Along with this sad attempt at explaining away
the 1975 fiasco, and excusing error although
without actually coming out and accepting blame
or asking forgiveness, the WT writing department
as overseen by the GB of the tumultuous year of
1980 came out with a precious quote (paragraph 6):
"6 In its issue of July 15, 1976, The Watchtower, commenting on the inadvisability of setting our sights on a certain date, stated: “If anyone has been disappointed through not following this line of thought, he should now concentrate on adjusting his viewpoint, seeing that it was not the word of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his own understanding was based on wrong premises.” In saying “anyone,” The Watchtower included all disappointed ones of Jehovah’s Witnesses, hence including persons having to do with the publication of the information that contributed to the buildup of hopes centered on that date."
The wording is hard to follow. But notice that it jabs
at the fact that those in HQ were also "disappointed".
What strikes me as obvious is the fact that they are
trying to hide and at the same time trying to let out
information about their obvious shame in setting up
hopes that were erroneous and turned out to be only
empty expectations and failed prophecies.
Why don't they have the cojones to say we were wrong. We apologize. We learned our lesson. Why not?
I think the reason is they are drunk with their power and control, they are beating their fellow slaves by
setting up a two class Christian congregation, (The GB who represents WT 'genuine anointed ones', and secondly,
everyone else who follows them), and then they act behind the scenes as if the end isn't really coming so soon,
demonstrated by their landholdings and real estate maneuverings all over the globe.
Here's more from that article, it's a keeper.
*** w80 3/15 pp. 17-18 Choosing the Best Way of Life ***
Hold to Your Choice!
4 If we remain faithful, God will not let us make ruinous mistakes. But sometimes he permits us to be in error so that we may see our need to look always to him and his Word. This strengthens our relationship with him and our endurance while waiting. We learn from our mistakes that it is necessary to be more careful in the future. The desire for the new system of things to take complete charge of the earth has always been very strong in Christians down through the centuries. And because of their own short life-span, they doubtless longed for it to come in their particular lifetime. Those who have tried to keep God’s judgment time “close in mind” have, on more than one occasion throughout history, become overly eager for that day’s arrival, in their own minds trying to rush the arrival of the desired events. (2 Pet. 3:12) In the first century, for example, the apostle Paul found it necessary to write to Christians in Thessalonica in this fashion, as we read at 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3: “However, brothers, respecting the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we request of you not to be quickly shaken from your reason nor to be excited either through an inspired expression or through a verbal message or through a letter as though from us, to the effect that the day of Jehovah is here. Let no one seduce you in any manner, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction.”
5 In modern times such eagerness, commendable in itself, has led to attempts at setting dates for the desired liberation from the suffering and troubles that are the lot of persons throughout the earth. With the appearance of the book Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God, and its comments as to how appropriate it would be for the millennial reign of Christ to parallel the seventh millennium of man’s existence, considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975. There were statements made then, and thereafter, stressing that this was only a possibility. Unfortunately, however, along with such cautionary information, there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones and contributed to a buildup of the expectation already initiated.
6 In its issue of July 15, 1976, The Watchtower, commenting on the inadvisability of setting our sights on a certain date, stated: “If anyone has been disappointed through not following this line of thought, he should now concentrate on adjusting his viewpoint, seeing that it was not the word of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his own understanding was based on wrong premises.” In saying “anyone,” The Watchtower included all disappointed ones of Jehovah’s Witnesses, hence including persons having to do with the publication of the information that contributed to the buildup of hopes centered on that date.
7 Nevertheless, there is no reason for us to be shaken in faith in God’s promises. Rather, as a consequence, we are all moved to make a closer examination of the Scriptures regarding this matter of a day of judgment. In doing so, we find that the important thing is not the date. What is important is our keeping ever in mind that there is such a day—and it is getting closer and it will require an accounting on the part of all of us. Peter said that Christians should rightly be “awaiting and keeping close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah.” (2 Pet. 3:12) It is not a certain date ahead; it is day-to-day living on the part of the Christian that is important. He must not live a single day without having in mind that he is under Jehovah’s loving care and direction and must submit himself thereto, keeping also in mind that he must account for his acts.
8 Jesus gave the reason why we should maintain such a viewpoint, saying: “For the Son of man is destined to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will recompense each one according to his behavior.” (Matt. 16:27) The apostle Paul also pointed out: “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of God . . . So, then, each of us will render an account for himself to God.” (Rom. 14:10-12) And, “we must all be made manifest before the judgment seat of the Christ, that each one may get his award for the things done through the body, according to the things he has practiced, whether it is good or vile.” (2 Cor. 5:10) How long do we have before making such an accounting? Jesus said: “He that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.” (Matt. 24:13) When is “the end”? That end can come either at the end of this system of things or at the individual’s own death before then. How long, then, does each one of us have? No one can calculate the day when he will die. Likewise, Jesus said to his apostles about the time for establishing God’s kingdom: “It does not belong to you to get knowledge of the times or seasons which the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction.” (Acts 1:7) It is impossible for us to figure out the world’s end in advance.