Why do Jehovah's Witnesses have mixed views on university education?

Question

Anyone that has had any dealings with the JW's knows that they constantly tell their members to stay away from higher education! Why do they think it is bad? Is it because it teaches them to think for themselves?

On the other hand they are always looking at gaining free professional qualified labor at their church factories (Bethel where they make all their books) They constantly say they need Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants and Electrical Engineers? Where are they supposed to get these people if they don't want their members to go to university? Sounds like a contradiction to me?

Answer 1

I think they mainly don't want females going to college/university. It's more acceptable for males which are traditionally the Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants and Electrical Engineers. The females are just supposed to serve and obey!

Answer 2

The two foundation premises of this so-called "question" are both false.


Firstly, Jehovah's Witnesses simply encourage their young people to be practical and goal-oriented when making plans regarding secular education. Ironically, it is practical degree paths such as in heathcare, law, accounting, and engineering which seem to be the most popular with students among Jehovah's Witnesses.

(Luke 14:28-30) [Jesus said] who of you that wants to build a tower does not first sit down and calculate the expense, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, he might lay its foundation but not be able to finish it, and all the onlookers might start to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man started to build but was not able to finish.’


Secondly, Jehovah's Witnesses certainly do not need to particularly recruit professionals to serve at their branch offices (although they may have done so in past decades). Perhaps the questioner is unaware that there are now nearly seven million active Jehovah's Witnesses, about 10% of them in some form of full-time service during any given month. There has not been any need to recruit applicants (even highly skilled applicants) for years.

(Psalm 110:3) Your people will offer themselves willingly... You have your company of young men just like dewdrops.


Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20060701/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_07.htm

Answer 3

I think perhaps you are either confused, misinformed or both. Many Jehovah's Witnesses have college educations, many do not. There are Witnesses who are doctors, attorneys, engineers, nuclear physicists, geologists, theoretical physicists, microbiologists and so on. Obviously, they were not told to "stay away from higher education."

I am not sure what you mean by "always looking at gaining free professional qualified labor at their church factories." There are a number of attorneys at Bethel and throughout the world who are Witnesses. There are countless accountants and electrical engineers as well.

Witnesses do not believe higher education is bad because it "teaches them to think for themselves." On the contrary, Witnesses are everywhere taught to think for themselves. Most "orthodox" religions follow the crowd when it comes to doctrines, practices, and beliefs. They hardly bother to think it through. It takes quite a bit of strength to go against the grain and think for yourself.

Witnesses have a well-rounded education. However, there is a chasm of difference between education and propaganda. Education shows you how to think. Propaganda tells you what to think. A good educator will present all sides of an issue and encourage discussion. But propagandists unrelentingly force you to hear their view alone and they discourage any meaningful discussion.

Propaganda encourages this type of behavior. How? By agitating the emotions and exploiting insecurities. To illustrate: oftentimes, certain religious groups will be labeled as a "cult." It's a hot-button word; inciting the emotions rather than the thinking abilities of humans. It also exploits insecurities; people are always insecure and uncomfortable around that which is different and propagandists use that to their own advantage. Christian Witnesses are most assuredly different.

But we would expect that when we consider the words of Jesus Christ at John 17:14-16:

"I have given your word to them, but the world has hated them, because they are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world. I request you, not to take them out of the world, but to watch over them because of the wicked one. They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world."

Hannah J Paul

Answer 4

Man, you've got me. I used to be around some JW's quite a bit a few years ago. It does sound familiar that they want you to stay away from higher education, but I can't remember for sure. But, it may be that they know it's inevitable that people are going to go to college, and if they do, they want them to have the status of those high qualified jobs.

Answer 5

The point of view is simple, (1 Cor. 15:33) is not necessary to spent 4 or 5 years studying and spending too much money to get an education, the advice is also to consider the technical carreers that are shorter and let you earn the necessary money to live, is not a secret that university is not the only choice to get a good Job and to protect us of bad association, of course nobody is disfelloship for that is a personal decision and we are willing to support the spread of good news and help with our skill, I am civil engineer and help in my country (Dom. Rep) in the construction commitee.

Answer 6

Many young ones have had a college education.
And they are still Witnesses.
The bible points out we should not be using the world to the full. It says this world is passing away and so is it's desires but the man that does the will of God will live forever.

So the reasoning is what is the most important thing right now......Is it the same as in Jesus day?
YES
It's to help all those sighing and crying over this system of things to come to know Jehovah.

What if Jesus spent his 3 years in college and told God...yea yea yea when I get out of school then I'll teach mankind. And if I have time from my new career I'll die for them.

Silly huh?
He said he only wanted to serve God whole-souled. He wanted to put mankind on the right path to life.

Our young ones for the most part take the example Jesus set to heart.
They are there at your homes trying to help you survive.
And for them it is no burden for they do it out of love.
Please think about this before you slam that door in their face today.

Answer 7

If they learnt science at university they would be unlikely to return to the JW cult ever again.
.