college!! And it has to be part time college to boot!

More judging of people's motives.

And in the context of their little scenario, the elder hopes his son will support him with a lucrative career; wonder why he needs it? Is it because he, like my role models growing up, sold their homes and quit their jobs so they could pioneer out the end of the system in the run up to '75???
These a-holes in Brooklyn are responsible for a whole generation of witnesses who can't retire yet, and now they take shots at us with this snotty little scenario?? Why would ANYONE want to send these guys money?? They have picked our skimpy pockets so they can live at ease at headquarters!!

The real nail in this coffin of horrid logic is this: how many young adults pioneer anyway? Less than 1%?
They end up with jobs anyway, not pioneering.

I really hate these guys; just when I think I have become neutral toward them, I realize I just want to somehow actively bring about their demise.

Why I will NEVER be an elder again

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