by Gregor 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I should have walked away right then.....but like a good JW, I hung in there.
Yes, a lot of us can relate to this difficulty in taking decisive action when our brain cells first sparked the realization that the Watchtower Society is just another man-made belief system. With humans, it seems that the brain works things out long before the heart ever does; hence, the delay in getting out of a false belief system even after we realize it's not the truth..
*** yb03 p. 162 Philippines ***
Onward Through the 1970’sAs the work moved ahead rapidly, the number of publishers continued to increase, surpassing 77,000 by 1975. Overall, Jehovah’s servants maintained their spirituality and kept on serving God loyally. However, there were many who stopped serving Jehovah when the present system of things did not end in 1975. By 1979, the number of publishers had fallen below 59,000. Cornelio Cañete, who was serving as a circuit overseer in the mid-1970’s, said: "Some got baptized because of 1975 and stayed for a few years. After 1975, they left the truth."
***w803/15pp.17-18par.6ChoosingtheBestWayofLife***In its issue of July 15, 1976, TheWatchtower, commenting on the inadvisability of setting our sights on a certain date, stated: "If anyone has been disappointed through not following this line of thought, he should now concentrate on adjusting his viewpoint, seeing that it was not the word of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his own understanding was based on wrong premises." In saying "anyone," TheWatchtower included all disappointed ones of Jehovah’s Witnesses, hence including personshavingtodowiththepublicationoftheinformation that contributed to the buildup of hopes centered on that date.
AlanF gives, in my opinion, the best chronological summary of WT teachings on 1975, beginning in 1966. There, you've got all their quotes and spin prior to 1975, then their denials and blame-placing right after and beyond.
Oh, yes, you'll note there is an apology from the WTS -- very miniscule -- certainly not even close to being proportional to their nine year buildup of their flock's hopes. All in all, more blame than apology.
So, what's new?
Len
The "Eve Loophole" is a classic case of JW amnesia.... Note what they said about Eve prior to 1975:
*** w68 5/1 p. 271 Making Wise Use of the Remaining Time ***
Since it was also Jehovah’s purpose for man to multiply and fill the earth, it is logical that he would create Eve soon after Adam, perhaps just a few weeks or months later in the same year, 4026 B.C.E. After her creation, God’s rest day, the seventh period, immediately followed.
*** g68 10/8 p. 14 What Will the 1970s Bring? ***
How can it be determined when 6,000 years of human history will end? Accordng to reliable Bible chronology, Adam and Eve were created in 4026 B.C.E.
*** ad [1971] p. 538 Eve ***
At the birth of her first son Cain, outside paradise, Eve exclaimed : "I have acquired a man with the aid of Jehovah" (Gen. 4:1). Interestingly, Eve is the first one reported using God's name, indicating that the name Jehovah was known to the very first humans. Later she gave birth to Abel as well at to other sons and daughters . At the age of 130 another son was born to her . Eve called his name Seth.
(Note the bolded text. This would make Eve the same age as Adam.)
This is one of my "favorites":
*** jv chap. 8 p. 104 Declaring the Good News Without Letup (1942-1975) ***
"Say, What Does This 1975 Mean?"
The Witnesses had long shared the belief that the Thousand Year Reign of Christ would follow after 6,000 years of human history. But when would 6,000 years of human existence end? The book LifeEverlasting—InFreedomoftheSonsofGod, released at a series of district conventions held in 1966, pointed to 1975. Right at the convention, as the brothers examined the contents, the new book triggered much discussion about 1975.
At the convention held in Baltimore, Maryland, F. W. Franz gave the concluding talk. He began by saying: "Just before I got on the platform a young man came to me and said, ‘Say, what does this 1975 mean?’" Brother Franz then referred to the many questions that had arisen as to whether the material in the new book meant that by 1975 Armageddon would be finished, and Satan would be bound. He stated, in essence: ‘It could. But we are not saying. All things are possible with God. But we are not saying. And don’t any of you be specific in saying anything that is going to happen between now and 1975. But the big point of it all is this, dear friends: Time is short. Time is running out, no question about that.’
In the years following 1966, many of Jehovah’s Witnesses acted in harmony with the spirit of that counsel. However, other statements were published on this subject, and some were likely more definite than advisable. This was acknowledged in TheWatchtower of March 15, 1980 (page 17). But Jehovah’s Witnesses were also cautioned to concentrate mainly on doing Jehovah’s will and not to be swept up by dates and expectations of an early salvation.
Footnote
jv sect. 1 chap. 8 p. 104 Declaring the Good News Without Letup (1942-1975)
For example, the following articles were published in TheWatchtower: "Making Wise Use of the Remaining Time" (May 1, 1968); "Serve With Eternity in View" (June 15, 1974); "Why We Have Not Been Told ‘That Day and Hour’" and "How Are You Affected by Not Knowing the ‘Day and Hour’?" (May 1, 1975). Earlier, in 1963, the book "AllScriptureIsInspiredofGodandBeneficial" had stated: "It does no good to use Bible chronology for speculating on dates that are still future in the stream of time.—Matt. 24:36."
Question answered, Gregor...so let's move along, eh?
LOL
I'm a 1975 baby too!
The whole Eve loophole does not fly as demonstrated many times on this board by Garry B. His reply to that is that Jesus himself did not know the day an hour. Yet, he KNEW when Eve was made since thorugh him all things were created. Therefore, Eve's creation after Adam has no bearing on any date for the millenium.
The only significance I can attribute to the date was that many got baptized believing it was the end and then MANY left after they realized they had been duped.
It is an embarrassment to the WTS and they do not like talking about it.
Thank you Blondie and len for the direct quotes from the horse's mouth. Nothing beats seeing the comments about 1975 in the Watchtower's own self-serving double-speak.
On a humorous note, a couple who studied in the urgent build up to 1975 were both baptized at a circuit assembly in the early part of 1975. She was heavy with child. Within days of her baptism, she gave birth to a son and he was named (no kidding) "Justin", because they believed they had been baptized "just in" time before the end. Needless to say, when 75 came and went, they quit - along with several hundreds of others here in New Zealand - but their son is a living reminder of the mentality that prevailed among the rank and file simply because the Watchtower both promoted and benefitted from the end-times urgency.
I've been alive since 1975. So 1975 is significant to me.
Thank you, TD, that went into my reference folder...
