When were the Watchtower's best moments? (page 2)

greendawn

They had their best time when Russell was around though he had many flaws he certainly wasn't a dictator. When Rutherford came along he turned this org into a really overaggressive and destructive cult and introduced numerous heretical ideas.

stillajwexelder

The 1980s - I remember huge growth a congos being formed all the time. 3 million was hit and the n 4 and 5 million in the early 90s - to me the rot really set in around the generation change in the early to mid 90s just as the internet and the home PC revolution was starting

RR

My point exactly greedawn!

willyloman

I like what Gary said, especially this:

The Internet is providing the Witness people options for leaving and a choice of tested plans

uninformed

Garybuss,

You said the following:

That complacency ended in 1966 with the start of the most successful mistake the Society ever made.

I'm simply amazed how reactive the Society has become. This Corporation has never really recovered from the failure of 1975. Quite a few Witnesses saw the failure of 1995 as confirmation of the 1975 failure. They endured the 1975 failure but they refused to endure the confirmation.

You sure know how to cut through the crap and get to the point.

Still enjoying your wisdom.

u

garybuss

You wrote: Still enjoying your wisdom.Thanks Uninformed. My "wisdom" just might be sarcasm that you can relate to:-)

voltaire

I agree Gary that those '58 conventions were a peak in the JW success. We had two photos of the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium in our KH library. They were filled people (bored people I'm sure). Knorr and Franz were huge figures (not like now, who among the average dubs can name any GB members?) It may be a sort of nostalgia on my part, but those seemed to me like times when the witnesses were reasonably respected and confident of themselves and their place in the world. I suppose it was simply one of Gary's 'recovery periods', a new generation of JWs thinking that this time they were going to get it right.

garybuss

I was at all 8 days in 1958. I was 14. I got the pictures I took to prove it. It was hell!

mcsemike

This might sound strange, but my best moments concerning the WT were from about 1977 to 1980. I had studied on and off since 1971. But I came back strongly in early 1977, got baptized Dec. 1977 and married 2 weeks later. Things seemed more tolerant and Crisis of Conscience seems to indicate that Ray Franz's moderate approach to things produced a more relaxed mood. Everyone seemed happy, there were several couples (some with kids, some not) and we had picnics, played softball after meetings and had a blast. I guess we all figured that 1975 would be cleared up soon with a "reasonable" explanation.

Then in 1980, I was made a book study conductor and I noticed that the WT articles were getting more harsh and strict. Again, after reading C of C, I now know why. Everything fits after reading Ray's books. It's all so clear and obvious, I'm not surprised that the WT hates him so much.

I guess it has a lot to do with your own individual personal life at the time. I was newly married and being given many responsibilities. So I thought life was great and that the WT was great. Little did I know.

voltaire

Gary,

I've heard it was hot and long and not much fun to live in the shantytown they sat up. I guess the fact they could get so many to go through that shows how much power they had over their own at the time. Maybe it was their golden period from that point of view, the ability to move people. If the society asks you to jump, you asked, 'how high?'. Now was that the time it was most fun to be a JW? That's a different topic!

When were the Watchtower's best moments?

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