exJW Psychology 105--"Are You Ready for The Big A?"

by Billy the Ex-Bethelite 24 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  I don't know how many others have gotten this question that I got recently. I wonder if it was the CO that thought this would be a great question to try to reactivate someone like me:

  "If armageddon came this year, would you be ready?"

  At the time, I was kinda blindsided by the question and gave just an okay response. After having more time to think about the question, I have many more things I wish that I would have said and probably would use in the future. When I talked about this to a fellow fader friend, this proposed response brought her nearly to tears:

  "Yes, I would be very ready if it came this year. And I was very ready if it had come last year. But I am not at all ready if it comes in 15, 20, or 30 years. All my life I was led to believe that it was coming very soon and I would never have to worry about graduating, getting a career, saving for retirement, or ever retiring and having these health problems that come with age.

  "If it comes this year, I am more than ready to state my case before God, Christ, and any man. But if this system continues for 15 years, I'd be retirement age with no savings. I don't want to end up like Br. ____ who never saved a cent and is now trying to live on his limited social security benefits."

  This hit a very painful chord with my friend. She had bought into the Society's "end is near" promises and has only recently started saving money and has no spouse and kids. As she chimed in her comments and tears of sadness and frustration came up in her eyes, I cheered her up... by pointing out that I had bought into WT lies more deeply than she had and I was in way worse shape financially than she was .

  Of course, I have some other ideas for possible responses, but I wanted to bounce this idea around the forum first for this:

  Them: "If armageddon came this year, would you be ready?"

  Me: "Oh yes. I've been ready for armageddon to come any year since I was a child. I was fully expecting it to come in the late 80s - early 90s and 100% took to heart what WT said in DC talks and articles like "Responsible Child-Bearing in This Time of the End." I'll never forget that series of articles in the 3/1/88 WT that directly said the end was so close that it would be foolish and irresponsible to marry and have children. I've tried to search it on the new online library, but it's not there. That's been 25 years ago and they only list WTs from 2000. And I have just one word to describe myself for following that advice in the late 1980s... STUPID! I was an idiot to believe them and choose to stay single and childless. I should have been like you (in the case of that conversation) and Br. ___ who happily married, had kids, pursued a career. I listen, obeyed, and am now nearly 50, alone, penniless."

  Them: "But it could come this year."

  Me: "Sure. But the youngest member of the GB is my age, and with the current teaching of "generation", this system could easily last another 25 years. The prophecies have a long way to go before fulfillment. Islam isn't going to go down without a long, hard battle. The King of the North is entirely unknown as of now, but according to Daniel has a long way to go before completing the required prophecies."

  Them: "But the Bible also says it would come instantly, with great surprise."

  Me: "Let's be honest. If you really thought it was coming this year, you would quit your job and use all your savings to spend the final days pioneering."

  Them: "Well, er..."

  Me: "It's important to be prepared if the end DOESN'T come this year, right?"

  Them: "Well yeah."

  Me: "Congrats to you. If the end doesn't come for another 15, 20, 25 years, you're ready. Me? Not so much. So when you say your prayers tonight with your family in your comfortable home, remember to thank God for not taking the terrible advice from WT that many of the rest of us did. And when you're studying WT information with your children about how close the end is, remind them that the end really might not be that close, and they need to plan accordingly."

  Them: "So, who do you think will win the Super Bowl this year?"
• 

  Phizzy

  Great stuff as usual Billy ! and it will help me no end if the question is thrown my way !

  The other thing I will do again, as I did to an Elder some years ago, is say, "If you are sure it is that close, sell me your whole Estate at todays value for the sum of £1.00, but I cannot collect for 20 years ".

  That Elder did not sell, nor would any of today's gung-ho JW's, deep down they know it ain't gonna happen.
• 

  blondie

  I was asked that question and asked should we serve God for a date? Isn't that the mistake many jws made in 1975? Abraham served God knowing God's promises would not come in his lifetime. The WTS says that God only promises that jws AS A GROUP would survive the end. No guarantees that every individual would survive, but get their lives back.

  *** w84 6/1 p. 14 par. 7 Now Is the Time for Zealous Service ***

  Abraham had no hope that a Paradise would be restored on earth during his lifetime. Instead, he was told that his offspring would be afflicted for 400 years. Only at some distant future time would God’s promise be fulfilled that ‘by means of Abraham’s seed all nations of the earth would certainly bless themselves.’ (Genesis 15:13; 22:18; Galatians 3:8) Abraham was “awaiting the city having real foundations, the builder and maker of which city is God.” (Hebrews 11:10) The fact that Abraham would see it not in his day but only in the resurrection did not diminish his faith, obedience and zeal in serving God.

