How long before you stopped believing armageddon was on your doorstep?

by bubba flavel 46 Replies latest jw experiences

  • shopaholic
    shopaholic

    When I studied the watchtower lesson early one sunday morning in 1995.

  • Black Sheep
    Black Sheep

    Hi Bubba, welcome to the forum.

    I'm a 1952 model, but the 1975 thing was pretty real to me too ......... until it failed.

    Rather than getting baptised at seventeen, I left home, got an ear pierced, took up smoking, tried a large variety of drugs and met a host of really nice worldly people, including my wife. Unfortunately, I hadn't turned my brain on and thought too much about whether, or not, my parents had The Truth. I introduced my Anglican wife to the cult, let her bring up our children in the cult, and never joined myself.

    I didn't actually start studying the religion for truthfullness until a few days before I joined this forum. One of my first posts was deleted by a Mod. I had a mouthful to say about the cult and I was very frank.

    What a cockup. I am surrounded by cult members. My kids, my wife, my parents, my cousins. I am truly the Black Sheep of the family except for one minor detail ..... It is only in the minds of their stupid cult. I am not guilty of anything of any consequence and neither are you.

    They are the cult members.

    They are the ones that need to answer to you.

    They are the ones that need to grow some balls and deal with the consequences of their decisions to remain members of the cult in spite of all of its failures.

    Stick around and have some fun

    Cheers

    Chris

  • Woody22
    Woody22

    For me it has been 30 years (1980) I lived through the 1975 era and when nothing happened I was no longer worried. Life since has been real good for me.

  • Quillsky
    Quillsky

    I never truly believed that Armageddon was a real event about to happen. Looking back, and looking around, it doesn't make any kind of sense. This planet is an amazing place.

    I am angry still that I was raised in an "end-times" religion. No child should be subjected to that.

  • jam
    jam

    The year of 1971 fill the KH in southern Calif. THE year of the big 6.5 earthquake. Many believe the end

    was near, but that soon pass.

  • straightshooter
    straightshooter

    For 35 years I believed most of what the WTS said. Last year I came to realize that many of my friends were passing away without walking into the New System. The changing of the definition of a generation was a real eye opener. Even the WTS was hinting that the end should have came and didn't, so we need to give some sort of justification in why those alive in 1914 would not live to see Armageddon.

  • fluke
    fluke

    I too was a 'Born-in' but much later at 1982...

    I never went through the 75 ordeal and never had that let down...

    My earliest memories are of the Yellow book (no the yellow pages, the My Book Of Bible Stories) I even had the stories on tape too, which my mum made me listen too whilst i was a sleep...

    For 24 years I ate slept and lived JW... To me it was real, I had the life and had to share it, I had witnessed miracles and really tried to feel the love... But that was it, I had no love... Not really... Not for their god, not for the religion... It was for people, others...

    Both in and out of JWs... And thats all I've ever wanted to do, it used to sadden me when i was the only young person doing the gardens... Making the grounds nice... Helping the elderly with theirs gardens... Making sure people were looked after...

    But being scared of Armeggedon???

    I lie awake at night often, sweating, thinking... "nashing of their teeth"... "worse than a man of faith"..."I do not know you"...

    I am gripped still..."Bring a boy up on a certain path in his youth, and in his manhood... He will not turn away from it"

    This seems to be the case... I am split... Torn...

    I'm glad that it may drift...

  • bamse
    bamse

    When I finally started scrutinizing my religion a couple of years ago, it was done very quickly to determine that I could not trust anything from the Watchtower - about one or two months, I think. Then I knew that Armageddon would not come the way Watchtower render it and absolutely no protection for such thing by staying in the organization - rather the opposite.

  • zarco
    zarco
    My personal opinion is that less than half of the JWs actually have much confidence in seeing armageddon - they are just repeating the words about it, but privately don't expect it anytime soon.

    Interesting comment, JWoods. It does seem that if witnesses really believe that armageddon is near at hand they would be doing a lot of things differently. Preaching through more efficient channels, have a sense of urgency, visit all inactive ones to save them before it is too late and similar activities.

    As a witness, I have not believed for decades and we lived our life in two worlds. Now we live in just one world and it is not the witness one.

    zarco

  • zarco
    zarco
    By 1977 (allowing Jehovah two years to have gotten around to creating Eve and calling it a Day), I had decided Armageddon probably wasn't coming, and probably by the early 1980s it was out of my system for good.

    Isn't it crazy what we used to believe and when it didn't happen how we explained it away?

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