A Good Decade

theliberator

If you were really into the organization back in the 80's, you have to admit, that it was the peak of the organization. It was a time of high energy and excitement. Like any nation, it reaches a peak and then it declines. The 1975 crap was behind them. They can now move forward. Many "deep", "high quality" books were released such as Revelation Climax, Reference Bible, New songbook, among others. Entire series of Watchtower magazines would focus on one subject. Of course it was Armageddon. For the first time, the organization video was released on VHS. For many, that was the first time we ever were able to look at the processes of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. The drama cassette tapes were released. I personally memorized most of the "Jehovah's Name to Declared in All the Earth" drama. Their was much talk of "peace and security" in the world and of course the Wt. ran with it. The generation of 1914 was still alive and had enough energy to last awhile before they needed "new light". Armageddon seemed closer than any other time. I feel they talked more about it more then, than they do now. People were coming in by droves. The anointed were dropping in numbers and this number was in the KM. This added to the urgency. It is actually very sad when a true believer reflects on this. It was a time of excitement and hope. But like a dream, it had to end. If only it were true.

OneGenTwoGroups

I was baptized in 1984 at the age of 16.

The Cold War was raging and the King of the North, the Soviet Union, seemed stronger than the US and was ready to "enter the land of decoration". I was one scared pre-teen and teen back in the early to mid-80s.

The planets had aligned, Armageddon has never been closer ... then it all slipped away.

nowwhat?

Amen brother, afterall it was a guaranteed promise that the 1914 generation would not pass away in that decade. If I was smart I should have walked away in 1995 when that got thrown out the window.

dropoffyourkeylee

The decade of excitement and enthusiasm was 1966 to 1975, in my opinion. But I wasn't around in the pre 1914 days, I expect those were heady times.

Pete Zahut

I think your view of a particular time period as a JW, depends on where you are in your life and what you've already experienced. With the advent of the JW dot Org Website, JW TV and shortened meetings etc, people of a certain age are feeling the same way today about being a JW as you were back in the 80's when they came out with videos and cassette recordings etc. As it was back in the day all the evidence is there, yet a certain amount of those involved today who are at just the right juncture in their lives, think everything is new and exciting and still think they are on the right track.

To me after living through the 1975 hype, there was a sense in the 80's of "hey....weren't we supposed to be in the "New System" by now....who wants to read all these new books that explain the same old thing....a thing that never happened?

I think back in the 80's, newer or younger ones likely felt the way you described, because they were projecting their own feelings onto the experience, the way we all do.

slimboyfat

Yes I agree. I only remember the end of the 1980s but it seemed that way to me, the golden age of JWism. People really seemed to believe it and be enthusiastic. People talked about the generation as if it made sense and was some sort of guarantee. There was a swagger about them too.

DesirousOfChange

People talked about the generation as if it made sense and was some sort of guarantee.

That's what we all believed. "The time left is reduced." I think it's what the GB & Big Shots at Bethel truly believed. Freddy had just been a few years off. It was probably that time between Adam's creation and Eve's creation, but the "generation" scripture could not fail!

Wrong again!

Doc

dropoffyourkeylee

Admittedly, some of the young 20 somethings I know are having a blast right now in the JW religion, traveling all over the world to 'assignments', doing the need greater thing. Maybe they'll look back to this decade as the glory years.

3rdgen

dropoffyourkee, and Pete, I agree that the best decade to be a dub is when you are young, idealistic, living on your own and/or having fun.

For Hubby and me it was def 1966-1980. After the purge at Bethell and ousting of R Franz there was a distinct change in the Borg and IMO NOT for the better. The WTBT$ cracked down on parties, study groups, and weddings. They made the service meeting sterile and took away the fun demos and forced the speakers not to be clever, inventive or use props anymore. From then on they must STICK to the OUTLINE or ELSE.

They did away with the "John Class" of DFed ones and forbade ANY association or greeting. Upper management was running scared of even more waking up after Ray's book came out so they eliminated even the POSSIBILITY of speculation or questioning within the borg. Uniformity was demanded and elders were on notice to strictly rule the pubs or face being removed. Sorry, you have to have enjoyed the excitement, closeness, and freedom of the late 60's and 70's to feel the noose tightening in the 80's and thereafter.

Alive!

Interesting - I studied in the late 80s and indeed, it was a 'exciting' time - the numbers lined up, the anointed class numbers 'the remanent' were reducing and with the solid doctrine that this generation would not pass away, I really believed only, absolutely only the desperately wicked would reject a peaceful universe in the end.

Like others, I adjusted this when 'new light' showed this generation to be NOT the anointed but the wicked generation or 'culture' of our times, with no time limit - then it was changed again to mean the anointed/ overlapping.....

I agree that the young JWs who are in the org 'groove' can have a blast - humorously off to where the need is greater... Along with their baby boomer parents - such countries that are on the main agenda appear to be Mexico, South America and recently I heard of beautiful Portugal and the lovely Southern Ireland as bring 'destinations'.

The need is RIGHT in their neighbourhood if they only but looked - the need being charity, community care and support of their neighbours and struggling fellow JWs.

Guess that sounds bitter - I don't mean it to be - but none of it really adds up.

A Good Decade

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