What were the witnesses beliefs in 1973?

Paralipomenon

Well the time has come. I no longer have any motivation to keep up with a fade. My wife is out, my kids were never really in and we're moving on. This week I plan to talk to my parents to tell them our decision.

They joined the witnesses in 1973. I don't plan to get into a debate with them, but I'm sure they will want my reasoning. I want to provide them with a list of what the witnesses believed when they joined and contrast it with what they believe now. Show them how things have slowly changing as I don't think they've really kept notice.

- You could still talk to disfellowshipped people, but be wary of those that were active apostates
- Something special was to be expected from the anniversary of the creation of Adam (1974)
- The 1914 generation would live through the great tribulation
- The direction of the society was influenced mainly by the WTB&TS's president
- No form of blood was allowed into the human body, fractioned or not
- Pioneers needed to get 90 hours a month, Aux. Pioneers needed 70
- Literature was sold, not offered for donation
- Regular Pioneers received a discount on all placing literature
- The king of the north was USSR, the king of the south was USA/Great Britain
- Both monthly editions of the Watchtower were available to all the public
- Awake was printed twice a month
- Sunday public talk was 1 hour

Please help me fill in some gaps in what doctrines have changed or policies that were in place then. I want to show them a pattern of decisions that doesn't mirror divine guidance, but rather the changing influence of imperfect men.

The Scotsman

Hi

I am not sure when the view on smoking changed - close to 1973 I think.

Also the people killed at Sodom & Gommorah were thought to be in line for a resurrection back then, but not now. I think the big big point is the 1975 date - in 1973 everyone thought the end of the old system was a matter of a couple of years away!!!

ninja

sodom and gonorrhoea doctrine has changed loads of times

ninja

no transplants were allowed...it was cannnibalism....that changed in 1980 I think

Leolaia

Organ transplants were considered "cannibalism" and were thus forbidden.

The preaching work was thought to be separating people into sheeps and goats.

Distict conventions could still be five days in length with evening sessions.

JWs had to discontinue Bible studies if they did not lead to productive results after six months.

seek2find

The separating of the sheep and goats in Matt.25 the old view was that the witnesses were participating in it. Now (Since late 1995) it's a future event. seek2find

Skimmer

Other items from 1973:

Magazine subscriptions were still available in the US; stopped after donation change.

Books were still sold by mail (and advertised with prices in the magazines); stopped after donation change.

Disfellowship announcement: "<NAME> has been disfellowshipped for conduct unbecoming a Christian"; changed later to avoid slander lawsuits.

Disassociate announcement: "<NAME> has disassociated himself/herself". (Always used if someone joined the military or other unapproved group and used to avoid treason or sedition charges; changed later for legal reasons.)

Bethel enslavement minimal period was four years.

The 1974 date was unofficial and originated from Fred Franz; it was not supposed to leak to the congregations but it did anyway.

At least some of the 144,000 would make it through the Big A. (Is this still believed?)

The 7,000 year "creative day" and the corresponding 49,000 year "creative week" teachings were commonly believed.

A total ban on blood and all blood component usage, other than a very narrow exception for hemophiliacs.

The "no blood card" was printed on the back of the "I'm a minister" card; there were no JW Hospital Liaison Committees.

All of the five the meetings were an hour long.

No workbooks or quizzes.

Regular publisher discount on literature was 20%. Pioneer discount was greater (50%?); missionary discount was greater still (80%?).

Parties, picnics, and some other social gatherings were allowed.

tinker

no Pinatas

Skimmer

Also in 1973:

Firearms: allowed for self defense and food hunting only.

Voting: absolutely prohibited.

Standing during national anthem or pledge of allegiance: absolutely prohibited.

Alternative service: absolutely prohibited. At this time in the US, the military draft ended although registrations continued for a few years before being suspended for a few more years. Some JWs thought that even registering itself was a sign of disassociation. Maybe this is still true. Prior to the ending of the draft, elders could certify that a full time draft age male pioneer was eligible for exclusion under the religious/clergy exemption. However, in practice the elders would demand at least six full sequential months as a pioneer before offering certification. Male publishers that weren't pioneers had no chance of getting an exemption.

As far as I can remember, every single damned meeting had references to the immanence of the Big A, only a matter of a year or two in the future. Not once was there a reference to the failed prophecies of 1941, 1925, 1914 or any other date. Without any Internet, the only way of finding out about these lies and other cover-ups (e.g., Jellyfish Russell's crazy pyramidology) was by reading the old literature stashed away in the congregation library.

Retail prices: magazine, US$0.05; small book, US$0.50; green bible, US$1.25; large print black bible, US$5.00; Aid To Bible Understanding, US$7.00.

Reefton Jack

1)You could still talk to disfellowshipped people, but be wary of those that were active apostates.
- Actually, no; things were modified the following year (1974) only to be reversed in 1981.
In '73, you definitely could NOT talk to a disfellowshipped person.

2) Pioneers needed to get 90 hours a month, Aux. Pioneers needed 70.
- In 1973, Regular Pioneers were required to achieve 100 hours per month.
I know, as I started "Regular Pioneering" in September of that year.

Otherwise, paralipomenon, your summary sounds right!
(It brings back a few memories, also - but not many of them very good ones).

Jack.

What were the witnesses beliefs in 1973?

Share this