De- emphasizing the generation that must pass away before the big A would come and making it open ended has just about done it. I started in the early 70's and the strong teachers of 1914 and the gen that will soon pass were many and fairly fluent in giving the WTS spiel ,but over the years less and less capable teachers were around .I always had to remind myself of the teaching to be able to convey it to all my students over the years and found some would come to me to go on their studies to try to explain the teachings to the students because I sincerely believe they did'nt understand it enough to be able to teach it! And I bet today that the teaching is made alot softer and without the emphasis it used to have years ago ,as it was THE primary teaching ,especially in the student study books ,but now other things would be given more emphasis ,hence a dulled down R & F that is really just ready to follow the GB coz it's mentally easier to do rather than study up.
How would the Society give up 1914?
by donny 36 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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OUTLAW
The year is 2030..The WBT$ response to the year 1914:..................1914??..The WBT$ never made any mention of that date!..Sure there were some overzealous Jehovah`s Witness`s that thought 1914 was somehow important..But..They were ones,that were running ahead of the organization!..Ask any loyal Jehovah`s Witness today if 1914 was ever an important date..They will all tell you,"No!"..........................
...OUTLAW -
passwordprotected
Sadly, what Outlaw suggests is feasible. Anyone else seen this?; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgTCaw5iPlw&feature=related
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burningbridges
I have an idea!!!! How about an outright confession that they were fullo of crap and wrong? Oh wait, that would never happen......
burningbridges
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james_woods
Some of the ordinary publishers, (in their honest expectation of the things hoped for), ran ahead of Jehovah's Governing Body, the Faithful and Discreet Slave, and dissapointed themselves in the belief that "the generation who were old enough to go to war in 1914 would not pass away until all things were fulfilled". Of course, your Governing Body never exactly said that, although some of our watchful teachings about the immenent demise of the world may have been the root of such speculation.
While the Watchtower Society (Jehovah's Word of Mouth on this Evil Old System of Things) never actually said anything like this, by tacking into the wind, the Society discreetly regrets if any of the stupid brain-dead publisher body has been dissapointed by any of our meanderings upon the subject.
Please destroy any references to this date which have been published prior to approximately January 1, 2008. We, your Governing Body, are regretful of any inconvenience that this may have caused.
Please watch this space for new light on the subject, which will soon be forthcoming.
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uninformed
Damocles, welcome congratulations on a wonderful first post.
Apologies for jumping in here a bit late. I take pride in my 'strong fortress' as a lurker, but this thread breached the defenses.
I have concluded that most witnesses are considerably less interested in doctrine than in friendships, family and belonging. So does 1914 matter....maybe only to those of us who have left.
Remember back to when we were ministers, then we were not ministers, then we were ministers again? Remember the earnest questions and answers in WT study demonstrating how all JWs were ministers, then the equally earnest discussion of how we were not? Then some months later we see a picture of a sailing ship in the ocean and....we tack back 180 degrees to an earnest position where we are, indeed, without question, ministers! All this in a space measuring months not years.
In all this back and forth, not a smile of cynicism, not a hint of consternation, not a smirk of humor .... just earnest questions with equally earnest answers.
Are most JWs that brain dead? (there's a good joke about that if anyone is interested) Nah, we know better. But consider the sequence..if this back and forth is wrong, maybe the doctrine is wrong, if this doctrine is wrong, then maybe this other doctrine is wrong, if that is wrong......then, cricky, it all may be wrong and so I maybe I will quit....and lose all my family and friends!
Hmmm. Okay,okay, I get it. Today I am a minister, no, no I'm not...Oh pardon me I was wrong.. I am indeed a proud minister....and I get to keep my family and friends. Cool.
Not a lot of question, in my mind, why waffling on 1914 produces nary a ripple on most folks minds.
"I have concluded that most witnesses are considerably less interested in doctrine than in friendships, family and belonging. So does 1914 matter....maybe only to those of us who have left."
That is the same conclusion that I have come to.
Brant
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SirNose586
They already did when they disconnected the generation.
They are masters of deception.
They change doctrines, then 20 years later you realize that you don't believe that anymore.
Brant
They've got a nice situation with their current noolight, as the goalposts have been indefinitely delayed. 1914 can still be around for the 1919 tie-in. It doesn't have to have any meaningful connection more than that.
It's a date shrouded in the sands of time.
...OUTLAW