by d 278 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
1963 & 1990
All Scriptures Inspired p.287 par.13 Study Number 3—Measuring Events in the Stream of Time
"It does no good to use Bible chronology for speculating on dates that are still future in the stream of time.—Matt. 24:36.”
They did use a get out if people read it!
Hi little imp
You are confusing the generation teaching with 1975
Like I said if 1975 was an official Armageddon teaching it would be quite definitely in the magazines but it isn't. Trust me, If 1975 was the ex-Jws would be SCREAMING it out on this site. Like I said 1975 is only referenced slighty and definitely not officially as an Armageddon date.
Your husband will have a lot of work and only find the usual references to urgency of being in "end times" when God can bring Armageddon at any time now that Satan is roaming about the earth.
"millions now living" that you talk about is the "generation" expectation that Armageddon would happen within the lifetimes of those that were alive at 1914 so towards the end of the last century this was added to expectancy and yes we had no problem putting this in our watchtowers officially but it needed refining, time showing up the error of this early teaching from our emergence days.
The problem with 1975 accusation is:- that for a very prolific writing religion it is simply not down in black and white to meet the accusations of the people on here.
Did people get over-enthusiatic for that date? yes. Was it an official teaching? No.
Ah, i love the defenders of 75! Swallowed the party line revionist history hook line and sinker...
I was 13 in 75.
Mum became a Jw around 72 when i was 10. Long story short but mum and dad split.
I remember how we all (mum + 3 kids) would make fun of our father going into chiro college in 74 because 'armageddon will have got him before he will ever finish'! (funny how he is now retired from a long practice)
We buried a stash of bibles and books under a floor for 'post armageddon spiritual food'.
75 came, 75 went.
76 came and mum remarried. My sumation would be that since the big A didn't come, she may well have realized she was gunna need a new father for us.
In our household, nothing was ever said again.
oz
I was scarred out of my mind by 1975. The elders hated my parents and I thought for sure that Jehovah would kill me because of my parents I was 12. The stronger ones in the "truth" sold everything and went were the need was greater. I am just blown away that anyone can say that it was all made up. The hype was truly there "stay alive until 75.
LITS
Debator, how old were you in 1975?
I have always worked on the basis of something in writing (rather than hearsay) and I would check the bible which does not mention 1975 in any way at all. It clearly says that NO-ONE knows and it will only happen when NO-ONE is expecting it. Therefore, going by the bible (written word) Armageddon will never happen all the while JWs are saying "it is around the corner" as it is clear THEY ARE EXPECTING IT.
Furthermore, whilst I agree 100% about whether it was actually written in the Watchtowers and Awakes but it was most definitely canvassed from the platform from the 60s forward, counting down by the day. Ask anyone who was around in 1975. I agree with you everyone should have ignored what they were saying from the platform as it wasn't from the bible or in writing anywhere, however, you are forgetting that if people did this they would be DF.
Therefore, whether it was written or not they HAD to go along with the 1975 theory. They had no choice.
They were advised not to marry or have children amongst many other pieces of advice.
Debater
Did people get over-enthusiatic for that date? yes. Was it an official teaching? No.
But the society milked it for all it was worth. They got over enthusiastic, and led the rank and file. Freddy Franz new exactly what they were doing. One does not have to make specific statements to get people to do what you want. Plant the Idea and let people run with it, add some fuel every few months to keep it going. The blame IS with the Watchtower.
Did they write a line like '' armageddon will come in 1975''?
NO
did they use every clever method to alude to that very idea?
YES.
Did they put the brakes on?
NO
They started a runaway train and later blamed the rank and file for the crash.
I seriously doubt you were there, and if you were if you were not old enough to know what was going on. So, answer the question:
How old were you in 75 and were you a jehovahs witness?
Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end." OKM May 1974.
How many of those brothers are still surviving on the proceeds from their homes, Debator????
Shortly, within our twentieth century, the “battle in the day of Jehovah” will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom. The Nations Shall Know that I Am Jehovah 1971.
Which century are we in, Debator???
We lived miserably, like tramps for years because of this crackpot religion. Always taking the low-paid part-time jobs. We got a pitiful education and never went to college. We lived in fear. I am picking up the pieces of a shattered life ruined by an evil religion.
Jehovah is like an evil child teasing a puppy with a biscuit. "You want this? You want it? Here y'go, take it.....nah, sorry. Okay, now you can have it...psych!"
Debator, you have to agree that your Governing Body is getting its' chain yanked by their god. Where do they get their inspiration from? It changes like the wind. My personal favourite is 'Millions now living will never die'. 'NOW' does not mean/read 'MAY'.
Debator
Here is what i did 10 months ago when i started looking at all this stuff:
I looked up every single reference i could find on the WT CD and other sourced Society scanned material, Watchtowers, awakes, books, Kingdom ministries, anything that refered to 1975.
Try it if you have not already done so. I am not going o post my research for you...
It builds a very clear picture of laying the seed, watering it, encouraging it to fruit. (the fruit too is clearly evident in the yearbooks bragging about the growth)
references will also show a clear picture of distancing and blaming by the governing body from mid 75 on.
The Society has a very clever tool in its fervour arsenal, the D/O and C/Os. They are the loose cannon of the watchtower. Through them the society can say anything at conventions and meetings that they will not print. Do not be so nieve to think that the society didnt know or control them either. They were sitting back reaping huge finacial gains over 1975.
It does not have to reach ''official doctrine policy' for the watchtower to be culpible.
The reason you invoke such heated responses to denial of culpability is that you deny the reality of what others actually lived through.
oz
