by karter 57 Replies latest jw friends
Long term they will have to dump 1914 but I think it will hurt them numerically. That is why they haven't done before even though they know it's wrong. Probably when they are fully ensconced in the new cult HQ and the old timers of the GB (Barr & Jaracz) are gone they will.
No doubt they will blame the R & F for reading too much into the date anyway. They never said it was absolutely significant!
George
Somewhere down the road they will make some fundamental change to their FDS doctrine, not yet, they think they can still squeeze another 20 yeras out of this one. Watch what happens after 2014...........if you are even interested in their pontifications.
When the old guard die out, or decrease to a managable percentage - (those who remember "the generation of 1914 will by no means pass away") the society will gradually phase out 1914 as the concrete start date of the last days. They'll become more wooly. Phrases such as "evidence clearly shows we are deep in the time of the end", and "who can reasonably doubt", "world conditions confirm" will become more frequent.
To keep the "we're the one true organisation" doctrine, they'll continue to harp on the theme that "Jehovahs evident blessing" shows they were chosen at some point.
It will be a long set up to the WT that will state "While some have pointed to specific years as the start of the last days, we bring in a heart of wisdom by reflecting that the exact day and hour are unknown, however we are assured by events we see every day that fulfil reliable Bible Prophecy we are nearing the climax of the end of this system of things and that Jehovah's Kingdom will soon usher in a time of deep joy for the faithful who will survive the upcoming day of Jehovah..."
Half the congregation won't notice, and those that do and who are upset by it will be too old to change, having invested 40,50,60 years of their adult life to the org.
The further past 1914 you get, the less (I think) it matters to successive generations. Sure, you would lose a small crowd perhaps, but there would always be those who say ... "oh, I see, that makes more sense".
Consider the generation, all those who keep saying that it makes more sense now, they aren't giving up on the organization, cuz afterall, it is God's organization, the give up on the old understanding out of necessity and accept the new one, cuz obviously in 2010 it no longer makes sense for a generation to be 30 or 40 years or 70 or 80 years.
If 1914 is dumped Jws are dumped
Is the GB setting up to dump 1914?
No.
Well said Sapphy. As well as others who expressed similar predictions. I'm one of
those invested in for decades. Although now I'm as Rick Fearon likes to say, of
the "conscious class".
Every generation seems to think they're the ones that are the last. Well, that's
what they've been led to believe. But more and more are catching onto the old
tricks of the WatchTower. (Especially since digital media is so available and old
books and other publications are easy to come by through the internet, there
are truly many roving about in the last days of the WatchTower, we can only
hope.)
Is the GB setting up to dump 1914?
I agree with LWT: No.
but...
I also agree with JWFacts:
1914 could be phased out over time without too much of an issue. ... Eventually JWs will be just like other religions that focus on some other unique point of difference. It is easy enough for them to say they are the only true religion because they don't worship a Trinity.
I think in time, they will have to drop 1914 but they aren't there yet. They can still milk it for a few more years and then they'll have to drop it. And then they'll do it much like 75...just pretend it never happened and quit mentioning it.
1914 is too entrenched in WTS dogma to just set aside entirely. I could see something more along the lines of the GB coming up with something that blames Jehovah's people for not having enough faith, similar to making the Israelites wander in the wilderness for a period of time before entering the Promised Land. This approach would buy more time, keep the 1914 doctrine, and place blame on the R&F, instead of the GB taking any heat.
With the internet, if the JW's dropped 1914 it would be game over for the WTS.
Think About It
Prior to the latest generation teaching, I was inclined to think they were looking at putting 1914 on the backburner. Maybe Adventist style where they believe the last days started in 1844 (or whatever) but again the problem is the appointment in 1919. They can't drop that because they will lose the designation of "God's Organization".
But now that they've changed to the crazy Jesus meant two very long, overlapping generations by saying "this generation" I think they are fully intent on keeping the 1914 date.
They will eventually need to drop it or make it mean something a little different but may opinion is that we're at least 20 years away from that. A new "generation" of GB members will be left to make those changes.
I think it's actually pretty funny watching the twists and turns of "logic" to attempt to patch up the crazy prophesy legacy of Freddie.
