I have a few questions about 1975. I was born after 1975, so I don't know too much about the Armageddon prediction. I asked my mother once about it (when I was growing up). Along with snapping at me, she claimed that the "Society" never predicted that date, and that only the "spiritually weak" left the "organization". I’m sure there have been plenty of posts about this topic. However, I am relatively new to this site. So my questions are, did the "Society" actually print in the Watchtower, Awake!, or any other publications that Armageddon was going to happen in 1975? If so, when did this prediction first take place? After 1975, what was their justification for their failed prediction?
1975???
by 21stcenturywoman 29 Replies latest social humour
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Haulin Oats
21st... http://www.quotes-watchtower.co.uk/1975.html
Funny. I asked my parents the same thing about 75 since they "survived" the nonsense of that year. They vehemently deny the society ever saying 1975 was ever taught from the stage. Maybe they weren't paying attention that year.
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OUTLAW
Watchtower Literature and newspapers wrote about 1975..
So decades later the WBT$ would look bad..
.....................;-)...OUTLAW
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Anony Mous
The justification was that they never really predicted a specific date officially in print and they said that they have always said since before 1914 (and it has thus become current doctrine) that nobody knows and nobody can say when but it's REALLY soon, so soon that you don't need an education or try to get a career as it only distracts you from Jehovah's day that is REALLY soon now but you should go in field service and convert as many as possible otherwise they will die - yes, if anyone dies at Armageddon because they weren't preached to it's YOUR fault for not preaching enough and Jehovah will demand their blood from you.
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Band on the Run
I heard it numerous times from the platform. My memories of Freddie Franz explaining his calculations at Yankee Stadium--it had with Eve's menstruation-is vivid in my mind. We were told not to tell householers but it was talked about endlessly at the KH. After I left, a Witness came knocking on my door. I stood up to her with my newly acquired rudimentary Bible knowledge. She threatened me with 1975. I responded that it was a close secret only to Witnesses and how could I say what I saying as a Witness. So I went to call Brooklyn for a consultation and she freaked with fear.
I was finished with college by 1975. Despite not believing, I was terrified. I wasn't in the world long enough to be secure. 1975 started with college graduation and yet was one of the worst years of my life. I suspended normal life b/c I was so afraid. My body was full of stress. And my mom lived through several Armageddon prediction dates and always dated their authenticity.
She believed she went meet and greet Abraham, Noah, David, Solomon at the Prince's House. It was everyone's expectation. They never showed up. I knew all this, most Witnesses do not, and it was one hell of a year anyway. I always figured they might be right and it certainly is fearsome.
Speech after speech about 1975, Please. They think people like me drop dead. I will bear witness that 1975 was heavily promoted.
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unshackled
I remember asking my parents about 1975. Don't recall their exact responses but it was to the affect of blaming others. What I do remember was feeling like there was an elephant in the room.
Near the end of 1974 my father moved our family from a populated southern area, to a sparsely populated northern town. I always wondered if he did that thinking the end was coming in '75. Thinking being out of populated areas and off the map would be a safer place to ride out the Great Tribulation boogeyman.
I no longer wonder that....fairly certain that was the motive.
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AnnOMaly
Here's a good resource too: http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/1975.php
Whatever spin any JW wants to put on this episode - 'some brothers mistakenly ran away with the idea,' 'the publications never said ... ,' always remember the official WT statement of regret and acknowledgement of responsibility - nobody can spin their way out of that:
Yearbook 1980 pp. 30-31 1980 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses
A fine point made in the talk "Choosing the Best Way of Life" was that Jehovah God will save us from stumbling-even as he did David in the case of Nabal's insolence-but we must do our part. The brothers also appreciated the candor of this same talk, which acknowledged the Society's responsibility for some of the disappointment a number felt regarding 1975.
w80 3/15 pp. 17-18 pars. 5-6 Choosing the Best Way of Life
In modern times such eagerness, commendable in itself, has led to attempts at setting dates for the desired liberation from the suffering and troubles that are the lot of persons throughout the earth. With the appearance of the book Life Everlasting-in Freedom of the Sons of God, and its comments as to how appropriate it would be for the millennial reign of Christ to parallel the seventh millennium of man's existence, considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975. There were statements made then, and thereafter, stressing that this was only a possibility. Unfortunately, however, along with such cautionary information, there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones and contributed to a buildup of the expectation already initiated.
In its issue of July 15, 1976, The Watchtower, commenting on the inadvisability of setting our sights on a certain date, stated: "If anyone has been disappointed through not following this line of thought, he should now concentrate on adjusting his viewpoint, seeing that it was not the word of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his own understanding was based on wrong premises." In saying "anyone," The Watchtower included all disappointed ones of Jehovah's Witnesses, hence including persons having to do with the publication of the information that contributed to the buildup of hopes centered on that date.
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Terry
This 1975 scenario was flirtation.
The Watchtower publications were provoking a series of thoughts and conclusions with leading messeges that were "fitting" to follow.
The books, talks, magazine articles showed a bit of end-times cleavage as they leaned over for all in the Kingdom Halls to snatch a good look.
Those who stared worked up quite an enthusiasm and got carried away; some going too far.
This sort of enthusiasm was approved of in the articles and writings. Wink wink nudge nudge. Expectations were aroused.
But, when the clock stiffened at 1975 straight up and expectations were panting toward fulfillment......the Society fastened the top buttons on
its collective blouse and slapped the rank and file right in the face.
So, the question becomes this: Who was "just asking for it" and who wasn't?
The publicity being generated from door to door work and the electric feeling of anticipation at assemblies to the world at large produced
newspaper headlines. (See above)
IF THE SOCIETY DISAPPROVED of this inevitible conclusion because it was FALSE...would they not SAY SO PUBLICLY to defuse the situation?
Or, were they riding high on the influx of new members?
Obviously gaining considerable new revenue and distribution for publications trumped false prophesy charges!
Wasn't this being gained BY FALSE PRETENSES since the Newspapers were saying something definitive?
Who would be defamed when 1975 proved a no-show? Hint: Jehovah's witnesses were spreading this false rumour.
Could it be....ummm....JEHOVAH who was defamed?
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