With the year 2014 only 7 years away what are JW's leaders going to say if Armaggeddon is not here by then? How many more changes will have to take place in order for them to keep JW's loyal to the WT society? My mom just celebrated her 78th birthday on Sept 9 and she got baptized in 1967 believing Armaggeddon was coming in 1975. I just cry when I think of the elderly JW's that gave their whole lives for the WT believing that Armaggeddon was around the corner. My mom just don't seem like her bubbly self of yesteryear. She just seems "beaten" but still clings on the WT. She went to the KH the other day on her Birthday when she could have been having a "party" to celebrate 78 years of existence. I just don't know what I can say to her to make her think away from the WT.
Do you think that JW's will ever get rid of the "1914" doctrine?
by booker-t 16 Replies latest jw friends
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AK - Jeff
Yep
They are headed for disaster if they don't find a way to 'bury' it at least. What respectable 'convert' would ever believe that Jesus is sitting on a throne of inactiviity for 100 years after God 'enthroned' him? No one. So they either have to find a way to change it [I think they will] or they need to find a way to keep it out of the publications. It's just not believable anymore.
Besides - once it is buried and gone - the whole Gentile TImes issues go away too. 607 is not relevant anymore. 1914 becomes just a 'crucial date' with no more significance than having ushered in a new era 'leading towards Armageddon'. Jdubs will forget in 15 minutes that it was ever doctrine on which they based thier whole lives - the new overiding concept for them is that they have 'The Truth' - all the rest matters not to those trapped mentally in this cult.
The drawback is that 'recruitment' will be harder to do without a specific date that proves that A is almost here 'for sure this time'. SOmeone recently indicated that the organization is now subtly encouraging larger families - there ya' go - grow like the Catholics do - internally. Don't be surprised if they bad birth control - that ought to do it.
Jeff
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R.F.
They can't change it. That is, they can't change it without changing other doctrines as well.
The 1914 date is everything to the JW religion. If that date is blown, then you must also call into question the 1918/FDS appointment doctrine, which I truly believe the GB just isn't willing to do.
So what can they do? I think they will do as AK-Jeff said....possibly bury the doctrine. I believe they will eventually keep it out of the publications altogether and find some way to dance around the issue.
I also believe it was Arthur who made a post recently about keeping on the lookout of the WTS identifying the "King of the North". I too believe this and think they will busy the oyal R&F's minds with things such as those to the point that 1914 becomes another 1975....totally looked over.
R.F.
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MidwichCuckoo
What Jeff said ...maybe they'll gradually edit it from past publications. The WTBTS has been known to change the past to suit. What's more likely though is that they'll change the meaning of 1914 (JWs are already confused - but put it down to their own inability to grasp all this wonderful crap).
I think JWs need to get on with breeding now to ensure their god has a future income. It wouldn't surprise me at all if contraception was banned under 'New Light'
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carla
Would a current jw even notice? My jw and many posters here have said similar things, '1914 doesn't matter, but yes, that is when Christ came back.........' So you ask, 'how do you come up with 1914?' Then they ask if you have been to apostate sites as that is the only reason you would even think of questioning it. umm, yeah, that makes perfect sense.
Considering so many jw's don't even understand the 1914 doctrine completely I don't think the majority would even notice or care, just new light. Look at the generation change in 1995, no problem for most jw's. Or should I say until they older ones were on their death beds. Poor deluded souls.
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NewYork44M
They don't have to get rid of it. Just ignore it. Over time those that based their faith on 1914 will die. Those that come along over time will not know that 1914 was ever such a big deal. Time heals all.
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Younglove1999
I've only been out of the org for 8 months, but I can't for the life of me explain the 1914 doctrine. I barely recall it myself..
shows just how much or shall I say little emphasis has been put on it lately huh?-
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DannyHaszard
I just cry when I think of the elderly JW's that gave their whole lives for the WT believing that Armaggeddon was around the corner.
For 33 years as a 3rd generation born Jehovah's Witness I went door to door with a Bible in my hand and Watchtower society literature.On YOUR door step,convinced in my heart of hearts that unless I recruited you as a Jehovah's Witness that you and your family would all die a horrible ghastly death. This is what the Watchtower sect programmed me to believe. Moreover,this is what I spent all my time,money promoting and this is what all 3 generations of my Haszard clan promoted. This is what the Watchtower sect indoctrinated us to believe. At 5 meetings a week,weekend 'meetings for field service' pep rallies we would be reminded that we were the world's only hope. This is what the Watchtower sect brainwashed us to believe. Our message that we carried door to door that I had been drilled and knew by heart from hundreds of meetings: God's Kingdom by Jesus Christ was established in the year 1914 and this generation (meant to convey the immediacy of the right now in my youthful lifetime) will get to see Armageddon and the paradise . This is what the Watchtower sect trained me to believe. It was all a LIE! For 50 plus years the masthead of the Watchtower,viewed when you opened up to the inside front cover would read as follows:
"This magazine(Watchtower) builds up confidence in the Creators PROMISE of a peaceful and secure "new world" before the generation "that witnessed" the EVENTS OF 1914 passes away"".
By their own admission the Watchtowers has published this dogma in hundreds of millions of pieces of their own literature.
They deleted this false Adventist millerite derived prophecy in 1995 because it had FAILED.
The Watchtower leadership has "purged" hundreds of thousands of followers over the years for failing to uphold the 1914 (Jesus came to power) loyalty oath to this now defunct dogma.
The Bible clearly warns to turn away from false prophets. Staying Alive Until 1975 Danny Haszard story of growing up Jehovah's Witnesses with severe ulcerative colitis in the Watchtower cult http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/DannyHaszard/12361 http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/141232/1.ashxwas there a 1975 scare? -
MidwichCuckoo
Younglove - I haven't found ONE active JW who can explain it.
How about - Satan invented 1914 and snook it into the WTs teachings to mislead God's people. When God banished Satan in 1995 (gimme a few minutes, and I'll come up with some Biblical maths) His 'doctrine' was exposed for what it is. Anyone mentioning 1914 will be d'fed for following the Devil's teachings.
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MidwichCuckoo
Danny - I recently spoke to a JW (of 30+ years) who denied ever preaching that the generation of 1914 would not pass away.