Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue - Christianity Etc - Nairaland
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| Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by wumiwumi100(op): 2:00pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
One of the most painful topics many Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t openly discuss is the Governing Body’s past position on higher education. For decades, the official message from Watchtower publications and congregation talks was that higher education was dangerous, spiritually risky, and not necessary for a good life. Many parents were strongly advised not to allow their children to pursue university education. Instead, Witness youths were told to go into trades, short vocational courses, or full-time religious service. The result? Thousands of young people gave up opportunities that could have improved their lives, careers, and even their ability to care for their families. Many parents now look back with regret, realizing that their children could have had a better future if not for the pressure that came from the organization’s teachings at the time. But what is even more concerning is this: the Governing Body has now “updated” its position. In the latest update 5, they say higher education is now a matter of personal choice, and no one should be judged for pursuing it. So what happens to all the lives that were already affected by the previous teachings? What about the brothers and sisters who stayed away from school, only to find themselves struggling in today’s world? Can they get those years back? Can they rebuild the opportunities lost? This is why it’s important to ask: If the Governing Body is guided by God, why do their “understandings” change after many lives have already been negatively affected? Shouldn’t individuals have the freedom to decide what is best for themselves and their children without fear of being judged? And most importantly, is disagreeing with the Governing Body the same as lacking faith in Jehovah? For me, the answer is clear. Trusting in Jehovah and following Christ is not the same thing as following every instruction from men who sometimes admit they were wrong. The Bible itself shows us in Acts 17:11 that the Beroean Christians were praised for checking things out carefully instead of swallowing everything blindly. At the end of the day, the truth will always stand up to questioning. No organization should expect its members to accept teachings without personal research or reflection. Many of us are simply asking questions, not because we lack faith, but because we want to protect our future and the future of our children.
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| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by PulsingPurple(m): 3:17pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
Former JW? (More more more more characters needed)
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| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by MaxInDHouse(m): 4:02pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
PulsingPurple:After leaving against God's Organization they want to accuse the group but don't know how to go about it again! ![]() If you are tired of one religion what stops you from joining a better one? |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by DoWhatThouWilt: 4:07pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
wumiwumi100:You want to protect your children in a place known for protecting people that a.buse children? Run from them O. |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by wumiwumi100(op): 4:12pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
MaxInDHouse:This is not about being tired of one religion or running to another. It’s deeper than that. When an organization claims to speak for God, but later changes their own teachings that have already destroyed people’s lives, should we all just keep quiet? Many brothers and sisters could not further their education because they followed the Governing Body’s advice. Today, the rule has changed, but those people are left with regrets. Speaking up about these things is not ‘accusing’ it’s simply being honest. The Beroeans were praised because they didn’t just accept everything blindly (Acts 17:11). In the same way, asking questions and exposing errors is not rebellion, it’s love for truth. Whether someone chooses another religion or not is a personal matter, but the wounds caused by wrong teachings deserve to be discussed. Silence is what allows the same mistakes to continue. |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by wumiwumi100(op): 4:15pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
DoWhatThouWilt:You’ve spoken well. And please understand, I’m not just speaking for myself. Many people are genuinely confused, struggling with questions but afraid to talk because of the fear of being judged or labeled an apostate. |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by SarcasticWords: 4:19pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
wumiwumi100:Signs of a cult not a religion. |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by MaxInDHouse(m): 4:23pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
wumiwumi100:Those Beroeans were Judaists before they met Paul so they cross-checked the things Paul said about Christianity before switching over from Judaism to Christianity. So if you're like the Beroeans please join a better performing group than the one you left just as they did nobody cares what your former religion taught what faithful people want to know now is your new religion and what you believe today! |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by MaxInDHouse(m): 4:25pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
