by punkofnice 179 Replies latest jw experiences
I was 21 years of age, newly baptized, married with a toddler.
1975 was never hyped too much in the congregation, just the "urgency of the times."
The sister who "studied" with me speculated that my baby would turn 2 in the New System.
I laughed at her; she got miffed.
Syl
In the Fall of 1975 I was still 'serving' at Watchtower Farms and was a Ministerial Servant in my congregation. The mental and emotional pressure
was more than I could bear and I had my first 'nervous breakdown'. Needless to say, 1975 was not a very good year for me.
As an unbaptised newbie, I sat in that 1980 Watchtower study, listening to the paragraph that admitted that 1975 was presented more as a probability than a possiblity in the pre-1975 time-period. Unfortunately - at that time - I reasoned (because I was trained to think this way by the WTS) that I should appreciate the fact that God hadn't brought the big A yet or else I would be dead. I mean, the title of that Watchtower article was entitled, "Choosing the Best Way of Life" or something like that.
Well, in 1995 when the long touted 'generation that would not die off the earthly scene before the end comes' - as promised by God (in the Awake masthead) mind you - was changed, it caused me to pause! And, for the first time, I realized what it must have been like in 1975 (5 years before I became a JW). To think that the Governing Body would change the "generation" teaching at this late date - well, it took the wind out of my sails (but, I didn't realize the total effect this would have on me).
I was never the same after this doctrinal change. It made no sense to me that if we were deep into the last days, that the Governing Body didn't have a correct understanding of "the generation" that Jesus alluded to. Esp. since they always claimed to be directed by God's Holy Spirit! Things were really starting to fall apart for me and I started to see the "real truth" behind the so-call "Truth". In the beginning, it's devasting and to some degree, it still is.
This thread is crazy, I'm kind of at a loss for words. I was born a few years after 75", and its rare that active JWs ever bring this up. A brother at my hall several years ago mentioned to me about 75", and showed me somewhere in a publication, a book that I can't recall that he explained was one of the sources of confusion regarding that infamous year. I wonder at times if he was subtly trying to wake me up.
I was mentally gone already by 1975. --Not quite Sylvia's age but not far behind at all. I do have a story from a few years before 1975 that you all might find amusing.
I lived on the Eastern seaboard and the congregation an Aunt and Uncle attended had built a new Kingdom Hall. The "Congregation Servant" (No Elders at the time) was a commercial building contractor. This Kingdom Hall had what was technically a basement, but was closer to a bomb shelter. --Big enough for the entire congregation with a full kitchen.
N.H. Knorr himself came to inspect. He was ecstatic and decided to give the dedication talk. He praised the congregation for their foresight "...with 1975 just around the corner."
When younger JW's dismiss the significance of 1975, I want to reach through the screen and shake them. I haven't set foot in a Kingdom Hall even as a casual visiter in many, many years but I still remember the President of their parent organization taking it very seriously.
While natural for the Watchtower to play down the significance of 1975, it's own yearbooks tell the tale. There was a great infux of baptisms in the years leading up to and including 1975. 1976 was another growth year as a consequence of so many bible students being in the queu for baptism who went through with it even after the 1975 disappointment. One of them would have been me, if I had not awakened in time. But this growth was followed by three years of declines. By 1979, there were almost 52,000 fewer Jehovah's Witnesses than there were in 1976. 1975 was real. I was there, and the indelible evidence of its affect on the Watchtower is there for all to see.
| Year | Ave. Publishers | % growth | 5 year growth |
| 1970 | 1,384,782 | 10% | |
| 1971 | 1,510,245 | 9% | |
| 1972 | 1,596,442 | 6% | |
| 1973 | 1,656,673 | 4% | |
| 1974 | 1,880,713 | 14% | |
| 1975 | 2,062,449 | 10% | 37% |
| 1976 | 2,138,537 | 4% | . |
| 1977 | 2,117,194 | -1% | |
| 1978 | 2,086,698 | -1% | |
| 1979 | 2,097,070 | 0% | |
| 1980 | 2,175,403 | 4% | 2% |
It's unbelavable that they deny they did'nt say the big A was comming in 1975.
I was at an Assembly in 1974 and GB mamber Leo Greenlies said "This is possably the last assembly this side if Armageddon"
So many watchtower And Awake articles predicted it.
Alot of the Elders around today were not around in 75 or if they were they deny it.
I liveded through it and saw 1st hand the histeria.
In 1977 when they were loseing members flat out Natthan Norr went around the world giveing speachers one of the things he said "In the highly unlikley event we see the year 2000''
Karter.
Propagating fear is what the WTS. has been doing to establish control over people, it incites people to take action,
which in regards to the WTS. is the proliferation of its published literature, which furthers more control, power and wealth toward the leaders.
Without this continual expressed fear the WTS would most likely run out gas and die.
The roots of this organization have always been grounded in exploitation, misinformation, coercion, corruption , hypocrisy
orchestrated by power seeking opportunistic men.
Its a publishing corporation that has a agenda and that is to grow and to gain control over people as many as they can, irregardless if that power
instills personal damage to that individual . Those pretentiously set up Experiences at Assemblies are just a part of culling followers.
I was already out. In fact it started in '73 the year my daughter was born. Anyone who cares can read my profile.
1975
Was just one more year Jehovah`s Witness`s got to look Stupid..
It wasn`t So Bad..They were Used to It..
........................... 
...OUTLAW
