Armageddon coming in 1975 was talked about as a for sure thing. At five years old, I well remember my father stating after Nixon won reelection in 1972, "Well, it looks like Nixon will end this old system".
In 1975, I turned 12 years old. My uncle sold his house and business only to turn to alcoholism in the aftermath. No one attended his funeral when he died, I was told. He was Df'd.
I turned to marijuana at that time to help deal with the stress of either A. About to be annihilated or B. Being in a family dedicated to a cult where nothing was ever good or perfect enough.
Starting around age 8, at each birthday, instead of receiving presents to open up at a birthday party like other kids; I would count on my fingers how many years I had left before I would be killed at Armageddon, at age 12.
I never once thought that I would survive Armageddon. You see, I was always in trouble for talking too much. I got whipped with a belt a lot. I figured that God would just pick up where my father left off and finish me off.
I pretty much stayed stoned until age 19, when the State had to step in and save me from myself... that was after getting married at age 17, having a child at age 19, and getting divorced almost immediately thereafter..... all while still a teenager. Of course, I was from one of the prominent JW families in Houston, who were members of the original congregation there from the 1930's.
I got kicked out of school for smoking pot in the 8th grade after failing the 7th. School had a way of interfering with my pot smoking. I never got to finish even one year of High School.
The carnage created by the 1975 failed prediction robbed thousands of people of their ability to trust in God or authority figures etc. As a teen, when adults were speaking I immediately assumed they were lying, expert liars.
We always had the book study at our house. One time around 1975 the book study conductor felt obligated to tell us that it would be our task to tame the animals of the earth in the soon coming new system. He actually stated that we would have to go out in boats and tame the fish.
After the study, when all had left ( I was the youngest) everyone had a big laugh at the conductor because he said that we would have to get in little boats and tame fish in the New system.
I just stared at my family in amazement at how they could submit to a man's authority while at the same time ridicule him as ignorant. It was obviously time to twist up another fatty, and go play with the dog in the back yard.
1975 was indeed a nightmare. One created solely by the Watchtower Bible and Track Society
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. - John 3: 17
Jesus saved me from predators like the Watchtower. He saved me from the excesses of myself. He saved me from being condemned on Judgment Day after I die. In this life, he gave me real freedom, joy and peace. He blessed me with my own family.
Thank you Jesus.
