After '75, I was in a JW home, small social gathering, and one elder leaned back with tone of pride for all to hear that he didn't think it was going to end in '75 anyway. I smiled and said, "well, I didn't hear anyone talk like that back then!" He looked daggers at me.
1975 For Deniers
by Farkel 107 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Gayle
After '75, I was in a JW home, small social gathering, and one elder leaned back with tone of pride for all to hear that he didn't think it was going to end in '75 anyway. I smiled and said, "well, I didn't hear anyone talk like that back then!" He looked daggers at me.
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cantleave
1975 was a date I remember well. I remember 1976 too, all the people laughing and pointing out they were still here!
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Gayle
The Society published the pointed article "Have You Been Studying for Six Months?" in the May 15, 1969 Watchtower (pp. 309-12). It was aimed at new bible students and gave publishers information helpful to get their students to make a decision. Again the idea was that a decision was necessary because of the urgency of the times. The article said:
ARE you among the over one million persons who are at present being helped by Jehovah's witnesses to learn what the Holy Bible teaches? If you are, likely you are using the Bible-study aid The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. Undoubtedly it has helped you to learn many wonderful things about God and his will for mankind.
Those of you who have been studying the Bible for about six months should by now be in position to decide whether you are going to follow through on what you have learned. Do you really want to become a dedicated and baptized worshiper of Jehovah God and do you want to share with others the life-giving truths from God's Word? ...
DECISION NOW IS VITAL
The urgency of the times in which we are living requires that we do all we can to bring our lives into harmony with God's will. From what you have learned you know why this system of things is rapidly deteriorating before our eyes. You know the meaning of the unrest and increased violence in all the earth. All this shows that we have approached the very brink of the earth-cleansing destruction of which Jesus and the Bible writers prophesied!This is the most serious time in human history, and you are living in this time of change. "The world is passing away," the Bible says, but those who do 'the will of God will remain forever.' (1 John 2:17) Your studying the Bible is to equip you to learn that will of God so you can do it. Yes, there is a purpose behind this study; there is a future attached to it...
In view of the short time left in which to do their work, Jehovah's witnesses do not continue to study the Bible with any who fail to respond to its urgent message within six months.
And we therefore "dropped" studies back then. How many Bible studies would be dropped now-a-days, since the end is suppose to be ever so nearer?
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restrangled
Thanks Farkel for posting this....
Ah yes the great little blue book in'68. I was about 10 years old and remember going door to door with it , ....25 cents if I remember correctly.
The 6 month dead line was serious. Those still studying in other publications were told to wrap it up, get in or your out. The "Truth book" gave you a six month window.
The panic ratcheted up so bad it was insane. What has been left out of the history, is the importance of tattling on your companions, young and old alike. If you heard, or suspected anything it was to be reported to the elders immediately.....so that they could save your ass from 1975. This included wive/husbands reporting on each other, including bedroom stuff. Children tattling on their parents.....You bet families pulled up stakes and disappeared to the outskirts of this country. 2 of my uncles did with 5 kids each, one denies it to this day.
Thankfully my mom admits it, and really gets pissed if anyone tries to deny it.
It was an absolute frenzy. For those that deny any of this....you are a liar and a curse on you. You know it happened.
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flipper
FARKEL- Good thread. Isn't it amazing that the WT society will change their arguments once they see their failed predictions fall flat on their face ? Like you said they used to say " 6 months timeline " then drop the Bible study. Then later they started telling witnesses to " consider God's patience as salvation " ( I shudder just quoting that scripture ! ) and that the fact God didn't bring Armageddon allowed thousands more to go through the door of alleged " salvation " . So they go back and forth to cover over their own screw ups.
I remember distinctly being 15 years old in 1974 and having District Overseers or Circuit Overseers visiting our kingdom halls acting like Baptist ministers hyped up on speed , getting all excited about " If Jehovah wills we will have an assembly in this sysatem next year, but we may be in the new system - it's so close. Just a hairbreath away ! " One of the C.O.'s Floyd Kite got so excited you thought his eyes would pop out of his head and he would have a brain aneurysm on the spot !
It's just really ridiculous that the WT society tries to hide and bury it's past from newbie witnesses. It's threads like this that need to be posted to expose what the WT society was REALLY up to
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Farkel
restrangled,
:It was an absolute frenzy. For those that deny any of this....you are a liar and a curse on you. You know it happened.
Very well put!
Farkel
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OUTLAW
It was an absolute frenzy. For those that deny any of this....you are a liar and a curse on you..
X 10 with a Cherry on Top!!..
................... ...OUTLAW
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RULES & REGULATIONS
Here is a thread about a Watchtower study blaming members for reading into the year 1975.
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Quandry
"Six months and dump them" was our local slogan. "Go to hell in 6 months if you are not one of us, because you will die shortly at Armageddon" is what many of us thought.
I'm sure that "policy" was dumped not that long after the 1975 failure showed our massive urgency was just a pile of horse dung.
Woohoo!
My husband and I studied in the blue "Truth Book." The original one that quoted Dean Acheson as saying in 1960, "I know that in 15 years this world will be too dangerous to live in." I remember it made quite an impression on me!
We started studying in January of 1973 and were baptised in December of 1973. I remember our study conductors talking about the 6 month study program and being so glad we got in!! In fact, I remember when we first started studying I asked her how much more time "this system" had, and she said, "About two years." (that would be 1975, of course)
And-guess who gave our baptism talk? Yep, Chuck Sunutko!! This was in Jacksonville, Florida. Boy, could that guy give a convincing talk!!! We were "hooked" for over thirty years!
Also, I remember a guy who insisted that the end would come in '75, or he'd walk from Jacksonville to the beach....I think about 17 miles.....he did follow through and walk the distance.
Ah, yes, the memories