SarcasticWords:Ọmọ that's what the Jews called Jesus of Nazareth and he foretold that his real disciples will also be called a cult: “A student is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the student to become as his teacher, and the slave as his master. If people have called the master of the house Be·elʹze·bub, how much more those of his household?" Matthew 10:24-25🤔 |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by SarcasticWords: 4:38pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
wumiwumi100:Yes. I can see that confusion in one of them here. God will save them. |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by wumiwumi100(op): 4:39pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
MaxInDHouse:See ehn, let’s call it what it is. Acts 17:11 makes it clear that the Beroeans were better than the Thessalonicans because they didn’t just swallow Paul’s preaching like akara and pap. They went home, opened Scriptures, and double-checked every single thing. That’s why the Bible praises them. Now tell me if one religion today is truly “the truth,” why dem dey fear questions? Why dem dey brand people apostates just for checking history or cross-referencing Bible? If you claim to have truth, why are you afraid of being examined? Real truth no dey fear microscope. If something is truly the truth, then no matter how much you investigate, cross-check, question, or analyze it, it will remain the truth. Paul himself said “Test all things, hold fast what is fine” (1 Thess. 5:21). If your “truth” can’t survive small examination, maybe it’s not truth after all. |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by SarcasticWords: 4:41pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
wumiwumi100:God bless you. ![]() |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by MaxInDHouse(m): 4:41pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
wumiwumi100:There are millions of people leaving one religion for another yearly but one funny thing about the only true religion is that unlike converts in other religions who are having a lot to share about their new found faith deserters of true religion only remembers what they left behind it's like there is no way forward so they have to continue taking whoever listens to them backwards. Imagine if all converts have to start telling people what they left behind then who will preach the Good News of God's Kingdom? ![]() |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by wumiwumi100(op): 4:45pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
SarcasticWords:Thank you bro |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by MaxInDHouse(m): 4:48pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
PulsingPurple:Please check the screenshot below this guy's post. This shows you don't have anything new to share ever since you left JWs. Haba! When will you start living for your future and stop returning to what you left behind? I was a Muslim but check all my posts on this forum all i share is my new found faith because there's nothing to write home about my former religion but if i have to keep seeking attention over my former religion then why did i leave in the first place?🤔 |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by MaxInDHouse(m): 4:55pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
@ wumiwumi100 I know it's hard to forget about Jehovah's Witnesses Organization but one thing about me is how i think unlike most people who may be praising you for telling them stories about your past or former faith what interests me is your new found faith and what is happening there because i strongly believe that if you don't have anything new to share then there's no reason listening to you because everyone as in everyone have their past. Thanks for your time! |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by wumiwumi100(op): 4:56pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
MaxInDHouse:You completely diverted from the real issue. Nobody is denying that people leave religions every day, your point there is irrelevant to the discussion. The main question is: if this is really “the truth,” why are people who ask questions or raise concerns made to feel guilty or labeled as apostates? What you just said actually makes no sense when examined closely. If people who leave the so-called “only true religion” spend so much time talking about what they left behind, doesn’t that say something about how deeply they were affected by it? Trauma doesn’t come from nothing. If it was truly a “happy place,” why would their voices be filled with pain, regret, and betrayal? So please, stop deflecting. Stick to the main point, because what you said is just an attempt to run away from uncomfortable facts. |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by SarcasticWords: 4:57pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
wumiwumi100:Don’t get upset with those who are still confused. Growth takes time. They have already learned new things about their religion and the Bible. The fact that they are here talking with us shows they love what we say and they don’t follow every rule blindly. That’s a sign God is working. ![]() |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by MaxInDHouse(m): 5:03pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
wumiwumi100:The same thing happens in all religions so your cry for WOLF! WOLF!! Is found everywhere unless you want to continue deceiving yourself. In the first century anyone questioning the authority of those taking the lead in Christianity were disfellowshiped: Now I urge you, brothers, to keep your eye on those who create divisions and causes for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them. Romans 16:17 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. For the one who says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works. 2John 10-11 I wrote something to the congregation, but Di·otʹre·phes, who likes to have the first place among them, does not accept anything from us with respect. 10 That is why if I come, I will call attention to the works he is doing in spreading malicious talk about us. Not being content with this, he refuses to welcome the brothers with respect; and those who want to welcome them, he tries to hinder and to throw out of the congregation. 3John 9-10 So if you don't want to hear the truth you can continue deceiving yourself! |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by wumiwumi100(op): 5:09pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
