[Freedom]

I managed to avoid going to the training. I did not experience much pressure to attend, but even if I did, I would not have caved in. I can say that in general, there is a lot of pressure for college graduates to attend, it seems like those who don't are looked down on and are a small minority.

When I was younger, I actually had the idea that I would be attending the training and that I needed to go. Gradually my mind changed about that over time.

There is a lot that I can say about it, but in order to be concise, I will just say a few things. The first problem I see with the training is that there is the implication that you can't be useful to the Lord or churches if you don't attend the training.

The primary thing that made me not want to attend the training was the realization that it bears no resemblance to how normal people live and interact in the real world. The training rules are a primary example of that. By the time someone graduates from college, they should now how to keep a schedule, dress for work and be a responsible individual. It's almost insulting that they give young people the idea that without attending the training they won't be able to function as a normal human being in life.

One rule that irks me in particular is the restrictions on contact with the opposite sex. That is completely abnormal and they really have no such right to impose those kind of rules. The reason that they can get away with it is because trainees have no problem agreeing to the rules without a single question or doubt.

When looking at the training from the outside, I think you would be hard pressed to find an example besides the training where people are willing to surrender so much of their freedom. Simply put, it's abnormal. Just thinking about it gets me upset. I'm so happy I saw past it all and decided not to attend.