Could JW's return to the "generation of 1914" teaching and still be true?

by booker-t 17 Replies latest jw experiences

  • Liberty II
    Liberty II

    Hi booker-t,

    The "1914 Generation", as taught by the Society in the 1960's & early 1970's, were thought of as those associated with the WT Society who were then already in their midteens or older when Christ took the throne invisibly in 1914 as only they could "understand" the importance of & witness these "signs" & "events" which signaled this "invisible presence". Note that this "Generation Doctrine" was already a highly modified and reworked belief by the time the Society started pushing the 1975 thing in the '60s. The fact that these Bible Students (pre-JW name) in 1914 had no clue that this invisible Christ's presence doctrine even existed is enough to show what nonsense this belief was in of itself. In any case, this was taught as it meshed well with the whole "Creative Day" of 7000 years of which the last 1000 years would be the sabboth in which Christ would reign over the New System. In order to get to this last 1000 years the first 6000 years since Ol' Jehover's last creative act (Eve) was calculated using traditional Jewish & Catholic chronologies as coming to an end in the mid 1970's. By the mid 1970's even the youngest of this "1914 Generation" would be around 75 years old giving the Society a very mature biblical generation who would be dying off. Since that Generation would not pass away before the big "A" this had to be right. Are you confused yet?

    In any case, nothing happened in the mid 70's and now this "Generation"'s youngest members would be 105 years old by now. It is easy to see why the Society started bringing down the age of " understanding" to 10 year olds and then no "understanding" was needed so babies could be used to stretch out the troublesome time lag. Hence the playing down of the literal die off of that "Generation" in 1995 to include everyone born since effectively making a generation concept useless since it has no limits. Even if babies born in 1914 were used they are now 91 years old if still alive. The reality of how silly this all is becomes even more clear when true use of the word generation is applied to the people of any given time. For instance the WWII or the 1960's generations are not thought of as children & babies but rather of the movers and shakers of society in that time. These influential people generally range from their mid twenties to forty year olds and this is understood by everyone but JWs. In 1914 30 years old is a nice round number for an average generation age and using this age gives us people who would now be 121 years old. Let's get real, that generation is long gone. Most of them were gone before 1960. Only a true fanatic could still believe that any of this really means anything.

  • garybuss
    garybuss

    Welcome Liberty II, You write like you were on hand for some of the same things I saw. Good posts. You definitely know what you are writing about. Keep em comin'. GaryB




  • AlanF
    AlanF

    The concept of "the generation of 1914" has become meaningless, because it's completely disconnected from 1914. They redefined it to be essentially "the generation that sees Armageddon", so now when JWs think of the generation of 1914, they automatically think in terms of the soon-to-arrive battle of Armageddon. The idea that "the generation of 1914" includes all of the people who lived from about 1914 up to the battle of Armageddon -- even if that battle is 10,000 years in the future -- is simply ludicrous. But Watchtower writers really have no choice, if they want to keep their followers.

    AlanF

  • JustTickledPink
    JustTickledPink

    They tell you that it means those with the age of understanding in the 1970's when that would mean the end is very near.... now that it's 2005, they expand it to mean something different to also interpret that the end is very near.

    At what point will people wake up and realize that the changes were to accomodate their FAILURES? The "new light" excuse is sooo tiring.

    BUT, with that all being said there are still people who have counted on this "end" their whole lives they can't adjust to thinking anything else. They want to believe it so very badly.

  • xjw_b12
    xjw_b12

    Tell that to Mrs Black and her family...

    OBITUARIES

    Search Obituaries Archive
    Black, Evelyn Ruth
    January 18, 2005

    March 27, 1914 - Jan. 15, 2005

    Born Evelyn Ruth Burns, eldest of five children, she became a teacher in the early thirties, and married Adolph Leland Black. He predeceased her in 1993. She is survived by her brother Walter Thomas Burns (Ruth) of British Columbia and youngest sister Thelma Augusta Kells of Saskatchewan, as well as two sons Dale (Elvira) of Murillo, Ontario and Bill of Ottawa, Ontario, seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren Deborah MacWhirter (Bruce, Jason, Sean), Jennifer McGuire (Nathan, Hannah, Graham), Frederick Black (Simone, Melissa, Stephanie and Fred?s mother Fran), Danielle Benkhelifa (Kikkim, Elliot, Scarlett), Joel Black, Sameena Black, Rhea Black. Her five-decade teaching career in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Thunder Bay, Ontario continued for five years after retirement as she helped to home-school Joel, Sameena, and Rhea. Music was important in Evelyn?s life. She loved playing the piano and singing, often accompanied by Adolph on the banjo. Her keen interest in poetry was demonstrated as recently as a year ago, when she could still recite Burns poems learned as a schoolgirl eighty years ago. Baptized an Anglican, she always had a keen interest in religious matters. But near the beginning of the infamous wartime ban (1940-1945), she was baptized as one of Jehovah?s Witnesses June 6, 1940 in a creek in rural Saskatchewan. For over sixty-five years her most cherished activity was the Christian Ministry. Her dedication and zeal were an example to the many she helped on the road to Life. The Resurrection hope was a comfort to her as it is to us, her family and friends. As per Evelyn?s wishes, her Grandson Joel together with family friend Peter Cramb will conduct a Memorial service Friday, January 21, 2005 at 1:00 PM in Pioneer Ridge, 750 Tungsten Street. After the service, coffee will be served and some of her Grandchildren will give a presentation in her memory. Cremation has already taken place. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Pioneer Ridge Donation Account.

    EVEREST FUNERAL CHAPEL, 299 Waverley St. at Algoma in care of arrangements.
  • garybuss
    garybuss



    The other failure that is right on the Watch Tower Corporation is the passing of the Jonadabs, another generation that was not supposed to die. Those identified as Jonadabs in 1935 were supposed to be immortal (not subject to death).

    BIG promises, absolutely no delivery. Just imagine if the Watch Tower was a pizza company. . . .


  • Honesty
    Honesty

    Haaay, wait a minute now! Let's give the GB an opportunity to respond to this criticism... anyone hear of a new pyramid being excavated?

  • TD
    TD

    Those identified as Jonadabs in 1935 were supposed to be immortal (not subject to death).

    .........And this in turn is creating a rapidly growing third class of "Christians" within the ranks of JW's.

    Within the framework of JW theology, they neither attain the crown or heavenly life, nor survive the "great tribulation."

    In other words, they don't really benefit from the Ransom in any tangible manner at all. (e.g. Through "Salvation")

    How JW's can accept this, I can't even begin to imagine. It completely robs being a JW of any virtue it allegedly had in the first place.

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