Please stop for a moment and think about it - I understand that most 'modern' JWs pride themselves that they don't waste any time studying, in favour of doing any mundane job that's available to non-qualified people - they'd probably go so far as to say that this is even a wise decision. For those with some ability, I'd say, wrong, wrong, wrong!
While I totally disagree with this stance in the present context, I have to concede that in a world of full employment, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with that, unless you have greater skills and abilities to offer. However, most people faced with the current economic situation would favour a more coherent response.
I'm an ex-JW (DAd over 6 years ago) & distictly recall that when I studied to do a MBA (Marketing) degree in 1994/5 I was totally castigated as a 'sad elder' person, disobeying 'orders' from the WT organisation. While I was irritated and annoyed by this viewpoint, I was carefull not to express too strongly my contempt for this narrow-minded thinking. That was over 15 years ago, and I was wish that I felt able to express my real feelings at the time of being totally pissed off with their mentally deficient reasoning . So, I was a bit more circumspect. However, I'm glad that I disobeyed, took the course and qualified with my degree. It wasn't easy. While I knew that Further Education wasn't viewed as going along with the 'right' view at that time, that wasn't a big thing to me. Given the time scale in the mid 90s, I thought that this would be deemed as OK? Apparently, not so.
So, why such a total curse on further education by the JW mind control group once again? Remember, this is nothing new. I recall that my older brother (Peter) was reduced to tears after a 'friendly visit' by the then congregation overseer's deputy and his sad henchman, in 1968 (the congregation servant passed the call on as he was in a similar social group, and probably couldn't countenance such a meeting himself). He was told in no uncertain terms that if he went to University, our dad would lose his priviledges as TMSO. This was my first exposure to JW tactics to conform, or else. I'm a bit asamed to say that I listened in at the door, and told my mum & dad what was being said. It was a nasty experience and one that I'll never forget. My father laid down the law and felt that his priviledges were more important than my brother's career prospects.
So, my brother never got to go to University, but fortunately, he's now runs a profitable sales business. He's also well out of the JWs.
As a then impessionable 15 year old student (wanting to become a medical doctor, but told to forget it) I was really upset and somewhat dismayed at the control-group anti-university stance, and didn't understand the politics. This impacted on me and I then decided to quit school at 16 and study Art, which was my favourite subject at school. In all honesty,this was to avoid having to become a pioneer, as I made the same mistake as my brother and got baptized! While I enjoyed the art studies, this was, on balance, one of my worst career decisions!
Given that this is now the last few months of 2009, why does the JW cult still condemn further education so much? After all, they need dentists, doctors, architects etc, to provide professional services at some time in their lives?
I'm now happy to no longer be associated with the JW mind-control cult, but feel sad for the brighter cult members who could go on to greater things if only they were given the freedom to do so...The education might enable them to really learn to think for themselves and re-evaluate their parent-inspired beliefs, freeing their minds for far greater achievements and a reasonable hope for some financial freedom...
What's your take on things to do with secular education?
After all, how many wiondow cleaners does the modern world really need?