James Thomas Rook Jr.

College Educations are NOT for the best and brightest, although they can be.
They are for the average Joe and Joanna who has to make a living ... and MUST have degree, or advanced degree to even get INTO their chosen field of endeavor, and out of grinding, soul killing, corrosive, abject poverty that never will end.
The choice for the average person is get a college degree, and LEARN what is necessary, and get a recognized document that PROVES they are proficient, or in most field that are not just low wage, slave labor, grunt work ... they cannot EVER get employed.
Most people on this planet are just average people, and that includes Jehovah's Witnesses, who make it a source of pride to be "humble".
No one EVER gets hired BECAUSE he is "humble".
They get hired because they have marketable skills.
AND CAN PROVE IT.
For those NOT highly motivated and have an aggressive attitude, say the top 15% of humanity ... the ability to get a job and keep a job  not limited to the expression " ..you want fries with that? ..." at subsistence wages or less depends on FORMAL, accredited, and documented education.
Consider the fact that if you are driving your car on a city street, and you have every skill necessary to be a good driver ... all the skills needed ... but you do NOT have a valid driver's license.
There is a word for that.
Pedestrian.
I HAVE BEEN BLIND, TWICE, AND YET WITH MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR EACH EYE, I HAVE 20/20 VISION CLOSE UP, AND FAR AWAY, AND IT MAKES LIFE A GREAT JOY.
ALL DAY!
EVERY DAY!
It is no shame to be poor, or on the ragged edge of poverty ... but it is NOTHING to brag about.
... and when someone asks me "you want fries with that ...", I usually reply "Yes, two LARGE orders"
Tankyou berry much.
Much is said about the desirability of a "Simplified Life" ....
Want a simplified life free from stress, fear and constantly scrabbling to survive?
It's EASIER for those fully competent ... and can prove it.
 

I find it quite funny that Srecko destroyed your inability to form sarcasm here in this post, without intent, with his example of the Ethiopian and Phillip before your comment. 
Acts 8: 35-38
Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”  And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

We have, it seems two sort of "burden" or "yoke". And two ways how implement this in person?s life.
We have Jesus' "burden" he ask us to carry. 
And we see "Organizational" way of implementations of principles set by Jesus. Organization as such have need to broaden administrative system of ruling over people. If person want to candidate for some job, he have to give his CV and answer on questions by boss. If you want to be as volunteer member in one religious organization, not to be paid for work you done in own name, but under elders leadership, you are also obligated to be guided by some rules. It seems logical, BUT we have here some spiritual moments that make this 80 questions as human invention not empowered by spirit. In example of man who, after some time/hours of talking with Philip said, See, here is water!  
And this example is not unique in Bible.

Considering your unrelated answer, TTH, I am beginning to wonder if you saw his actual question.  It is quite clear you did not comprehend it as written, as you wandered off-topic about something you had already prepared, before he asked his question.
Just for Yuks, heah tis',  his question quoted:
There is a problem with his question, as I am sure you are well aware ... it's HARDER and more complex than the question you answered  ....... that was not asked.
....AND ... as usual, today's Dilbert Cartoon addresses this kind of presumptuousness, specifically:  (" ... I left it that one for you while I answered the more far-reaching one that he should have asked." - TTH)

Follow Truth wherever it leads, and worry it away from the Universe, and you will do better than those that read to kill time, or because they are "supposed" to.

It was probably a suggestion from the Service Department to all Circuit Overseers to have them make that point especially during the years leading up to 1975. I recall two or three circuit overseers during the period when I was considering quitting high school. Also, if you look at some of the "ads" for Rutherford's books, it's the kind of hype they were given, too, so I suspect that such an idea (in different words) might have been around well before that, perhaps originally a method of touting the "Golden Age." 
I don't think the idea ever made it to print, except maybe in a talk outline, where it would have been based on someone's personal experience or based on some anecdote.
The idea of keeping up with the Watchtower and Awake! lining up with 4 years of college did work its way into this article in 1983: https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1983448
*** w83 6/15 p. 31 An Excellent Education ***
IT HAS been said that by reading the Watchtower and Awake! magazines, along with other publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a person will receive, over a period of years, a considerable and broad education. To illustrate, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses wrote the following letter:
“I quit school in the 9th grade about twenty-five years ago. I have had no secular schooling since then. I should have, by all rights, stagnated mentally. Due to economic circumstances—I had to go to work full time to support my family—I found it necessary to go back to school for a high school diploma. I began school two days ago and the teacher decided to give me a test like the one I will have to pass to get my diploma. The test covered such subjects as science, law, social studies and reading comprehension. I told the teacher I didn’t want to take it because I knew I wouldn’t do well. But she insisted.
“The result was that I scored one of the highest grades. The test grade needed to obtain the diploma is 35, which is the average score. I scored in the 55 range, or 4th year college level. Why am I telling this? Because the main source of my reading in the last eight years has been the publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I am an avid reader of them and do quite a bit of research.
“In the test that I took, I recognized that many of the answers were found in recent issues of our publications. For example, on science there were questions about fluorocarbons, a subject that had been discussed in Awake! It was similar with questions regarding physics, law and other subjects, including recent news events. Such events had been covered in the ‘Watching the World’ section of Awake! Also, my reading comprehension was exceptionally good.
 
