New WT and Higher Education...Beware of the logical fallacy in the first sentence.

by maninthemiddle 41 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  maninthemiddle

  Beware of the logical fallacy in the first sentence, not to mention all the loaded language.

  WT 2011-11-15

  11 Vigilant Christians refrain from using the world to the full with regard to higher education.

  Many people in this world consider higher education an indispensable stepping-stone to prestige and an affluent

  life.

  But we Christians live as temporary residents and pursue different goals. We avoid “minding lofty things.” (Rom. 12:16; Jer.45:5)

  Since we are Jesus’ followers, we heed his warning: “Keep your eyes open and guard against every sort of covetousness, because evenwhen a person has an abundance his life does not result from the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15)

  Consequently, young Christians are encouraged to pursue spiritual goals, getting only as much education as is required to meet their basic needs while focusing on preparing themselves to serve Jehovah ‘with their whole heart, soul, strength, and mind.’ (Luke 10:27)

  By doing so, they can become “rich toward God.”
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  maninthemiddle

  And this mag just keeps on going. In another article that is clearly trying to get more men into servent roles takes on reasons way they are not "reaching out".

  4 Men often put material security ahead of

  spiritual pursuits. Getting higher education

  and securing a well-paying job are priorities

  formany of them. According to their way of

  thinking, the reward of making money is

  more urgent and practical than any benefits

  that might come from studying the Scriptures

  and seeking a close relationship with

  God. What the Bible teaches may appeal to

  them, but “the anxieties of this system of

  things and the deceptive power of riches”

  choke whatever interest they may have.

  (Mark 4:18, 19) Consider how Jesus helped

  his disciples to adjust their priorities.
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  NVR2L8

  The WT society automatically assume that people seek higher education with the only goal to get rich or to acquire prestige. These benefit may at one point reward those who spent years to acquire knowledge in a specific field, but in many case the driving force behind higher education is the need to learn and the desire to fullfil a quest for knowledge. Many are driven by the desire to contribute to society and enhance other peoples' lives. But no! The WT cannot attribute any noblety to higher education...
• 

  maninthemiddle

  Well said...NV

  Here is the same paragraph from the Simplified version. As usuall they see it as a binary option.

  4 Many men think that having money

  and a job is more important than

  studying the Bible and obeying what it

  teaches. To get a university degree and

  a well-paid job is more important to

  them.
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  PSacramento

  As I posted in another thread:

  God gives us all special gifts.

  Some the gift or healing, others of words and languages, others of math and science and to NOT use those gifts to the fullest for ALL of God's creation is an afront to God.

  And the best way to develop those skills is higher education.
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  NVR2L8

  One shouldn't automatically assume that JWs study the bible - I know they study the WatchTower magazine. I haven't yet found one scripture boasting the merrits of being ignorant. If King Salomon lived today would he be satisfied with only learning enough to get by...would the WT "educational" program allow him to fully put his thinking ability to use?
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  troubled mind

  Well put NV !

  Just in my family I have two young people going to College for the sheer quest of knowlegde . My DIL has a desire to understand genetics and biology . She is not looking at becoming rich ,but possibly doing research into cancer for better ways of treatment .

  My son has a real gift in understanding Math . He loves Math and Astronomy . He just called me the other day and is considering quitting his (good) job and going back to school fulltime for his Masters in Math /astronomy . We discussed how it may never be a lucrative carreer (astronomy ) ,But it would fullfil his desire to be learning and doing something he has a passion for ...which he considers worth more than money .

  I think if we had encouraged education much more as children they would feel more fulfilled now as young adults . They would have taken advantage of more oppurtunities to seek out what they were passinate about than settleing for mediocre jobs that made enough money to survive on .

  Love of learning and having a passion for a particular field always made me think, even as a Witness ,was something God put in us to fulfill .It never felt right we should all be lumped together to only pursue knocking on doors as our life long profession .
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  NVR2L8

  I am one who's desire and ability to learn wasted on the wrong curriculum - the WT program! I quit school before completing HS because "true" education would be soon provided after Armaguedon came (1975)...36 years past and all my life I had to slug it to provide may family the necessities of life and to put some money asside "just-in-case" I grew old in this system...I don't know if 56 years old is old...and the WT still encourages young ones to get just enough education to get by...because the end is soon. Although my wife and son are still in, I will do all I can to make sure my grand children get the education I forfited and hope they use their talents and skills in a fruitful manner.
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  clarity

  The watchtower merry-go-round .... where she stops no one knows.

  AAhh, today she stops again at this old song & dance ... one more time!

  Fire-up the engines, get it turning ...... let the music start aahh the same old tune !

  Play it again Sam ..... "smoke gets in your eyes"

  Ahh yes things look better that way.........................thru a haze

  clarity .. of the heard it before class
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  sir82

  According to their way of thinking, the reward of making money is more urgent and practical than any benefits that might come from studying the Scriptures and seeking a close relationship with God.

  The implication seems to be that "making money" and "seeking a close relationship with God" are mutually exclusive.

  Why?

  And what does "making money" have to do with "higher education" anyway?

  Each year, thousands & thousands & thousands of education majors, math majors, sociology majors, etc. leave with their degree and no aspirations whatsoever of "making a lot of money".

  Meanwhile, some of the meanest, materialistic, money-grubbing-est people I know are JWs with an 8th grade education.