Looking Back In Retrospect To 1975...

by titch 128 Replies latest jw experiences

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  baldeagle

  Depending on where you lived and how much a “true believer” (gullible) you were, 1975 received a variety of responses. Some continued living their lives as usual working, raising families etc.

  I remember a brother, a friend of mine telling me when he was a kid, his father bought a new house in early 1974. The response from the congregation including the PO was caustic, along the lines, “Are you crazy? Aren’t you listening to the talks and counsel coming from the organization? You’ll never live in that house it’s only going to be a distraction, where’s your faith my brother? A few short years later that chastised “faithless” brother became the new Presiding Overseer, raising his kids in a nice new home. The original PO who was involved in the ridiculing fell away due to the 1975 fiasco.

  Also I personally know of two family men each with young children at the time (12-14 yrs. old) who felt compelled to sell their houses in 1973. The end never came. Over the years they both exhausted their savings by renting and day-to-day expenses and were unable to reenter the housing market. One is deceased the other is 86 years old still paying rent from a measly government pension.

  It seems some today haven’t learned any lessons from the WT’s history. Many couples have been interviewed at the RC for 2015. They have admitted they simplified their lives quitting jobs when necessary….and…..wait…for…it……selling their homes so they could be temporary workers at the Warwick project. The insanity continues. They give up a couple of years of their lives and their real estate to hang wallpaper etc…..then they get their walking papers. Thanks for showing up God bless you all. True insanity and recklessness!!!

  
  

  
  
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  Finkelstein

  Its true of what you say Baldeagle, most JWS at the time bought into what the WTS was selling in concerning 1975. The WTS on the other hand blamed JWS and guilt tripped people who they say went overboard from that supposed important year, which in reality was a falsely devised year anyways.

  Corruption in corruption out .

  Another example were teens that were attending high school, even if you were to finish high school no less talk about pursuing a University or College degree, you were looked upon as spiritually weak or down right crazy.
  
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  wheelwithinwheel

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0FI0BJeuKQ
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  OnTheWayOut

  So, looking back in retrospect, do you remember anything---ANYTHING at all---that was happening on the world scene, that you would have thought, "Yeah, this is it, the Great Tribulation will soon be here, and the start of Armageddon"?

  I haven't read all the answers, but Watergate was wrapping up, so there was huge distrust of government feeding the thoughts that they would do something big and against religion.
  The Cold War was underway and the Soviets had broken some trade agreement early that year- fuel for the fire leading to war.
  The Soviets were doing nuclear tests.
  The violence between Ireland and England was going on early that year.

  Like any year, there was plenty for people to speculate about.
  
  
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  LisaRose

  I was 21 in 1975. As 1975 approached I started having some doubts that Armageddon would come that year. It seemed the Watchtower was starting to be less definitive about the 1975 date, and it was hard to think something like that would happen, there were no big wars or other signs. We had a few earthquakes, but it was California. Life seemed to be just going on like normal. I had my first child in December and being a mom became my focus,, not worries about Armageddon.

  By the time 1975 ended everyone realised that Armageddon might not come right away. Like many, I said I wasn't serving Jehovah for a date, so it didn't matter. No one questioned why we were led to believe it, we accepted it as being our own fault for "jumping ahead". It's amazing what you can get people to accept. We all got scammed but we didn't see it at the time.
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  ozbrad

  When it didn't come in 75 they then speculated how long before eve was born needed to be added to the date and that was another guess.
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  titch

  Thank you very much, wheelwithinwheel, for your contribution to the thread. That video was interesting. Best Regards.

  Titch
  
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  Hold Me-Thrill Me

  1975 was the work of men who believed they could predict the end. They disregarded Christ's admonitions and did what they themselves thought was good. Sad men who will in the resurrection be humiliated.
  
• 

  Finkelstein

  The Watchtower Corporation has built up a billion dollar world wide religious publishing house by exploiting the basic belief in the bible, disregarded many teachings contained in the bible, particularly of Christ's own teachings.

  Set up a proliferation of fear to cultivate their own power and control over a segment of the population.
  

  Made numerous fallacious doctrines which were more intending to attract attention to the organization's publications for distribution purposes.

  It is essentially a commercialized false prophet, designed to appear like its preaching the true written Gospel of the bible and the people who distribute the WTS's published goods are essentially appeased god if you will.