MaxInDHouse:This is exactly the hypocrisy we are talking about. Instead of facing the real issues, you quickly shift the discussion to “new faith.” That is simply a distraction. Nobody here is trying to promote another religion; we are exposing harmful teachings and contradictions that have destroyed many lives. If someone has suffered in a place, would you just tell them “forget it”? No, because speaking out is part of healing. You say what interests you is “new found faith.” That only shows you are dodging the real matter because it is uncomfortable. We are not here to advertise churches. We are pointing out failed prophecies, abandoned doctrines, child abuse cover-ups, and the fear tactics the Watchtower uses to control people. To now say “talk about your new faith” is hypocrisy because you don’t want to address the real issues. And your statement that “if you don’t have anything new to share, there’s no reason to listen” is false. There is every reason. Many people are still inside but are afraid to speak because of the label “apostate.” We speak not only for ourselves but also for those trapped in silence. The truth that is strong does not fear examination. If Jehovah’s Witness teachings are truly solid, why the fear when people question them? Why disfellowship someone just for asking questions? Why so much panic over scrutiny? If the foundation is solid, it will stand up to examination. So let’s not deceive ourselves, this is not about clinging to the past, it is about exposing wrongs and helping people see clearly. If that makes you uncomfortable, maybe it is because you know the questions are valid but you cannot answer them. |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by wumiwumi100(op): 5:18pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
MaxInDHouse:You are twisting scriptures to defend men, not truth. Let’s examine this properly. Romans 16:17 was about avoiding those who deliberately caused divisions contrary to the teaching of Christ. But asking sincere questions, testing doctrines, or exposing lies is not “creating divisions.” In fact, Acts 17:11 praises the Beroeans for carefully examining even Paul’s teachings to see if they were true. If questioning leaders is wrong, why does the Bible commend them? 2 John 10-11 is about rejecting those who denied Christ’s teaching, not sincere believers who seek accountability. To use that verse to silence examination is a misuse of scripture. 3 John 9-10 actually condemns Diotrephes for loving to have the first place and throwing out those who wanted to do what was right. That behavior mirrors what the Watchtower does today—expelling sincere ones for questioning failed prophecies or exposing hypocrisy. Now, here are Bible verses that prove my point: 1 Thessalonians 5:21 — “But test everything; hold fast what is good.” The Bible commands us to test, not blindly follow. Galatians 1:8 — Paul warns that even if he himself or an angel preaches something different from the true gospel, it should be rejected. If Paul invited scrutiny of his own message, why do Governing Body forbid it? Matthew 7:15-16 — Jesus said to watch out for false prophets and know them by their fruits. How can we obey this command if we are punished for examining their fruits? John 8:32 — “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Real truth does not fear examination, because truth always stands. So let’s be clear: in the first century, Christians were not disfellowshipped for asking questions. They were encouraged to test teachings, reject false ones, and follow Christ alone. The only ones condemned were those who denied Christ or misled others deliberately just like what the Governing Body is doing today. So, when the Governing Body silences, expels, and shuns people for asking questions, it is not “Bible-based discipline”, it is the spirit of Diotrephes, the very thing John condemned. Real truth welcomes examination. Only organizations built on fear and control punish people for thinking. |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by SarcasticWords: 5:29pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
wumiwumi100:Excellent. ![]() |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by MaxInDHouse(m): 5:36pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
wumiwumi100:Have you found a religion that's teaching what Christ taught so that we can now know those who deliberately causes division? ![]() |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by MaxInDHouse(m): 5:37pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
So have you now found the truth? ![]() wumiwumi100: |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by PulsingPurple(m): 5:44pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
MaxInDHouse:I don't know how to put it to you Max, but if this guy is an ex-JW, then I fully understand why he's making posts against you guys. I saw the post, saw the similar posts on his profile and just got curious. Wasn't asking with intention of mockery or anything, unless of course he isn't a former member and was just making posts for engagement. If there's anyone I'd expect anti-JW posts from, it would be the former members who know what they're talking about. |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by MaxInDHouse(m): 5:44pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
