Was there a 1974 Franz speech and subsequent coverup?

by Nickolas 19 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  Nickolas

  For those of us who remember it first hand, the 1975 fiasco is a strong indicator that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is not what it represents itself to be. In the late 1970's, after several years of unprecedented growth, the WTBTS experienced an exodus of disallusioned thousands which many attribute to the failed 1975 prophesy (see www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/1975.php for details). The WTBTS hierarchy subsequently played down the great disappointment of 1975, blamed its rank and file for having precipitated it, and has successfully swept it under the carpet. The following statement was posted recently in a thread discussing 1975:

  (FW Franz') Feb 10, 1975 speech was somewhat of a back-pedal about the date:

  - He had earlier given a 1975 pep-talk in mid 1974. Those that had heard both these speeches about WT chronology were unanimous that in his February 1975 talk, he was saying the opposite of what he had said six months before. (Of course, he still concluded with the standard JW fare "the time is short, out there and at 'em, steer clear of college etc, etc, etc - what the WTS were saying before, during, and after 1975; and on forever for that matter!)

  The full thread is here: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/202250/1/Why-did-the-WTBS-endorse-1975 in which there is a link to a recording of the Feb 10, 1975 speech.

  Does anyone else remember the earlier speech? Was it recorded? Was there a coverup?
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  Gregor

  I recall going to the KH one evening around that time to hear the Fred via some kind of phone hook up. He hashed over all the 1975 stuff and then he dropped the big loop hole - the amount of time between Adam and the creation of Eve. Even then I remember getting a queasy feeling that we had just heard the big waffle.
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  Leolaia

  I have talks from Freddy from 1971 and 1972 but not 1974.
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  blondie

  The Watchtower, May 1, 1975, said of a Watchtower Bible School of Gilead graduation held on March 2, 1975: (Italics added)

  Another speaker, F. W. Franz, the Society's vice- president, forcefully impressed on the audience the urgency of the Christian preaching work. He stressed that, according to dependable Bible chronology, 6,000 years of human history will end this coming September according to the lunar calendar. This coincides with a time when "the human species [is] about to starve itself to death," as well as its being faced with poisoning by pollution and destruction by nuclear weapons. Franz added: "There's no basis for believing that mankind, faced with what it now faces, can exist for the seventh thousand-year period" under the present system of things.

  Does this mean that we know exactly when God will destroy this old system and establish a new one? Franz showed that we do not, for we do not know how short was the time interval between Adam's creation and the creation of Eve, at which point God's rest day of seven thousand years began. (Heb. 4:3,4) But, he pointed out, "we should not think that this year of 1975 is of no significance to us," for the Bible proves that Jehovah is "the greatest chronologist" and "we have the anchor date, 1914, marking the end of the Gentile Times." So, he continued, "we are filled with anticipation for the near future, for our generation."
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  james_woods

  "we are filled with anticipation for the near future, for our generation."

  But of course he did not go on to explain what a generation really meant, did he?
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  jay88

  I guess the point in apocrypha chronology----if it sounds in anyway believable wait until the last minute to jump on, so if it doesn't turnout to be true,the time invested would be at a minimum.
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  JeffT

  In 1973 I heard a tape recording of a talk given by a GB member, I don't remember which one. He very clearly said that we were coming up on the end of 6000 years and the Big A was due. It might have been Freddy.
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  Terry

  It takes two things for a 1975 fiasco to go unpunished.

  Willing dupes who are clueless and self-deceived authorities who are clueless.

  Crying "Wolf!"is the sole purpose of the Watchtower from day one.

  Nobody was actually disappointed; they were surprised anew.

  Surprised at what? At their own feckless impotency in preaching a factual and provable message!

  The empty outcome of the non-event of 1975 went unpunished by the Press who missed a golden opportunity to hold the Watchtower's feet to the fire! Only a few "ha-ha's" were spun in the marketplace of ideas.

  The populace at large weren't suprised either!

  No sane person could ever ACTUALLY believe the silly idea that the world will be ended by the Godfather in the sky on such and such a date known in advance.

  Various people WANT THAT TO BE TRUE so that it will finally verify their faith is not void of reality.

  But, nobody actually expects it. Not really.
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  GrandmaJones

  btt
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  james_woods

  The empty outcome of the non-event of 1975 went unpunished by the Press who missed a golden opportunity to hold the Watchtower's feet to the fire! Only a few "ha-ha's" were spun in the marketplace of ideas.

  Sadly, that is right. It was mentioned in the Time or Newsweek article on the apostacy shizm, but that article was really triggered by the Ray Franz story, not the false prophecy itself.