Is it a sin to pursue higher education?

[Fivesenses]

Someone told me that for the Jewish people, attending higher education (university), is considered to be a sin - encouraging Christian young people to likewise consider their choices carefully and to be on guard against the propaganda and corruption of the world. Can someone enlighten me on why Jews might consider tertiary education a sin? (I've tried searching the internet on this issue but nothing has come up).

 

[Tomm]

How can that be ?
Many Jews received university education, they are very bright, for example, Albert Einstein.

For Christians, I don't think it's a sin. Have you heard of universities established by Christians? Notre Dame is one, if it were a sin, Notre Dame wouldn't exist today.

 

[YesMe]

No, it's not a sin.Everything starts from education, everybody should have access to it.Maybe they want to say that it's not wise to chase after things from this world and doing this way, you will forget God. We should live in the world but we should not let the world change us and our beliefs, because, sadly, that's what it happens in most cases.

 

[Fivesenses]

Or is it a sin for Jewish women to be sent off to uni? I don't know...does anyone here know of any Jewish person who can testify whether this is true or not?

 

[Dave-W]

Someone told me that for the Jewish people, attending higher education (university), is considered to be a sin

"Someone" was lying to you. In mainstream Judaism, education is considered a mitzvah - something commanded. That said, there are some Chassidic and Heredi sects (Ultra-orthodox) where anything other than Torah and Talmud study is considered suspect. (but not necessarily sinful)

Or is it a sin for Jewish women to be sent off to uni?

Not so. My wife's best friend was raised orthodox Jewish and attended Georgetown Univ in DC to study piano at the graduate (MA) level.

 

[Tolworth John]

Someone told me that for the Jewish people, attending higher education (university), is considered to be a sin - encouraging Christian young people to likewise consider their choices carefully and to be on guard against the propaganda and corruption of the world. Can someone enlighten me on why Jews might consider tertiary education a sin? (I've tried searching the internet on this issue but nothing has come up).

You need to adopt a questioning view to things people tell you.
Someone says it is raining. Ask how do they know?
Your are told the world is going to end when something happens! Ask what do they base this on and if it is a Christian also ask how many predictions have been made that failed. If 1 has failed they are not from God so ignore them.

Anyone who makes a statement to you, you ask for proof of what they have said.
Even your preacher, if he doesn't supply prove for something he says in his sermon, afterwards ask why he didn't and where is the proof.

 

[Poppyseed78]

I never heard that before. I would definitely question the veracity of that claim.

 

[mina]

No. Anyone that would say that in regards to women is probably very controlling. I live in a neighborhood with many orthodox families and the women seem very well educated.

 

[lastofall]

[for me anyway] as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ we must deny our own will to actually be following Him: we cannot have our own will and submit to His at the same time, which is double-minded, and we know that a double-minded person is unstable in all their ways: Christ tells us plainly that if any will follow Him, we must deny ourselves; this is not an option, but is required of any that would want to follow Him in Truth.
Unfortunately there are many false teachers teaching their hearers that nothing is required of them by the Lord: which is right? the Lord Jesus? or those that teach opposite of what He says? who shall we listen too? who has the last word?

 

[Hank77]

How can that be ?
Many Jews received university education, they are very bright, for example, Albert Einstein.

For Christians, I don't think it's a sin. Have you heard of universities established by Christians? Notre Dame is one, if it were a sin, Notre Dame wouldn't exist today.

Or Oxford, Harvard, Yale, etc.

 

[Hank77]

Or is it a sin for Jewish women to be sent off to uni? I don't know...does anyone here know of any Jewish person who can testify whether this is true or not?

Here you go, an article from an Orthodox Jewish site, written by a woman.

The most common careers are probably in areas like education and therapies (OT and PT) because of the amount of schooling required and the flexibility of the schedules. But there are many Orthodox women who have less “typical” careers too. I opened the question up to JITC fans on Facebook, to see what interesting careers Orthodox women they knew had, and I was overwhelmed by the diversity and success of women in fields including:


chemists, nuclear physicists, doctors, dentists, lawyers (including partners in big firms), psychologists, artists, musicians, journalists, magazine editors, best-selling authors, clothes designers, actuaries, sex therapists, chefs, CEO’s, veterinarians, music producers, a head of a law school, engineers, marketing, judges, college professors, television reporters, supreme court clerks, fire fighters, tv producers, radio show hosts, knesset members, and even a captain in the U.S. army!
Can Orthodox Jewish Women Work?

 

[Blessed Each Day]

It's not a sin at all, you just have to be careful, like you said, in taking what professors say with a grain of salt. Many professors for some time have been propagating not only atheistic points of view, but also anti-Christian. You can learn so much, but many of the liberal arts professors have warped thought processes themselves that they try to instill, even indirectly, in their students.

 

[Kit Sigmon]

Someone told me that for the Jewish people, attending higher education (university), is considered to be a sin - encouraging Christian young people to likewise consider their choices carefully and to be on guard against the propaganda and corruption of the world. Can someone enlighten me on why Jews might consider tertiary education a sin? (I've tried searching the internet on this issue but nothing has come up).

I've not heard of that said about Jewish people....but where I'm from I do know that this was the stance of JW's... but that was back in the early 2000's...it may have changed since then, I don't know because I've lost touch with two friends who are JW's when I got married and moved away.

 

[seashale76]

Someone told me that for the Jewish people, attending higher education (university), is considered to be a sin - encouraging Christian young people to likewise consider their choices carefully and to be on guard against the propaganda and corruption of the world. Can someone enlighten me on why Jews might consider tertiary education a sin? (I've tried searching the internet on this issue but nothing has come up).

"Someone" doesn't know what they're talking about.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I've not heard of that said about Jewish people....but where I'm from I do know that this was the stance of JW's... but that was back in the early 2000's...it may have changed since then, I don't know because I've lost touch with two friends who are JW's when I got married and moved away.

I think the issue is ultimately the conflict between light and darkness, and the believer's joyful duty to walk in the light. This is not met with 'rules' about dos and don'ts, but rather by treating life as a heartfelt pilgrimage in service for the Lord.