October 1975 - VS May 2011 (page 3)

brotherdan

Thanks for the post, Mary. Unfortunately most of the articles are "Pay per view". There were a few about the failed expectations that were free, like this one:

And this one:

Black Sheep

If anyone has a subscription to http://www.ukpressonline.co.uk/ I suggest they search Jehovah Witness in 1975. The Daily Mirror & Daily Express both get hits on 16 October 1975.

Mad Sweeney

The backpedalling on 1975 began IN 1975. They KNEW it wasn't going to happen and so Freddie went around the country trying to soften the blow, BEFORE THE FAILURE EVEN CAME TO LIGHT.

That alone is a clue that the Borg was corrupt all along.

NeonMadman

JWs are in constant trouble with the law. The reason given was the refusal of military service not on the grounds of conscientious objection, but because they said they are exempt because they are all ministers. I wonder why they wouldn't use conscientious objection?

Under the draft laws as they existed in the USA in the late 60's and early 70's, conscientious objectors were required to do alternative civilian service, usually at jobs where they could replace workers who would be able to enter combat service. JW's were, of course, forbidden to do such alternative service at the time. Ministers, on the other hand, received a complete deferment. Typically, regular pioneers and "congregation servants" (equivalent of today's CoBoE) could receive ministerial deferments. Other JW's could get CO status at best.

brotherdan

Ahhhh, that makes sense NeonMadman. So they really screwed themselves by rejecting the alt service. How ridiculous is that? And the poor people that had to go to prison thinking they were being faithful. It's really sick. But as John Williams, the bethel speaker, said "At NO time has God's organization led us astray."

Black Sheep

Galway Advertiser 28 June 1973

"Mr. Edward E. Burt the Convention organiser, explaining the Convention theme, said: "Jehovah's Witnesses look forward to divine victory in our time, when God will remove all unrightousness from this earth. Then, there will be peace on earth, as in heaven. By gathering at this International Convention, to study the Bible, our confidence in God's promises is strengthened."

Similar blurb to what you hear today, except that 'God's promises' are very different now.

Is it still 'our time' 35 years later? Is Eddy still alive?

FatFreek 2005

Here are a few more, re 1975, from the TIME archive. A bit of backwards reflection. Bolding is mine.

TIME, Monday, Feb. 13, 1978
GROWTH ARRESTED

Next to their end-of-the-world expectations and their refusal to accept blood transfusions, the Jehovah's Witnesses are most noted for their dogged door-to-door evangelism. For more than three decades, that has paid off with one of the steadiest records of growth in Western religion. Yet according to the Witnesses' new Yearbook, the number of active members in the U.S. dropped by 2.6% (to 530,374) for 1977, the first decrease since World War II. Worldwide, the Witnesses, who often suffer persecution overseas, declined by 1%. Besides that, the number of baptisms of new U.S. converts has dropped 65% over two years.

At their Brooklyn headquarters, the Witnesses suggest that the decrease in active members may stem from "a problem in receiving accurate reports" because of a new rotation system for officers of local congregations. Outsiders speculate that the Witnesses might be in trouble because of disappointment that the world did not end in 1975, as the faith's leaders had predicted. Reviewing the new figures, the official Watchtower newspaper comments: "As we approach the end, times get harder."

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,915927,00.html

TIME, Thursday, Oct. 15, 1992
Waiting for The End of the World

There's an undeniable tingle about 1,000 years. Some of it stems from the magical allure of special numbers, and some of it from Scripture. The 20th chapter of the New Testament book of Revelation (or Apocalypse) inscribes a famous vision of martyrs who "reigned with Christ a thousand years." This is the origin of the celebrated capital-M Millennium (from the Latin for thousand).

Most branches of Christianity agree with St. Augustine that the 1,000 years stand symbolically for the ongoing spiritual hegemony of Jesus Christ. An onward-and-upward millennial version holds that believers will gradually establish a kingdom of peace and righteousness on earth, preparing for Christ's Second Coming. There has always been a millenarian undercurrent, however, that rejects symbolism and holds Revelation 20 to mean that Jesus will return to rule an earthly kingdom for literally 1,000 years.

Millennial expectations and predictions have been occurring ever since the time of Jesus, but most, oddly, bear no relation to the actual beginning of new centuries. One of the bloodiest episodes came during the German Peasants' War of 1524-25, in which preacher Thomas Muntzer, whose ravings anticipated Marx by centuries, played a leading role. American preacher William Miller prophesied that Jesus would return in 1843 or 1844. Enthusiastic Millerites ; waited eagerly, only to see several deadlines pass uneventfully. Many Jehovah's Witnesses, led to expect the End, most recently in 1975, have left the apocalyptic group in confusion. The latest bout of millennial fever is said to be occurring among Christians in central China.

The remedy for such supposedly biblical miscalculations can be found in the Bible itself. Concerning the End, Jesus told his followers that "you know neither the day nor the hour." And St. Peter's second Epistle reminds believers that "with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." Good verses to memorize as Anno Domini 1999 approaches.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,976760,00.html

FatFreek 2005

Under the draft laws as they existed in the USA in the late 60's and early 70's, conscientious objectors were required to do alternative civilian service, usually at jobs where they could replace workers who would be able to enter combat service. JW's were, of course, forbidden to do such alternative service at the time.

One of our frequent, and eloquent, posters is Terry. He can tell you all about the 18 (or so) months that he spent in prison during this time.

Jump in anytime, Terry, if you're out there.

Len

FatFreek 2005

"Yes, but they never pinned it down. They never said the end would come in 1975.", some diehard JW's will say. Based upon what we've seen in this post, they alluded to it so overwhelmingly that anyone who lived during that time felt all the excitement. I was there.

Beyond that, we don't want to forget where they did pin it down during that time, a few years before 1975.

In 1971, within the pages of a new hardbound book, they must have felt that they were hedging their bets with plenty of cushion when they nailed the then present 20th century as the final one of this system.

" ...Shortly, within our twentieth century, the "battle in the day of Jehovah" will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom." The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah - How? 1971, Chap. 12 pp. 216-217

Len

October 1975 - VS May 2011

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