See the religion you are complaining about as they've won the hearts of sincere observers: APOPTOSIS: BafanaBafana: Oye0404: XXLDICK: freethinker01: boss1310: Deway52: Love800:Jesus said: "You are the light of the world. A city cannot be hid when located on a mountain. People light a lamp and set it, not under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it shines on all those in the house. Likewise, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your fine works and give glory to your Father who is in the heavens" Matthew 5:14-16 Have you found a better performing group than this? ![]() |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by PulsingPurple(m): 5:47pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
MaxInDHouse:Hmm, I hear you sir. Still, I prefer former members criticising what they left, based on their experience, as opposed to random scholars sharing their learnings. (Both are valid tho). Someone not doing what YOU would have done, doesn't make them wrong. |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by MaxInDHouse(m): 5:50pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
PulsingPurple:If you are sincere with yourself there is no need asking people to come and tell you what they experienced in their former religion because we all have what we believe or practiced formerly before our conversion. For instance Jesus was talking one day and all his disciples left him never to see him again remaining the only apostles. John 6:66 The question any sincere person should ask is: have they found a better religion? Peter answered that there is nowhere to turn to if they leave Jesus. John 6:68 So if some people are complaining about their former religion i will ask them: Have you found a better one? ![]() |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by wumiwumi100(op): 5:53pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
MaxInDHouse:You’re still avoiding the real issue. The question is not whether I’ve “found another religion,” the question is whether the one claiming to be the only true religion actually measures up to Christ’s standard. That’s what we’re examining. The Beroeans in Acts 17:11 didn’t first go looking for another religion, they examined Paul’s message against the Scriptures. That’s what honest people do. By your logic, the Thessalonians who blindly accepted everything without testing it should be praised, but the Bible shows the opposite because the Beroeans were called “noble” for testing teachings carefully. And Christ himself never commanded us to “join a religion.” He commanded us to follow him (John 14:6; Matthew 11:28). So shifting the discussion to “which religion did you join?” is a distraction. The real point is this: if Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to be the truth, why are they afraid of being examined under the light of Scripture? 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says: “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” That command stands whether or not someone has “another religion.” If what you defend is truly from God, it will pass the test. If not, no amount of diversion will cover it up. So the issue is simple: why run from scrutiny if the “truth” can stand on its own? |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by wumiwumi100(op): 6:00pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
PulsingPurple:Thank you for this. Honestly, I appreciate the fact that you didn’t try to dismiss my experience like how Max is doing. You understood the simple point that if someone has been inside a system, they are in the best position to talk about what they saw, both good and bad. Even the Bible shows that exposing false practices is not “hatred” but love for truth. Paul himself spoke about the things he used to practice as a Pharisee (Philippians 3:4 to and even warned against the errors of those who tried to mislead others (Acts 20:29–30). So there’s nothing wrong if former members speak up.And you’re right, former members have firsthand knowledge, so pretending their voices don’t matter is just hypocrisy. Thank you once again for being fair enough to see that and not just trying to silence me. |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by MaxInDHouse(m): 6:10pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
wumiwumi100:Think about the disciples that left Jesus in the first century {John 6:66} and try to imagine what such ones will continue to say when Peter said there is no one to turn to for truth about everlasting life {John 6:68} of course it's what you are saying now that they will continue saying: The question is not whether they’ve “found a better teacher,” the question is whether the one claiming to be the only way, truth and life actually measures up to God’s standard. Because they strongly believe Jesus was talking rubbish which totally contradicts what the scriptures say. So my friend we are the type that keeps asking for a better one while you are the type that keeps on complaining about the only one you have. ![]() |
| Re: Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body And The Higher Education Issue by PulsingPurple(m): 6:10pm On Sep 02, 2025 |
MaxInDHouse:Mr. Maximus oo 😅 Sometimes people give responses as though the world revolves around their thinking process. Think broad a bit, or better still openly say you choose to reject any knowledge that comes from elsewhere (close-mindedness). Whichever way, your argument wasn't with me, the question I asked wasn't for you and your answer didn't exactly satisfy me either. Carry on with your thing, I'll have no further response after this one. For your first paragraph, let me ask this question (rhetorical): Following your ideology, if someone leaves a school where they molest children, the person shouldn't speak up and raise awareness? They should just carry on finding out a better school and leave the past behind? Replicate this analogy and boldly convince yourself on flawed reasonings (as usual). I don't even know why you started including Passages that didn't relate with your point. Maybe next time, include passages where people are encouraged not to speak up and raise awareness when they leave a former, false religion. |
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