Friendly talk with a couple of elders

TooBad TooSad

Last week I received a home visit from a couple of elders because they were concerned about my spirituality

and lack of progress. I told them my story which goes back before 1975 when I was as elder and was

told by other elders that I need to get on the band wagon and start believing and teaching the 1975 doctrine.

I told the two visiting elders that I feel like I have been lied too. I was told that I would not graduate from

High School which was in the 1960's. Then I was told to believe that the end was coming in 1975 and

that I would never get old in this old system. The elders told me that the Bible teaches a sense of urgency.

I said that the last verse of Revelation that Jesus said that he was coming "quickly" and that was 2,000 years

ago. I can see the benefit of believing in the sense of urgency however that is differrent than saying that

I will not get old in this old system. I asked the elders if the end was near and they said yes.

I asked them they can give me a written guarantee that the end will be here by the end of 2008.

They said no. I said so you can guarantee the end will be here in 5 years. They said no. I said

how about 20 years and they said they can not guarantee that but the end was near.

I could stomach the meetings more if evey other 5 minutes there were not comments about how

close the end is. I have some close friends in the mid 80's and they are in a state of depression.

My wife doesn't know why they are and I tell her over and over that the old witnesses are depressed

because they were told that they would not get old and now they know that they are facing death.

They won't admit they were lied to but in thier hearts they know that they have been mislead.

This is all too bad and too sad.

Your somber reflections of the past lies will help us. I am reminded of my mother who is at retirement age.
She was so sure of the 1975 end coming. She was DF'ed over it, yet she went back later. She is still
convinced that the end is imminent, using the Freddy Franz explanation about how long after Adam, Eve was
created. She's actually right on the money about their teachings. They never said those statements were
wrong.

She is still sure that she won't "get very old" but I think that's starting to weaken it's grip on her.

I will reflect on yours on on others' comments and help her along. Thanks.

unique1

Wow, such honesty. I bet it felt good to tell them that. GOOD FOR YOU!!

ButtLight

Some of them will never get it. Some know, but will never leave, still waiting.

I had a conversation with a reletive about a year ago. "you need to go back, the end is so near!!!!" Me? "the end has been right around the corner way before I was even born! " "I know, it gets discouraging, but really, its so close!"

What will this relative tell me 10 years from now? 20? Probably the same thing! Its sad.

Paralipomenon

"They won't admit they were lied to but in thier hearts they know that they have been mislead."

Like a gambler sitting in front of a slot machine with their last chip. They now realize they've squandered everything they have, but might as well drop that last chip in, just in case.

Thanks for the post, I've wondered what it must be like facing old age as a lifetime witness.

sir82

She is still convinced that the end is imminent, using the Freddy Franz explanation about how long after Adam, Eve was created.

I find it striking how common this belief is, 30+ years after the fact.

Our public speaker on Sunday mentioned how God & Adam had conversations for "decades" prior to Eve coming along, an idea in no way, shape, or form even hinted at in the Genesis account. However, if you go by the "6000 years since Adam's creation ended in 1975" thought plus the "Armageddon must start exactly 6000 years after Eve's creation" thought, you end up with Adam being alone for "decades".

Which is really quite dumb if you think about it for more than a millisecond. It took him 32 years (and counting) to figure out that every other animal he saw had a mate, but he didn't?

And wouldn't he be kind of bored sitting around in the garden doing nothing but naming animals for 32 years? And how many could he have named in 32 years? By now the only thing left would be naming sub-species of beetle variations.

jgnat

I think you gave those elders much to think about, Too Bad. sir82, your comment on Adam's naming the animals sent me on the hunt. I just KNEW someone on the internet would have figured it out. They have.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2002/1112animals.asp

Here's one explanation.

tijkmo

My wife doesn't know why they are and I tell her over and over that the old witnesses are depressed

(Proverbs 13:12) 12 Expectation postponed is making the heart sick, . . .

aint that the truth...tijkmo

Hortensia

my own mother died believing all that crap. Poor thing. Yes, many are facing the death they firmly believed wouldn't happen to them because they were special. As for hearing "the end is near" every five minutes at the KH, if they don't keep repeating it with urgency people might start to THINK about it and realize it's a crock. Also, I think many who go to the KH don't listen anyway, so it all goes in one ear and out the other, or they would start wondering too.