 

...
A group of twenty BLIND FAITH LEADERS OF MANY RELIGIONS heard that a strange animal, called a Populist President, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. Out of curiosity, they said: "We must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable". So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it. In the case of the first blind faith leader, whose hand landed on the upper arm,  said "This being is like a thick snake". For another one whose hand reached its back it seemed like a kind of fan. As for another blind faith leader, whose hand was upon its leg, said, this Populist President is a pillar like a tree-trunk. Another  blind faith leader who placed her hand upon its side  "is a wall". Another who felt its tie, described it as like a silk ribbon. The last felt its hair ,stating this Populist President's is that which is like a stack of wheat sheaves.
And the twenty blind faith leaders, having made these inspections, and made these pronouncements, and more, the Populist President then led them into the next room, for them to examine and determine the nature of a Stormy ..... which proved to be a lot more interesting.

Baptism is only possible for those who have made those initial steps first. Obviously, not every single person on earth will have been given the chance to even take the first step. Therefor the WT statement cannot apply to those people, but it applies to those who are able to take the steps leading to baptism. That is the context.

It most certainly  does: "This means trying to motivate people to make the truth their own by applying what they learn, dedicating their life to Jehovah, and getting baptized. Only then will they survive Jehovah’s day".—
Obviously getting baptised cannot apply unless they have first  made the truth their own, applied what they learn, and dedicated their life to Jehovah.
 

...
 

TTH:
The fact remains, with all your many words, that we once had a perfect system ... specifically mandated by God ... and what we have now is a kludged together mess, mandated by New York lawyers.

* bold words mine
To some extent, other individual has a power over us in a measure we give him a power over us. In some other cases we can't do almost nothing about that. 
In continue, about what was said about power, is issue of rebellion or resistance. Russell was not, as books say about him (WT publications),  satisfied with his own religion and doctrines. In other words, his religion and doctrines of his religion had power over him and he didn't like that. For what ever reason he had. He showed rebelling and resistance to all that what made him unsatisfied, unhappy, unanswered ...etc. 
He has been in process of abandoning "old and bad" things and in same time looking for "new and better". He, in fact coming to be "an apostate", in context of what this word mean. A person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle.
In the eyes of his parents, Church and congregational members, he was, in general, viewed as "rebellious son" and as "apostate". Is that bad? 
You say, and many say how Russell has not been, because of his action, rebellious and apostate. But on contrary, he had a power to go one level up, and he is considered, in WT Society and JW organization, as brave young man and truth seeker. But his past church was already  "had the truth". Why he wanted "truth above the truth"?? :)))
See, how  things are the same today with WT Society and JW organization and their members who leave "religion of their parents".  They are not "apostates" in context WT Society want to showed them (as bad and devil inspired individuals). They are "truth seekers"..... with various and different outcomes.  

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.

The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.

Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.

The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah."

The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"

The little girl replied, "Then you ask him."

If you are talking about me, Arauna, I would like to hear those stories.. although it is written as an accusation to me personally, I assume you mean in a general sense about anybody.
There is a saying in America, from an old TV show, that "Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time".
Secrecy is the breeding place of tyranny, both petty and gross, and the root of many injurious things. It covers up tyrannies, incompetence and malfeasance .... and protects  judges from any accountability.  It also hides things that SHOULD be made public, so that the general populace is in fear of SPECIFIC actions and consequences.
Bad judges should have to have consequences equally punitive to their bad judgements.
I think the system Jehovah set up thousands of years ago  in ancient Israel is ..oh... what's the word I want to use ... oh yeah! .... PERFECT.
The system we have now was made up from the fears of New York Lawyers.
Having it done correctly, and having gross , embarrassing sins and crimes made public and notorious is a VERY good deterrent ...all by itself.
Oh, by the way ... my first wife was seduced by another Brother, circa 1974, and he got away with if for YEARS, and was in good standing in the congregation married to her, because nobody realized what was really going on.  When I blew the lid off of it with certified letters to all the congregations in the Richmond Virginia congregations, and New York ... only then was he disfellowshipped.  Interestingly enough ... because our names are very phonetically similar, when it was announced  I got blamed for it in about half the congregations I had gone to, as I was the "loose cannon", and he was a Pioneer, and ex-bethelite.
That's what you get when you have secrecy.
A totally screwed up Justice system.
 
