Hello :)
I was a JW about 15 years ago and have been reading these forums for a while. It took a long time to get over the fear of Armageddon for sure. My 18 year old is still a JW (we live at opposit ends of the world) and I have found your information really useful as I am preparing some kind of telephone 'presentation', as it were, regarding JW beliefs and the difference between JW and the other Christian Churches and what the message of Jesus was. In particular this verse 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
“Now brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the twelve.” So, John, Paul said that the gospel which saves us is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Tad different from the standard JW version of the Good News eh?
Another thing that has struck me is the use of dates that the JW's use to prophesi - didn't Jesus say that no one could know the time or date of the Great Tribulation? It just occurred to me - they've been using dates for years when the Bible says that no one can know the dates. Quite funny really :)
AND - the strangest thing of all - the 'New Light' concerning the 1914 date - that's hillarious - it was the major theme at one time wasn't it? I can imagine how the JW's felt when it was no longer a 'generation' as they had previously known it. Would be similar to the ppl in 1975 I would think. Betrayal - it *surely* made some of them question their faith.
Anyway, I'm waffling - hello to every one again and thanks for the message boards :)