jayhawk1 said:
: I am too young to know what actually happened before and during 1975, but You Know said this to me, and I would like some more information.
:: Are you completely ignorant of why many of Jehovah's Witnesses looked to the year 1975? Do you think it was just something someone made up? Even most XJW's know that the 1975 fiasco had a foundation in Biblical chronology. That's what made it seem credible in the minds of those who greatly respected the authority of the Scriptures. All such speculation had some basis in Bible chronology. That's what makes the charge of false prophet ludicrios. It was a misunderstanding of chornology and prophecy. As I pointed out, the apostles fell into the same pitfall.
You Know, as usual, is telling half truths. He's right that, in a certain sense, "the 1975 fiasco had a foundation in Biblical chronology". But that's like saying, "Flat-earthism has a foundation in the Bible." The statement is true, but so much relevant information is left unsaid that the reader is completely misled.
Fred Franz unintentionally started the ball rolling in his 1966 book Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God. He presented a slightly updated chart of "Bible chronology" that had earlier been presented in bits and pieces since 1944. After the Society got a lot of response to certain comments in the book that 1975 could well be "it", Franz fanned the flames of enthusiasm within Bethel and, through Watchtower publications, the entire JW community. Various skeptics asked him why he was fanning the speculative flames, and generally came away with the impression that it was good for the JW community to have a new goal attached to a particular date.
Over the years, various articles were printed in The Watchtower, Awake!, Kingdom Ministry and various books that strongly suggested, and in some cases stated outright, that 1975 would usher in Christ's Millennial Reign. Had these statements been kept to a low level of enthusiasm, and been labeled in each case as just reasonable speculation, there would have been no problem. But the Society encouraged JWs, in its printed publications and especially through its representatives such as Circuit and District Overseers, to believe that 1975 was almost certainly going to be "it". Naturally, any such information not clearly labeled speculation coming from "the faithful and discreet slave" was bound to be taken very seriously by the JW community. And that is exactly what Fred Franz counted on.
From time to time various people who were directly involved in the inner workings of the Watchtower from 1966 through 1980 have come forth and told what they observed on the part of JW leaders, the men who at first were Directors or held other responsible positions in the Society and later became Governing Body members. Fred Franz convinced many of them to really believe that 1975 would be "it". Others reserved judgment, but because of the mob mindset going on in Bethel they went along. Thus, the Governing Body was ultimately responsible for the dashed hopes and disappointment of the JW community.
I've compiled a long list of quotations that prove exactly what the Society taught the JW community to believe about 1975. Look on this website: http://www.geocities.com/osarsif/index2.htm and find the articles "Notes on False Prophets -> Part 3: Statements Concerning 1918, 1925 and 1975" and "1975 New Info". The first contains a lot of stuff from basic WTS publications and the second has a lot of quotes from Kingdom Ministry. Put them together and you'll see how the Society and JW defenders like You Know attempt to deceive people into believing that 1975 was no big deal to the JWs.
AlanF
