A question on " 1975 "

by The 50 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  The

  Hi again

  I was reading some of the first " Topics " on this DB and i noticed that a few former elders and publishers

  were stumbled by this date...

  I was born after 1975 and i'd really appreciate any comments from brothers and sisters who were around

  at this time.

  What i've noticed from personal experience is that many brothers and sisters feel that only " a few " were stumbeled

  due to the expectation that the end would come in or around 1975... In you opinion/s is this view correct?

  Do you think some who are serving now ... wouldnt admit to believing that the end would come in 1975?

  I remember up until the 90's .. alot of witnesses still talked about the 6000 years .. this seems to have died down now... Wh?

  Thanks for your time ..

  " The "
• 

  unclebruce

  g'day the, welcome to JWD,

  In the late 1960's The Watchtower bible and Tract Society™ printed a book titled "The Truth that Leads to Everlasting Life™". In about the third chapter there is a damning illustration. It shows a direct link from 1914 (being the begining of the last days) to the 1970's (1975 being 'the end of 6,000 years of man's creation™').

  Over 60 million of these were printed and distributed by enthusiastic people who thought the planet was about to be hit by a "Great Tribulation™" such as has never been seen followed soon there after by the anihilation of the vast majority of the earth's population at "Armageddon™". Jehovah's Witnesses™ were encouraged™ by the society to sell their homes and if at all possible go and "serve where the need is greater™".

  Most JWs of the 60's and 70's were caught up in 'last days™' fever. Many obeyed the society, rejected education, marriage, careers, child raising, good jobs, buying homes and went pioneering. Many sold their homes and bought caravans and 'more humble accomodation™', dragging their families into small country towns and near poverty.

  unclebruce

  A Watchtower Lie:

  For a list of the WBTS's false dates for Armageddon check out Randy's pages:

  http://www.freeminds.org/history/part1.htm
• 

  Black Sheep

  Hi The, Welcome to the board.

  Do you think some who are serving now ... wouldnt admit to believing that the end would come in 1975?

  My parents are a good example of this. They claim to have no recollection of some of the things they said to me prior to 1975.

  They have blanked it out of their minds.
• 

  Black Sheep

  The Truth book was to be studied in 6 months and if the sucker hadn't made significant progress to baptism the study had to be dropped as the time was so short
• 

  greendawn

  It was the society that brought up that date but in a more subtle manner than they had done in 1925, they were using expresions like "this is the completion of 6000 years and it very likely means something important" etc so the dubs got to believe that 1975 was the end date.
  
  They later blamed the R&F for propagating that year saying "because we don't know when Eve was created we don't know when the 6000 years will be up." But why did they not bring up this argument before 1975?
  
  In my view all these dates set by the adventists and their offshoots like the JWs, are meaningless and they always proved to be false from Miller's days beginning around 1820 to the present.
  
  Biblical chronology is not accurate enough for us to be able to determine through it when Adam and Eve were created. In addition there is no real reason to believe that the end would come 6000 years after Eve, only charlatans would claim that because "no one knows the day and the hour" it will definetely come at an unsuspected time like a thief in the night.
• 

  blsrose

  I was baptised in '73 after studying in that book, the "truth" book as it was called, and I personally knew a lot of people going in debt, spending money for things they would never be able to pay for because they believed they wouldn't have to!! And that wasn't limited to the general congregation, elders were guilty of doing the same!!

  It always was something that nagged in the back of my mind about not putting importance in dates, something the witnesses are very guilty of, and at the same time preaching that it was wrong to do it !!!
• 

  unclebruce

  In 1973 The orders came through that all regular magazine accepting householders (those on 'magazine routes™') were to be offered a six month bible study of the 'truth book™' and if they didn't accept then they were to no longer recieve the mags - 'time was running short™'.
  

  In 1973/74 we had a 'Special Tract™ Campaign'. Normal 'magazine and sermon work™' was suspended while we placed™ 'Good News tracts™' with every household (the every household policy nearly had me shot - lol). Rumour was rife that the final 'Good News Tract™' would say something like "Ha Ha - Too Late Sucker!! The End was so near we could smell it.

  unclebruce

  
• 

  Gordy

  
  I can only speak from personal experience.

  I became a JW in 1971. When I had my "Bible study" the Elder who took it never mentioned 1975. We did the book "Freedom Everlasting in the Sons of God" were it mentioned that 6,000 yrs of mans extistence would end in 1975. But it was regarded as a side issue.

  There never was a sense of urgency in the congregation as 1975 got closer. I think because our Elders didn't go in for speculation. Probably because they were mainly in their 60's and 70's. They kept a tight rein on it I think.

  Amongst the congregation members there was a "maybe it is maybe not" feeling. There were a few weddings in 1974. Also none of those he did get married bought a house until after 1975. But thats about the closest it got. I mean I even had my first child in late 1975 and no one said a thing.

  In fact after 1975 our congregation grew and had to split into two. Then in late 1980's we had to build a new Kingdom Hall as we were growing. Expecting even more growth. But then from 1995 onwards the congregation has not grown and many have left. Today I would say the congregation is about the same size as when I joined it in 1971.

  But there again having spoken to others since I left the JW's. There were some who did take it seriously. One guy I met spoke about how his father sold his business bought a caravan and set off with his wife to preach in the West country, Devon Cornwall etc. Of course when it didn't happen his father was shattered and spent his last days living in a rented room above a shop.

  I'm sure many other can give similar stories.

  PS

  After having read some of the above postings.

  Nothing like that ever happened in my congregation. No one gave up work or moved to "where the need is greater" . We weren't told to offer Bible studies etc and get them done in six months.
• 

  greendawn

  I wasn't around at the time but it looks like the then leaders of the WTS Franz and Knorr were looking for a way to increase the sales of their business products and they came up with this idea.
  
  This clever manipulation of the ignorant masses worked very well for them, but it left many dubs with losses, and the smug reaction of the WTS leaders shows what kind of ruthless opportunists they are, they were totally unconcerned about the damage they caused.
• 

  unclebruce

  The Society always plays the game on many levels. Some got caught up in the excitement more than others. As 1975 drew close I and others argued with more 'optimistic' ones (including our PO) that there was no way Armageddon could come so soon (too much work yet to do etc...) and we started speculating about 1984

  I wouldn't trust the Society mathematicians to add up my grocery bill, unclebruce