I took the '1914 Generation' prophecy seriously, did you? Do you even remember it?! (page 4)

Jack Burton

This was the teaching that finally forced me to look at all my beliefs critically. I had a basic understanding of how to arrive at that date in history, but never went any deeper. It took a history show about the ancient middle east, that I first heard the date of 587 B.C. It stuck in my head for a couple of days. I then decided to research the actual date for Jerusalems destruction.

Surprise surprise, no matter where I looked, only the WT uses 607.

I remember when I first tried to explain this to my wife, she didn't see the big deal. I remember thinking, how can anyone in their right mind not see what was sooooo obvious to me. Without that starting date, the whole 1914 doctrine falls apart.

She did eventually come around after I was DFed for apostacy, now we both laugh at how ridiculous we were back then. My wife has said now that if the WTs is God's organization, God is one sick puppy!!!

restrangled

Being raised in it, (1959)....this was the cornerstone of the JW's belief system. If all else failed, and it did, 1914 held true. It was "just a little while longer." My grandmother had hopes of making it through, my own mom and dad definately believed they were on track to make it through or at least see the end.

I grew up living with a strange outlook on life. Many here have stated this before. Milestones would never be realized. Highschool, marriage, kids, etc. etc. It became so ingrained that even now that I have been out for years, there is this feeling of a short life span, never planning too far ahead.

I get so mad at myself for that way of thinking, but it's all I ever knew, and I get to hear it still from mom and her extended family, every chance they get. Always in your face, or fighting the recordings in my brain.

r.

Scarred for life

My JW grandmother died in 1987 at the age of 89. She lived with my extremely devout JW aunt who had had that Watchtower that is mentioned above displayed in her den for years. My grandmother had 4 children that were still devout JWs at the time of her death (as well as many grandchilren) I was no longer a believer. I had been out for about 14-15 years. I really believe that her believing offspring were probably more upset that the 1914 generation did not hold true for my grandmother than they were that she actually died.

warmasasunned

jack214 nice comment, thats exactly the way i felt, though when i left i still belived in the "truth" as they insist you call it, (we dont brain wash people of course). i just sat there one day an thought all the things i love, football (soccer) the beatles, old tv programmes etc wont be there, im bored to death now, why would i want to live forever in absolute boredom. i was just lucky i wasnt born into it as you were and lots of friends at the time, most have now left. i never felt i had a real friend when i was a jw, yet after not seeing "worldly friends" for over 7 years they allowed me to pick up where i left off. good luck to you and keep posting.

bittersweet

Like Nellie, I was astounded when they announced this at the Convention and everyone applauded. I was like "WTF". How could they change such a fundamental thing? I didn't go to college because this system wasn't going to last, so why did I need a degree or a good job? All the people who never put aside money for retirement because they'd never have to worry about it. The houses that weren't bought, the children people didn't have. All because Armageddon was right around the corner. When I heard this change, I immediately thought it was changed because time was running short, this generation wasn't going to last much longer, Armageddon wasn't upon us, so the so called "faithful and discreet slave" had to do something to keep its members from questioning,and that is one of the biggest reasons I left.

AK - Jeff

It was absolutely foundational for me.

I cannot say how many hundreds [or thousands] of people that I unintentionally lied to in saying that the end must be near due to this prophecy. My faith suffered an 8 point richter-scale shaking in '95 over this. Still I hung on another 8 years. But the doubting continued, and eventually the work it took to determine if the doubts had more credibility than the beliefs.

I could not continue pioneering for long after that. I spent months trying to figure it out for myself, and kept at arms length of the internet as I was told. Still I was beginning to conclude that the entire 1914 foundation was shakey when I came across Ray's books. Within two months, we were both sure [absolutely at this point] that our faith was empty in association with these Brooklyn Crooks.

I can't believe they are still spouting chronological bullshit [though far more subliminal nowadays]. Jw's need a date. They have nothing else upon which to hang their hat of faith.

Jeff

cognac

I don't keep up with a lot of JW stuff anymore. What was the 2008 generation change?

Homerovah the Almighty

The WTS. commercialized weak improbable theories to help draw attention to their published literature,

exploiting the already established belief in the bible by the public. The organizing leaders and financial backers naming C.T.Russell as one

borrowed off from other Adventists theologians of his time to aggressively sell this to the public in talks which were designed

to support the published literature. From that a religion was formed to its enormous state that it is now, with all of its cumulative amounts of

wealth and power. If the JWS are still around 50 years from now the 1914 generation prophecy will be long buried in the ground, never to be mentioned

of again, perhaps only to be viewable again off of information from the inter-net and old uncirculated literature.

The WTS to survive and keep the support up in a continuing basis they have to create a illusion that they are the real spokesmen of god,

this is an important responsibility resting on the shoulders of the GB members, now and in the future.

No Apologies

I too believed the end was going to be here any day now, I remember being told by my dad that I would never graduate high school. I remember hearing talks about "responsible child-bearing in the time of the end", remember that classic? And yet just this week, my loyal JW sister, aged 43, became a grandmother. How could that be?

I just feel like shouting at my JW family members:

IT'S 2009!!! THE END IS NOT HERE!!! WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!!

No Apologies

I took the '1914 Generation' prophecy seriously, did you? Do you even remember it?!

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