  *** w01 8/15 p. 28 par. 12 Do Not Give Up in Doing What Is Fine ***

  Once again, consider Abraham’s example. He built his whole life on faith in God’s promises, even though there was no chance that they would all be fulfilled within his lifetime (Hebrews 11:13).
• 

  ABibleStudent

  Hi Billy the Ex-Bethelite, Why not ask a JW, "Why do you feel that it will be this year more than when WTBTS predicted it would be in 1975?" Listen to them for a while until you can ask them more questions, like what you wrote about of getting an education so that you do not have to survive on solely Social Security.

  I wonder what regrets that JWs who sold their houses or quit their jobs in the 1970's have now, if they are alive?

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert
• 

  4thgen

  Good work, Billy!

  Yes, I also was a willing victom to the "Responsible Chilbearing in the Time of the End" talk at the District Convention and article, too. What a dope, I was! I swallowed it hook-line-and-sinker! And to think, I wore my childlessness as a badge of honor of my devotion to God! STUPID....

  (Sarcasm): How could they possibly have removed such a timely article? And to think the young people of today cannot read such sage advise:

  *** w88 3/1 p. 27 Responsible Childbearing in This Time of the End ***

  Children During the "Great Tribulation"

  20 Ahead of us is the "great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again." (Matthew 24:21) It will be a difficult time for adults and children alike. In his prophecy on the conclusion of the present system of things, Jesus foretold that Christian truth would divide families. He stated: "Furthermore, brother will deliver brother over to death, and a father a child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death." (Mark 13:12) Obviously, rearing children in the time of the end would not always be a pure joy. It could bring heartbreak, disappointment, and even danger, as Jesus’ words quoted above show.
• 

  Violia

  I used to be ready every time a thunder storm or tornado was imminent. Then more than one elder told me A ways not real, ( like the horses in Revelation are not really coming out of heaven). it was like believing you will die and go to heaven or hell. it was a hope and that is all. Once I understood that hope is just hope and going to heaven is just as good a hope as a paradise earth-I stopped worrying about the big A. Even if it is real it is certainly not like the wts predicted. I used have fun thinking about the Apocalyptic Angels of Death. What a stressful job. I mean, this is their first big Apocalypse and they will probably go in pairs. ( one is a trainee) I plan on putting some lambs blood over my door post. It might at least confuse them. If they are slackers like jws when it comes to field service, they will see the blood over my door post and put me down as Not Home and then take a coffee break.
• 

  SAHS

  The WTS was able to persuade some folks to not get married, to not have children, and to not pursue a career which would give them some financial security in the days leading up to 1975, but it doesn’t seem that they could ever get away with it again. Don’t look for any mass obedience to any directives (or “strong encouragement”) to put a hold on marriage/children/career again because of some new speculations on any future dates or time periods. (Not that they would dare at this point.) It wouldn’t work for them again – at least not in any area where people could access a little thing they call the “Internet.”
• 

  Band on the Run

  Long after my family left the Witnesses, there was a weird weather pattern over my neighbohood. It looked like a WT illustration of the beginning of Armageddon. We still lived in the same home as when we were Witnesses. My heart started beating so hard. I did not want to say, "Armageddon alert." My mother said it. It took about ten minutes for the weather to resemble normal patterns. The light from the sky was distorted and had a purplish color. Perhaps it was the remnants of an A-bomb test. We used to be able to eat snow. After the testing, we heard about five times a day not to eat snow. It could give us radiation.

  The Cold War was a particularly bad time to grow up with Armageddon on the mind. School and public officials were always talking about nuclear annihiliation. Of course, after the Soviets took out America, our missles would take them out. Roaches and rats would survive.

  There are so many thoughts in my head from the Witnesses after all these decades. They no longer have the wallop they once did. I can watch the Twilight Zone, vote, take an oath, dance, love fashion forward. It is more intellectual now. Part of me wants to laugh that I ever believed. Did I ever believe or Did I fear shunning from beloved family members?

  I always believed what my teachers taught.
• 

  Gypsy Sam

  I really like your comment about the youngest member of the GB And the generation teaching. I'm using that with some of the JW's I still talk to that are in their late 30's. Nice thread!
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  I might add to your opening post rant to being ready that Jehovah should be much more understanding and practical about analyzing who is "worthy" of survival than the organization that painted Him into a megalomaniac who insisted that a handful of people forego their own health and retirement planning to dedicate their lives to making that handful of people into a tiny bit larger handful of people.

  I might add that if Jehovah is who "they" painted him into, then I am so ready to not serve Him endlessly but would rather be cast into eternal oblivion.

  But that's just me.

  Oh, and if the story of Abraham is even close to true, he was ultra-rich and saying that he abandoned an easy life in the city for a hard life of moving around for the sake of his faith is not supported in the Bible..