As I was walking to the station today I passed three people handing out Watchtower tracts at the precise moment that one of them happened to turn to the other and say, "It's going to rain." I thought it was quite amazing to hear such an accurate prophecy from them after having come across this rather interesting Wikipedia entry and counting how often they have made the same failed prophecy (13, if you include The Bible Student Movement):http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dates_predicted_for_apocalyptic_events
I'm reading a book, called "When Prophecy Fails," quite an interesting book for someone like me, being rather interested in psychology, human behaviour, logic, truth, etc.. The example in the book explains what happens under certain conditions, when people have a very strong commitment to a prophecy which fails. Cognitive dissonance causes them to try and rationalize their belief, and instead of admitting defeat, they cling desperately to any excuse they can find. They then try even harder to get other people to believe in what they do. The rationale being that if they can get others to believe it too, they won't feel so bad. Must be quite difficult to believe after a failed prophecy when you have no-one to encourage you to do so.
The next end of the world will be on the 27th of May. You have eight days, but don't worry... if you miss this one, there will be plenty more, probably predicted by the same people :)
An Accurate Prophecy by the J-Dubs!
by losthobbit 8 Replies latest jw experiences
-
losthobbit
-
blondie
Some jws will say that the WTS predicted to formation of the UN in a talk given in the fall of 1942.
*** w50 7/15 p. 219 par. 13 Postwar Enlargement of the Theocratic Organization ***Despite wartime difficulties a New World Theocratic convention was held that following summer in Cleveland, Ohio, September 18-20 (1942), with 26,000 present at the public meeting, where Brother Knorr gave the address “Peace—Can It Last?” which was carried by direct telephone lines to upward of 50 joint conventions in other cities. Over 80 cities on four continents had simultaneous conventions. Backed by divine prophecy, this public address showed a peace period would follow World War II and the international peace-beast which had gone into the bottomless pit by a shove from World War II would come out again. Witness today the United Nations!
*** w88 3/1 p. 15 My Life in Jehovah’s Spirit-Directed Organization ***I had come in time to attend the history-making convention in Cleveland, Ohio, September 18-20, 1942. There, Brother N. H. Knorr, the Society’s new president, gave the talk “Peace—Can It Last?” This brought new light on Revelation 17:8. It was revealed that the Allied powers would prevail and that a new international “peace beast” would arise. This did occur when, after the war ended in 1945, the United Nations was organized!
-----------------------------
But the beginnings of the UN began in January 1942 and Knorr would have known that...so not much of a prophecy.
Declaration by United Nations
On 1 January 1942, representatives of 26 Allied nations fighting against the Axis Powers met in Washington, D.C. to pledge their support for the Atlantic Charter by signing the "Declaration by United Nations". This document contained the first official use of the term "United Nations", which was suggested by President Roosevelt.
http://www.un.org/en/aboutun/history/1941-1950.shtml
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/united-nations-created
-
Billy the Ex-Bethelite
"It's going to rain."
They only got that prediction right if they meant it was going to rain water.
For the past hundred years, WT has been predicting it would be raining rocks and fire... very soon now. But that's been a hundred years of FAIL!
-
losthobbit
Thanks for the insight, Blondie & Billie.
Now I just wish I could go back in time and ask, "Please be precise. Exactly what form is the rain going to take??" I imagine at that point he would have said, "It will rain rocks and fire, but it will be... invisible."
-
blondie
As a jw did you believe that there had been no rain on earth before the flood?
*** w98 1/15 p. 9 pars. 5-6 “Walking by Faith, Not by Sight” ***Noah was one who had well-founded faith. (Hebrews 11:7) What basis did he have for it? Noah had God’s word, not in written form, but as spoken to him. Genesis 6:13 says: “God said to Noah: ‘The end of all flesh has come before me, because the earth is full of violence as a result of them.’” Jehovah directed Noah to build an ark and provided details regarding its construction. Then God added: “As for me, here I am bringing the deluge of waters upon the earth to bring to ruin all flesh in which the force of life is active from under the heavens. Everything that is in the earth will expire.”—Genesis 6:14-17.
Had there been rain prior to this? The Bible does not say.Genesis 2:5 says: “Jehovah God had not made it rain.” But this is how Moses, who lived centuries later, expressed matters in discussing not Noah’s day but a time long before that. As shown at Genesis 7:4, Jehovah referred to rain when speaking to Noah, and evidently Noah understood what he meant. Yet, Noah’s faith was not in what he could see. The apostle Paul wrote that Noah was “given divine warning of things not yet beheld.” God told Noah that He was going to bring upon the earth “the deluge of waters,” or “the heavenly ocean,” as a footnote in the NewWorldTranslation expresses it at Genesis 6:17. Down to that time, such a thing had never occurred. But all creation visible to Noah stood as an evident demonstration that God could indeed bring such a destructive deluge. Moved by faith, Noah built the ark. -
wantingtruth
Why the WT prophecies have failed ?
... because the "signs" were fabricated by Satan ... to be a "counter sign" of the real end-time signs found in Matt. 24 !
read here the simple explanation
wantingtruth
-
baltar447
"Oh look! My pile of made up BS is more correct that YOUR pile of made up BS!"
-
exwhyzee
"It's going to rain." I thought it was quite amazing to hear such an accurate prophecy
I heard one time that the society was thinking of going into the umbrella manufacturing business in preperation for the thousand year rain. (har har)
-
losthobbit
Wantingtruth, are you serious, or are you joking?
If you're serious, you may as well say, "Satan wrote the bible." If Satan caused false prophecies then he can do just about anything, and people with the kind of irrational thinking in that article cannot be persuaded by any kind of rational thinking. There is nothing that anyone can do to rationalize with them. They will ALWAYS make excuses for their irrational beliefs.
I recommend reading "Software for your brain", which can be found online for free (http://www.schoolofthinking.org/software.pdf). Otherwise, any book on cognitive dissonance.
