My understanding from what I've read over the years is that the WT paints a picture of tertiary education being a school for worldliness. In reality, university life reflects society as a whole: it can be as debauched and party-oriented, or as sober and chaste as you make it. It's a pity that the WT's overarching scheme has been to depict anything outside their control as something horrible and frightening. I suppose it all fits against the backdrop of the WT being the Ark, and everything else being the doomed world outside.
How Do Jehovah's Witnesses View Education?
by southyukon 45 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Beth Sarim
...in other words it fits their ""us vs. them"" mentality.
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Rivergang
Jehovah's Witnesses feel that the environment in some universities or similar centers of higher learning can pose moral and spiritual dangers.
While remaining oblivious to the fact that - in this manner, at least - the workplace can be just as hazardous!
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Ding
JWs view "worldly education" as evil, opposed to Jehovah, unnecessary (with Armageddon being so close), and vastly inferior to the teachings provided by the WT organization.
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joey jojo
Critical thinking is the enemy of fundamental religion.
JW's expect worldly people to criticise their own beliefs and the beliefs of their parents and friends, turn their backs on the ones they love and stop associating with them.
However, JW's shut down the conversation when the slightest amount of deserved criticism is directed at the organisation or their beliefs.
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FedUpJW
This quote from another source says exactly what my belief is as to the JW view of education.
People with higher intelligence tend to be harder to control for various reasons. First off, they are able to think for themselves and cannot be as easily controlled through rhetoric, propaganda, emotional manipulations and intimidation. Stupid people are easily manipulated and will go along with anybody who has an easy answer for them or easily digestible rhetoric to follow.
I always seemed to have thought that most JW's were a bit mentally challenged and nothing has changed my opinion.
One time my father and I were conversing about some of the things that we saw in the JW's that seemed "off". I mentioned that I had been told by an elder, "You THINK to much!" My father replied, "No, they don't think ENOUGH!"
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Foolednomore
FedupJw- Had an elder tell me that I think too much. Just imagine what happened when I started my higher education.
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Vidiot
I remember one time when I was still in, listening the the anti-education rhetoric from the platform, and thinking to myself, “if they keep this up, they’re gonna end up with a ‘worldwide body’ of morons”…
😵💫
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Biahi
Folded and Fedup, my mom told me if I ‘think too much’, I could think myself right out of da troof. 🤮 Haha, I guess I did.
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TonusOH
Yeah, if you can boil your worldview down to "thinking is bad," it's time to re-evaluate your worldview.