Greven,
I just found your reply, that sort of clears things up! When I left, the generation had to be around 14 or 15 in 1914, old enough for the age of reason is how they put it, if I remember correctly. Sounds like you are saying they were claiming to be redefining rather than tossing out the generation thing.
A few years after I left, I found a magazine in the laundromat, can't remember if it was a Watchtower or Awake. But it contained a retraction of sorts in small print in the very back of the magazine, saying that the Watchtower never claimed to be inspired. A short time later I saw an elder who had been a close friend and he actually spoke to me. I questioned him about the retraction, which by now had been a couple of months old, he had no idea what I was talking about, his embarrassment and confusion were palpable. He had not read the magazine and here I was quoting it to him. I wish he had read the damn magazine, because I wanted to know what he thought! He said he would check into it, but of course I never heard from him again.
Why did the society feel the need to print that? Tell me what you think.
Deb