by shamus 19 Replies latest jw experiences
I recall my parents saying that they would go around and say that "nuclear bombs" were, at one point, imminent, and what you would do if you died today?
I'm not sure if that's the exact wording, but just wondering if they really said weird things like that; like there were fighter jets in the sky with nuclear capabilities that nearly caused "armageddon". True or false?
I think USAF Strategic Air Command did have certain models of F-102's and F-106's based out of Canada in the sixties that did indeed have nuclear bomb payloads, in fact they weren't designed for conventional bombs. I don't know if any of these squadrons were still flying in the 70's or not.
So, I suppose they were sorta right, though I've never heard of one accidentally making Jehover destroy the world or anything.
People are basically nuts.
i do remember historically that the USAF did indeed fly aircrafts with nuclear weapons. it was very secretive until a few years ago.
Basically I said, Hello my name is Loris and I've come here to tell you some good news. Now that I can look back with a clear head. That was weird.
Loris
"Good morning! It's already August 1975 and the end is coming in 33 days, nine hours and four minutes. If you don't start studying with me in this little blue book RIGHT NOW, you and almost the entire population of this planet will be bird food in a month."
Other than that, Shamus, no, nothing weird was going on in the 70's.
Not that I remember. I pioneered a lot back then, really believing the end was close. There was a lot of excitement, but it was the same old same old stuff. We had a Kingdom News tract in about '72 I think, that generated a lot of excitement. But it was boring stuff.
We were never told to say silly things to people at the door............"stick to the regular message."
Nothing in particular except for the stuff between 1970 and 1980.
Never said anything weird at the doors,but at school that was another thing. Use to tell my friends that the birds would peck there eyes out if they don't listen lmao!
shamus....it was Cold War hysteria. And it wasn't just the dubs who feared imminent nuclear war. Remember the Day After in 1984? Carl Sagan would talk about how nuclear war would annihilate civilization. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists had their "atomic clock" telling the world how close it was to total nuclear war (at some point they had it at four minutes to midnight). The funny thing is that the So-Sigh-ity would whip up nuclear hysteria among the witnesses, because that would definitely make Armageddon seem real close; how could the millenium be far away if mankind can be wiped out tomorrow? Why wait for God to end the world if we can do it ourselves. However, the ironic thing is that Brooklyn always said that nuclear war would never happen -- God would intervene before it starts -- but nevertheless they sure played on that fear! Most Americans I think feared the worst but put the worry out of their minds in their day-to-day life, while the Watchtower kept reminding the witnesses of it with at least a covery story, article, or picture in the mags. The whole nuclear hysteria thing began to fall apart around 1990 as the Soviet Union and East bloc collapsed. I'm no longer in the dubs so I have no idea if the Society is still playing on nuclear fears. But in the '90s, it was good times, nice Clinton economy, no Big Bad Enemy to fear, American supremacy as the only Superpower, and thus no nuclear fear (who would attack us if we're all friends?). But of course all the nukes are still out there and our fears should have worsened if the political instability in post-Soviet countries enables nukes to be bought and sold. And so the sea change of 9/11 brought back a nuclear fear, but of a different kind -- not of an all-out nuclear holocaust kept at bay by M.A.D. (our little safety net), but a limited nuke terroristic attack just destroying your own city. And just like the Society, our current administration has learned that a little nuclear hysteria is good for public policy (WMD....WMD....WMD).
yes, the one that stuck out in my mind the most was, (need someone to find the pics in the Watchtowers), how there was enough bombs on the planet to blow it up 70x over, i remember going in service and many brothers would use this example at the door ...
Today, looking at the US (being one of the most powerful nations) situation, and how looooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnng it took them to take Afghanistan and Iraq, and both countries are far from being completely destroyed, it is very unlikely in my mind, that there is enough explosives on the planet to blow up the earth once or twice, let alone 70x.
Everything the Watchtower does is based on fear, and how much can you scare someone.
