In the late 1960s, when I was studying with the JWs, I worked in a very unique and mixed environment. The two brothers who owned the company were Lutheran and Baptist. The Drafting Supervisor was a JW and a co-wroker was Mormon. I was a Catholic. The Mechanical Supervisor was Pentecostal. The Production Line Supervisor was Buddist, and the Electrical Supervisor was an Atheist. It was not uncommon to have everyone in the Engineering office all arguing religion and politics or some combination thereof.
Sometime later I made the decision to get baptized a JW. I got into a heated argument with the Atheist (who also used to be a registered member of the Communist Party. He was also one of the Electrical Supervisors on the BART Project (Bay Area Rapid Transit - a light rail system.) Of all things the argument was about politics and mankind fixing his own messes verses waiting Jehovah's Kingdom.
Dave, the Atheist had recently read the book The True believer by Eric Hoffer. He left the Communist Party recognizing it as a cult and reregistered as an Independant. He was trying to get me to read Hoffer's book and alleged that the JWs were just another cult like the Communists, but different exterior packaging. (Of course, I would not read the book until shortly before I left the JWs 25 years later. - Idiot me.)
During our argument, Dave said to mark his words. While I don't recall exactly what he said, I did make some notes later for a talk at the Kingdom Hall. Here is what he basically said to me: "In about 25 years or so you will find that Armageddon will not have come and you will still be here dealing with your fellow man into the 21st Century. And if you have any brains you will give up on your little Jehovah and put your trust in man to make this planet a better place to live. And the little Watch Tower religion will prove to be another fraud just like all the rest."
Here I am over 30 years later, and Armageddon has not come. I am still dealing with my fellow man in the 21st Century. I must have some brains as I left the Watch Tower religion, as it did prove to be a fraud. The only part I have not totally done yet is putting my trust in man to solve his own problems. And I am still wondering about his comment about the 'little Jehovah.'
At the time he said this, it was magic for a talk in the meeting as it showed a stark contrast between human ways and Jehovah's ways. Considering, however, that all the Watch Tower prophecies have failed, and Dave the Atheist prophecies have come true, then I must wonder about that little Jehovah. - Amazing