 
 

If you are talking about me, Arauna, I would like to hear those stories.. although it is written as an accusation to me personally, I assume you mean in a general sense about anybody.
There is a saying in America, from an old TV show, that "Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time".
Secrecy is the breeding place of tyranny, both petty and gross, and the root of many injurious things. It covers up tyrannies, incompetence and malfeasance .... and protects  judges from any accountability.  It also hides things that SHOULD be made public, so that the general populace is in fear of SPECIFIC actions and consequences.
Bad judges should have to have consequences equally punitive to their bad judgements.
I think the system Jehovah set up thousands of years ago  in ancient Israel is ..oh... what's the word I want to use ... oh yeah! .... PERFECT.
The system we have now was made up from the fears of New York Lawyers.
Having it done correctly, and having gross , embarrassing sins and crimes made public and notorious is a VERY good deterrent ...all by itself.
Oh, by the way ... my first wife was seduced by another Brother, circa 1974, and he got away with if for YEARS, and was in good standing in the congregation married to her, because nobody realized what was really going on.  When I blew the lid off of it with certified letters to all the congregations in the Richmond Virginia congregations, and New York ... only then was he disfellowshipped.  Interestingly enough ... because our names are very phonetically similar, when it was announced  I got blamed for it in about half the congregations I had gone to, as I was the "loose cannon", and he was a Pioneer, and ex-bethelite.
That's what you get when you have secrecy.
A totally screwed up Justice system.
 
 
 

How many times on this forum have I said that the OLD system of justice, set in place by God, and used successfully for several THOUSAND years, where all hearings and trials on matters civil and religious were held in the City Gates of every town and city in Israel ... where Jehovah's Jewish Witnesses were actually WITNESSES to the inner workings of their ruling government ... not only in a general sense, but in EACH SPECIFIC CASE where adjudication was required?
A dozen times?
 We HAD a system that worked perfectly, ... where all city residents could watch the proceedings, and speak up from the back of the crowd, if they felt the need to ... where all witnesses called to testify could be challenged by anybody IN the crowd ( who might know the truth if they were lying) ... and where the administration of Justice in all matters by judges was completely open and subject to instant review by trial participants, local and out-of-town Jews, and even the passing foreigner.
There is only one problem with the system we have now ... where trials are held in secret, no outsiders hear the testimony,  where no recordings are allowed, and no person can have an advocate or legal representation, and even the REASON for banishment and expulsion is kept secret from everyone except the "insiders".
IT'S TYRANNY, .... for the express and deliberately DISGUISED reason to consolidate fear, power, and obedience to the Governing Body and their assigns, and completely remove that chain of command from any objective review, and ANY ACCOUNTABILITY WHATSOEVER.
.   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
But I got news for you Bubba TTH .... the times, they are a-changin. 
That which has been kept in secrecy is being exposed, and those policies and procedures that have been arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to the administration of Justice and Mercy, is rotting from within, in the light of the information age we are now in.
I hope to live to see the day when all the things we have that are REALLY True, good, worthy and honorable are not contaminated  by organizational self-serving power and money grabs.
Currently, the GB has no accountability to anyone on Earth, BECAUSE they cannot be fired.
Jehovah watches as we, just in the times of ancient Israel, his organization on Earth was corrupted, and before he lowered the boom on them, he allowed it to increase for centuries.
There is a very real reason the WTB&TS discourages comprehensive education.
So you will not know the difference between a "Kangaroo Court", a "Star Chamber Court", and a being "Sent to Coventry", and not understand the nuances and implications of those systems of governance .... among many, many other things.
...and so that they can rule without ANY accountability, with COMPLETE impunity .....
..... as no one understands, or will recognize the difference.
 
 

I have no problem with the basic premise that if a person does not obey the rules, he has a reasonable expectation of punishment or expulsion. from whatever group you are a part of.
Let's say a dedicated, "sworn" person, such as a Police Officer, breaks the rules about taking bribes.
He lives in the old Soviet Union, as do all of his relatives.
He should have known better, because his Father was a policeman, and his father before him. Not only that, but his mother was a police administrator in the internal affairs division of the police department. His aunts, uncles, nephews, and even his wife works for the police detective bureau as an analyst and statistician.  His two children are Police Cadets. They are all loyal to a fault to the USSR, and pledge their allegiance to it.
So ... our theoretical Police Officer breaks the rules, and gets sentenced losing his job, and three years in a Soviet Gulag.
Even in the former Soviet Union his wife, children, and relatives could still visit him, talk to him, send and receive letters, and communicate with him during his punishment.  Even Khrushchev, and others were not afraid that he would corrupt his family's public service tradition and lead them down the path of corruption and bribes.
A basic human right ... is to have the best relationship with your family possible.
When you punish a man's family and extended family for something he did ... in our case mandating the shunning of family members ... the Old Soviet Union then has the moral high ground.
Normal people EVERYWHERE understand this intuitively.
 

