<p>First time poster here! I have been lurking around the forum for a while and decided to register and thought I'd ask if any of you knew about this, though I'd hate to start off with a question and much rather start by helping/advising. So my apologies beforehand!</p>
<p>One of my acquaintances, who is a Jehovah's Witness, and I were conversing earlier today about the future and she brought up about how her son, who's a HS junior and exceptionally talented, will not be applying to colleges this fall and instead plans on pursuing volunteer work full-time for their church. </p>
<p>My jaw dropped. This is one of the brightest young men I've met with great initiative who has also done a lot for his underrepresented minority group within the community, has maintained stellar grades and still finds enough time to do all of their church activities which from, what I can tell, are extremely time consuming. </p>
<p>I asked her why and she said that their church has advised against the pursuit of higher education and instead advocates seeking technical and occupational careers in order to focus on the church's work at a younger age.</p>
<p>I don't know if there are any Jehovah's Witnesses here or not, or anyone who knows them more closely, but I did not want to seem impudent by asking her how it is she is going to give up a college education for such a bright kid-- especially since I don't believe a few more years could really delay anything by such a substantially decisive amount of time! Is this how it is at all the churches or just this one in particular?</p>
<p>We know several students who are Jehovah's Witnesses, and no, they did not go to college. I'm not sure this is uniformly true, but these guys didn't attend college. Both did a two year "mission" work with the church. They are now both married and are working in the building trade. Both are VERY talented builders.</p>
<p>I know a former JW who is college educated. I do know, however, that she paid for it herself and at some point during college was ex-communicated for refusing to "shun" her gay brother.</p>
<p>My secretary is a JW...no college but her parents were Mexican immigrants, so I assumed it was a financial, rather than a religious, issue. I might be wrong.</p>
<p>My sister had a co-worker who was a Jehovah's Witness. The co-worker was about 23; this was 1983 or so. The co-worker and her friends did not go to college. The co-worker said they believed, "What is the sense of college when the world might end any time now?"</p>
<p>I've only met a few JWs on a personal level and from what I'm aware none of them had college educations. Is there exclusive involvement with the church which is why they wouldn't encourage it? </p>
<p>That's interesting about the JW club on a college campus-- first time I've heard of such a thing. Maybe it's geographical/dependent on the leaders in each congregation?</p>
<p>I was just so intrigued as to how someone could give up so much ability for faith, which led me to question whether it was prohibited or simply an anomaly in my area, especially with the increasing need to have a college degree for most, even entry-level, jobs with no prior work experience.</p>
<p>Not intending to offend, but... perhaps it's a more obvious reason... traditional colleges are supposed to open minds. Why would a religion want its members thinking on their own and exploring new paths?</p>
<p>Not a popular thing to say perhaps, but it's hard to overlook. Religion is all about control.</p>
<p>Two of my female cousins are JW and both have four year degrees (one with a double major). One of them has worked only half-time since she married so that she can devote more time to her religious work. The other is active in her church, but has as a position as head of marketing for the company where she works and travels too much to devote much time to religious work. Both are married to men who work in the skilled trades. I don't know if either husband has any college education at all.</p>
<p>In the case described by the OP, I think there could be first generation issues as well as JW issues involved. Also, we have to remember just exactly how much money someone can make as a plumber or electrician with a union card - not to mention as an auto mechanic!</p>
<p>
[quote]
traditional colleges are supposed to open minds. Why would a religion want its members thinking on their own and exploring new paths?
[/quote]
I understand where you're coming from and I think it applies to some very closed religions but not many mainstream religions. Consider for example all of the colleges founded by Catholics, other Christian sects, Jews, etc. Think about Yale and countless others. A significant number of our colleges wouldn't exist if not founded by religious sects and individuals. And I don't think most mainstream religions discourage their members from attending college.</p>
<p>I don't know about the JWs though. I only know two I think - one who worked at my company who likely went to college given his position (but I never asked) and another who has a Masters degree.</p>
<p>I know a Jehovah's Witness who has an education, a chiropractor. I found out about his religion when he was about to twist my neck in a treatment session and I was laid out on a table getting a treatment. Seems he uses "sessions" to do religious work, and he explained to me that he gets in hundreds of witness hours in a year this way while at the office! Yikes! talk about a "captive audience." Need I say that was our last meeting...... I didn't realize the business about trades and occupational training...we have a lot of construction workers hereabouts who are JWs.</p>
<p>One of my closest friends grew up JW and went to college, has a degree, all that. My impression is that other JW relatives did, too. He's not a JW now, but my impression is that he was not brought up to avoid college. </p>
<p>I also have two JW coworkers, both with children in college, or graduated from college. So I don't think it's a universal thing.</p>
<p>one of my closest friends at school right now is a Witness, she has had one sister go to our local Jesuit college, and another go to an ivy. my friend is off to NYU in the fall. she has mentioned to me that not many do go to college, but her mother is college-educated as well, so i think there are plenty of exceptions to the rule.</p>
<p>Regarding Thessalonians Chapter 5, noted by the poster collegemom16:
[quote]
12
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who are laboring among you and who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you,
13
and to show esteem for them with special love on account of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I respect those who choose to be laborers but I am uneasy about any organization whose members would tell its children they must be laborers.</p>
<p>There is a JW community in the small town I live in that is pretty notorious for shunning the educational system in general. Most the JWs don't even allow their children to enter public schools. The only one I ever heard of who who made it to a public school was pulled out by his parents in the 5th grade. He was extremely accomplished for his age both musically and mathematically. Too bad he's now married, abusing hard drugs, and working as manual labor for one the local plants (at 18 yrs). Besides his parents being over-protective, I've still tried to stay in contact with the guy. </p>
<p>Oh, and yes, his mom doesn't work and his dad is a construction worker of some kind.</p>