by titch 128 Replies latest jw experiences
BluesBrother - "Abortion in the USA, Three day week and power cuts due to a strike by coal miners, (UK)Hippies, bell bottomed trousers, long haired men (I ask you!), David bowie an icon as Ziggie Stardust, Womens Lib....Feminism was challenging the natural order of things....The world surely could not survive much longer, could it??"
You gotta wonder if at least some of 'em are starting to get kind of impatient, yeah?
Kingdom Ministry May 1974 p.3 How Are You Using Your Life? Yes, the end of this system is so very near! Is that not reason to increase our activity? In this regard we can learn something from a runner who puts on a final burst of speed near the finish of a race. Look at Jesus, who apparently stepped up his activity during his final days on earth. In fact, over 27 percent of the material in the Gospels is devoted to just the last week of Jesus' earthly ministry!—Matt. 21:1-27:50; Mark 11:1-15:37; Luke 19:29-23:46; John 11:55-19:30. By carefully and prayerfully examining our own circumstances, we also may find that we can spend more time and energy in preaching during this final period before the present system ends. Many of our brothers and sisters are doing just that. This is evident from the rapidly increasing number of pioneers. Yes, since the summer of 1973 there have been new peaks in pioneers every month. Now there are 20,394 regular and special pioneers in the United States, an all-time peak. That is 5,190 more than there were in February 1973! A 34-percent increase! Does that not warm our hearts? Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end.—1 John 2:17. |
Looking at 1975 in retrospect makes me wonder why I didn't awaken for another almost 40 years??? Why didn't anyone who is old enough to recall "Stay Alive 'til 75" wake up before now. The WT prophecy was a failure -- a lie. How could they consider it anything but false prophecy?
Doc
I was baptized in 1995 when I was 16 years old. I was unaware of the 1975 fiasco. I don't believe a congregation was formed in my hometown until the early 80s. There were maybe one or two people who had personally experienced it and they were from out of town. They never spoke about it, though.
Some time after baptism, a Witnesses brought up the subject and explained it in terms of greedy Witnesses who invented this notion of the end coming in 1975 as an excuse to buy expensive items on credit thinking they wouldn't have to pay the money back. When the end didn't come, they stumbled and invented lies about their former brothers.
There was a lot of anger when I finally left the Witnesses and learned what had really happened. Those who left in the aftermath were universally maligned and painted as villains who were out to subvert the faith of others. It's truly remarkable how they managed to whitewash their history.
The GB convinced the R&F that THEY got it wrong and they believed them! After having some discussions with my mum some years ago she disagreed with me and I was amazed that she was denying it. I scoured the Internet and was thrilled when I found I was right, that I wasn't going mad, and luckily I had the 1968 bound volume. I studied it, couldn't wait to show my mum.
I took the book with me, started the subject again, then plonked the book on the table, there; she saw the title WHY ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO 1975 and her mouth fell open. She didn't say anything but read quietly to the end of the article. I was pacing round the kitchen, my stomach churning. She finished reading and proceeded to make excuses for the article. We argued and argued.
I also told her about the history of the org; prior false predictions, Russell's using the pyramid to back up bible chronology. I showed her a picture of his gravestone. She said his family could have done that! I told her that in 1921 Rutherford said Millions Now Living Will Never Die! They all are dead. She ran off crying in the end, she couldn't cope with everything I was saying. I had to back off.
In hindsight I said too much at once, but I needed to tell her everything I had learned. Much as a witness does when they first find out about ' the truth'. They have that zeal to tell everyone. I felt like that but had no one to share it with. I had to keep it all in and stifle it.
I hate that I was raised as a witness and would love to know what it was like to have had a normal life.
I was 10 and terrified of what was about to happen. My parents, who lived through terrible religious abuse during WW2, prepared us kids for some very horrible days ahead. We were about to be beaten, starved and put in camps similar to Nazi Germany. We were going to be separated from everyone we loved and my mother told me that most likely we would have to eat my beautiful Persian cat Niki.
But, I am happy to report Niki lived to the ripe age of 18, passing away in 1978 and we never had to eat her to survive the Great Tribulation of 1975!!!!!!
Magwitch :But, I am happy to report Niki lived to the ripe age of 18, passing away in 1978 and we never had to eat her to survive the Great Tribulation of 1975!!!!!!
Yeah, cats have nine lives, just like the now overlapping generation teaching, and
always land on their feet like wt doctrine writers with their weasel words.
It was my fanatic sister who bought the whole thing, lock, stock and barrel. She made sure her two sons were perpetually screwed up enough, that they would never have children later on. It was she who was warning them that children would be a burden to them and they would be better off waiting until the nice new system which never came.
So, no. I didn't notice anything unusual except in her mild form of insanity which still reigns supreme today as she waits, once again, for the death of everyone else...except her JW family.
Things were pretty good in Australia, I didn't even know I was supposed to die.