I can agree in certain aspects of this comment. The 16th century protestant reformation began a good concept to break away from the papacy and the church fathers distinct preservation of the old standard of keeping the bible from the public.

It was unfortunate that the dominant church sought to execute those like Martin Luther and William Tyndale that made any attempts to have the people read and understand the bible for themselves to see for themselves the mistakes of the church. I personally respect Tyndale for that brave move that eventually got him killed by the church.

Another place I can agree with tearing down the old house to build a new house is exactly what Russell did in his day. He decided to forgo his parent’s teachings and that of the ranking Christendom of his day to start from scratch to understand the bible as Jesus spoke of it to the first century Christian.

A revision to the view of the reformer movement but with a better understanding that is placed before today’s society.

That is because i am not source or medium to provide you religious spiritual light you looking for. As ex member of your church i have been in position you are now. "New and better" coming from Organization of people who take a lead. And as we all know these men do err, they are imperfect and are not inspired. And they proves that on daily basis.
Here i will connect another comment:
Russell was "rebellious" and looking for something "new and better". And he find something of that in Adventist teachings. And he accepted something what was "new and better", in his eyes and thinking. Because that what was "new and better" for him already existed in another "false religion" he latter left because of disagreements with established structures and doctrines. 
And what Russell have done? He moved some "new and better Adventist's stuff" into his movement, updated some old thoughts, made some modification, brought some "new" ideas. When he found, how there is no "hell" in Bible, did he introduce "new and better"? If people around believe in hell and you say how hell not existing, is that "new"? Maybe to some degree for them, but in fact no. You just say, make claim how hell not existing and said something Opposite to first common idea.   
What was replacement for "hell"? Death in Armageddon. Excommunication from congregation. What was purpose of hell? To explain people how they have to be good and not make God displeased and angry. 
In both cases, in religion with "hell", and in religion without "hell", we have expressed need to keep members to be in "fear" of God (and of human who operate in the name of God, too). And here you have how with time Religion of any sort, even Russell's WT Society operate and have not "new and better", but working in same frame under different terminology and scene.  
Teaching flock to be good is common task to all religion. And teaching them to be loyal to church they belong is also not something new.
 

I remember a Bible Study, named Carl, that was very accident prone. As a Carpenter's Helper he ran his arm through a table saw and cut it off, just below the elbow.  I wrapped the arm in a plastic bag and took it and him to a local hospital, where they did miracles with stem cells, and blood derivatives.  The next day he was back at work with a small scar, and his arm was completely normal.
He was NOT a Witness, so I did not consider the "blood issue" for him. It seemed not to apply at the time.
A few days later, he cut off his foot with a chain saw when it jumped back on him when it hit a nail. I wrapped the foot in plastic, and we went back to that same doctor, and the next day, except for a small scar and stitches, he returned to cutting down trees and brush, with only the slightest of limp.
About a week later, someone else was mowing the lawn, hit a piece of steel, and the mower blade came off, spinning at high speed, and like a boomerang, cut off his head, just above the shoulders. I wrapped the head in a plastic bag, and took  his head and body, with some help,  back to the same doctor.
I expected to see him the next day, but after two days I went to ask the Doctor where Carl was.
The Doctor informed me that there was nothing he could do for Carl, and that he was dead.
I tried to console the doctor, telling him it was not his fault, he did the best he could do, but he was angry with me and said "I didn't kill Carl ... YOU killed Carl!".
I was stunned and asked him how is it that I had killed Carl?
He said " You should have cut some holes in the plastic bag!".
 
 

I have no problem with that statement .... EXCEPT ... your entire family and extended family is severed from you, as if cut by a knife chopping off both of your arms.
..... or as the Black Knight said in Monty Pythons movie  when his arms were cut off by King Arthur "...merely a flesh wound".
Like a smashed vase that can be re-glued together ... there are pieces that cannot ... and that is permanent.
 
 
Monty Python - The Black Knight - Tis But A Scratch.mp4

Yep .... it's a problem all right .....
We will probably get more respect and attention when we start carrying rifles, rocket propelled grenades, bomb vests, and "new light" includes 72 virile, nubile virgins. Preferably with gymnastic abilities.
I talked to some Muslims one time about converting, and they got really excited when they found out I could fly a 747.
Can you fly .mp4

...
 

That goes back to the old adage that people who play the violin often have OTHER nasty habits.