by MsGrowingGirl20 48 Replies latest jw friends
"The last KM school had a talk on how elders are not to encourage or even condone higher ed. If you are an elder who has children going to college your qualifications to serve are automatically reviewed by the BOE.
This is why he was hesitant to speak freely"-STUCKINAMOVEMENT
What STUCKINAMOVEMENT said is 110% true.
Hi MsGrowingGirl20, much sympathy for what you're going through, btw. I understand all too well.
His hands are probably tied. As a servant we were told by our CO that going to college is not necessarly grounds for removal. Nor is it mandatory removal if your kids go. However, if you promote the idea of college in the congregation, you will be removed as a servant.
A few years back when I was still serving as an elder, I believe it was the late summer/early fall of 2006 we received a letter from the CCOJW's which plainly and unequivocally stated that anyone that pursues or promotes higher education would no longer qualify for privileges of service. I remember it quite clearly because I had just received my B.A. in Education just a couple of month before we received that letter.
I remember thinking that if that letter had come a few months earlier I would have been forced to either drop out of school or resign as an elder. I also remember that tone of the letter implied that I had been lacking in faith and disloyal to theocratic direction when the truth is that prior to that letter the official WT policy was that the pursuit of Higher Education was "a conscience matter."
00DAD
Oh dear. You are going to learn things in college. You will learn history. REAL history. My history college prof and I have spoken for hours about 607 BCE and other rewritten history. She was kind of floored at how I was taught history---at the University of Watchtower. She even told me names of profs that could go more deeply into Babylon destroying Jerusalem. She said she never even heard that ANYONE thought it was 607 as there is no conflict within academia.
Oh dear. And then there is science. Unadulterated quotes---in context---from the original authors. Kiss of death to the twisted, intellectually dishonest crap the WTBT$ spoon feeds adherents.
I'm so glad you are in college.
NC
What NewChapter said is dead on!
When I went to college and saw the academic standard of how quotes are SUPPOSED to be cited and sources given my eyes were opened to the lame, unacademic methods of "quoting" used by the WTBTS. It really got me wondering why they would never, or almost never cite their sources. Now I know.
BTW, in college, (just in case you don't know), if you do NOT cite your sources in a paper it will be rejected completely. If the teacher/professor is lenient, and not all are, they MAY allow you to fix it and turn it in late for partial credit.
By academic standards, the Watchtower and Awake! are colossal failures.
00Dad---we could fail an entire class for not properly citing. but here is the thing----they got away with it for so long, because we didn't have the interenet. They didn't see THAT coming! NO ONE EVER EXPECTS THE INTERNET! Now we just pop a quote into google---ta da! The entire story unfolds. In the past, many dusty hours first locating the original quote (cuz they never tell you where they come from) and then reading the entire thing in context would have been required. They are not going to win this. That's why there are sooooo many warnings about the internet. They are hiding in full view.
NC
"By academic standards, the Watchtower and Awake! are colossal failures."
Absolutely!
One thing to say to any elder who sticks his nose in is you intend to use your college education so you can work part time and pioneer later, or use your skills at Bethel. Of course it's BS but it will be harder for them to say you are wrong.
00DAD, use your brain, go to the grave & no resurrection
MS. GROWING GIRL- You asked, " Why was I giving men so much control over my life " ? You are not alone in asking that question. I think many of us here asked ourselves the same question after we exited the Witnesses. The answer lies in that we were captives of a concept. We were told we could trust everything the WT society told us to be from God above. However as you are learning - many times the WT society puts their OWN ideas and thoughts into their publications and tries controlling behavior and actions of Jehovah's Witnesses - whether it's in the Bible , or not. And the elder who told you he could get in trouble for telling you what he REALLY feels - is telling the truth. He is not allowed to use his own mind either, as you are not allowed to think for yourself. So- Good for you in deciding to go to college ! Right on ! By using your own critical thinking skills - it will benefit you in other decisions and areas of your life you are exploring right now. I wish you the best ! Keep up the good work and you are doing well thinking for yourself ! I'm proud of you
I am not a "ditto" type person, but I say DITTO to what NEWCHAPTER and 00DAD said^^^^^^^
