A sucker is born every minute

by Sour Grapes 33 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Sour Grapes

  I was an elder in the 1970's and I was not a big fan of the "stay alive until 75" dogma. I was looked down upon by the heavy hitters on the body of elders and in time I changed my mind. I knew of the failed prophecy of 1914 being the end of all times which was repeated for the year 1925...yet I came to believe well maybe this time they've got it right.

  With every new Watchtower, I combed over every word to find support for my change in my belief that the end was coming in fall of 1975. At the District Assembly in 1975, everyone clung onto every word in the final talk. I started to sense something was wrong when the speaker said "If it be Jehovah's will, there will be District assemlies next year." Very few applaued. I truly expected to hear that next year this time we will be past the great tribulation and will be welcoming back the dead and cleaning up the mess.

  Prior to that assembly, I told my Bible students that they would die in a few short years unless they became Jehovah's Witnesses. Earlier as we entered the fateful year of 1975 our congregation grew by leaps and bounds. On many Sundays when I gave talks there was standing room only in the back of the kindom hall. There was an electric charge in the air. Every bit of bad news that was seen on TV was just positive affirmation that we were correct...Armageddon was only months away! The worse the news was the happier we became. When a worldly relative or friend died well at least now they will be resurrected. They had it made...we had to suffer in the great battle just ahead.

  I got caught up in the entire lie. Thank god that I had children because I would have most likely quit my job, sold my house and pioneered. Yes a sucker is born every minute. Then in September of 1975 I heard the talk from brother Franz where he started to do some back peddlng stating that if Eve was created three months after Adam's creation then that would push Armegeddon into 1976. If Eve was created a year after Adam's creation then the thousand year of rule of Jesus would be a year after Adam's creation. When he stated we don't know when Eve was created, I knew that we have been duped again. I fell for it even though I knew of the WTBTS many failed prophecies.

  Now once again in 2016, we hear the war drums for Armgeddon being beat by the Gibbering Body and even though maybe 50% of those who experienced the "stay alive until 1975" falsehood are stilll alive, they are falling for it again. The end is so close and that we need to simplify our lives and give more to the org. No doubt many realize that the king isn't wearing any clothes, but they dare not say one negative word because they would rather believe in a lie and stay in the congregation rather than believe the truth and be set free.

  All of the body of elders from 1975 who told me that I had to readjust my thinking are dead. They believed they would not have to die. Only I am left, When I die than there will no longer be anyone remaining from the body of elders of that time period to tell others that they were lied to and believed in a wet dream.

  Sour Grapes
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  somebody

  It's SO frustrating to say the least, Sour Grapes! I understand what you are going through. Nice name, as Sour Grapes in VERY understandable. Some people will never admit that their are legitimate reasons for becoming sour. Being deceived and lied to by people who taught you to trust them and be loyal to them is just two reasons!

  peace,

  somebody
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  Village Idiot

  Sour Grapes:
  

  Then in September of 1975 I heard the talk from brother Franz where he started to do some back peddlng stating that if Eve was created three months after Adam's creation then that would push Armegeddon into 1976. If Eve was created a year after Adam's creation then the thousand year of rule of Jesus would be a year after Adam's creation. When he stated we don't know when Eve was created, I knew that we have been duped again. I fell for it even though I knew of the WTBTS many failed prophecies.
  

  Actually, the "Adam and Eve gap" as it was known back then predated the year 1975. I remember going to Franz's talk in 1974 and hearing him describe the 'gap' by saying it could be months or years but not decades. The absurd (what isn't?) reason for this was that if Adam were to be left without a wife for decades then he could be tempted into bestiality.

  "Will Jehovah allow Adam to be tempted into bestiality?" said Franz.

  "No brothers and sisters." was his response to his own question.
  
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  apocalypse

  There was a 2 part symposium given at our circuit assembly, held in a high school, just prior to 1975, I think it was 1972. The speakers were the CO last name Scalioni, and guess who was the other speaker.... KENNETH LITTLE.

  They went on about how the end might not even wait till 75, that it would come before!!!!

  They had a GB approved script. It wasn't their opinions. Much as the WTS defenders would like to claim.

  I think Scalioni is a corpse. Kenneth Little, well, he's still on this side of the sod. And his fleshly brother, I hear, has just been re-instated. He want's to die a goodie 2 shoes dub I guess.
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  DesirousOfChange

  Mark me as one of them suckers.........................DOC
  
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  freddo

  Sucker here too! As a teenager I remembered '75, the gap between Adam and Eve's creation, the way that "the generation that saw 1914 (TGTS1914) would have to be of an age of understanding, about age 15" became "TGTS1914 ... age 10".

  Then "TGTS1914" just had to be alive in 1914 and then the TGTS1914 masthead disappeared from the Awake! magazine in 1995.

  And still I stayed - trussed up in a spider's web of deceit and fear of the consequences of questioning (until several years later). What a sucker!

  And now it's the "Overlapping Generation That Saw 1914" - and still the heads bob at the KH and they wait for Armageddy. Some of whom who saw as much as I did and one or two who can go back even further to a 1940's/1950's childhood or conversion as a JW.
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  smiddy

  We were suckers DOC , but we are not suckers anymore , WE saw the TRUE LIGHT and left.
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  Ucantnome

  I think that prior to the Watchtower being published Pastor Russell believed that 1914 would be the end of the gentile times. I find that I cannot prove that from God's viewpoint this did not happen

  I believe the Witnesses view 1919 as the birth of the nation and we find there are millions of JW since then and the anointed going to heaven from that time forward, I cannot prove hasn't happened.

  We do find them claiming to be anointed and commissioned to engage in the witness work of the events of 1914 which they do on a worldwide scale supposedly in fulfilment of Matthew 24:14, I believe.

  No doubt many realize that the king isn't wearing any clothes, but they dare not say one negative word because they would rather believe in a lie and stay in the congregation rather than believe the truth and be set free.

  So although like you I was there in 1975 and our family had simplified our lives and I was pioneering and today I no longer attend the Kingdom Hall or engage in the work. I feel I am no longer convinced of the message we preached but do not feel that I can comment on whether they are anointed or were commissioned in 1919 I therefore can understand that some maybe convinced of this even though they recognize some errors of the past.
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  Black Sheep

  I remember that talk too, but it was stated that the difference was months, not years. I'm sure that notion was published in a WT or Asleep! soon after and is easily found if you have a good library. I stopped attending a few months later.
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  pale.emperor

  The absurd (what isn't?) reason for this was that if Adam were to be left without a wife for decades then he could be tempted into bestiality.

  "Will Jehovah allow Adam to be tempted into bestiality?" said Franz.

  "No brothers and sisters." was his response to his own question.

  hahahahahahahahaha!!!! oh my word!! hahahahaha!! stop!! stop it!! im screaming laughing here!!! hahahahahahahahhaha!!!!

  That bro Franz should've been on stage, maybe even a tour of the US. Move over Robin Williams, Bill Hicks and George Carlin - Bro Franz is hilarious!!