by darth frosty 9 Replies latest watchtower bible
Talking to Blackman about the article and was thinking...Didn't the whole apostate thing first start getting recognition in the 70's?
I seem to remeber a thread saying that apostates were a contrivence enforced in the 70's to combat the 1975 fiasco.
Could someone research the amount of times apostacy is used before the 70's compared to how much they used or warned against it after the 70's.
I have the Watchtower Library but only the 2008 edition, so it's not current. I split it up in increments to compare the periods of time. They are in 19-year increments, with the last being 18 because again, I only have up to 2008, but this is what I found:
From 1950 to 1969: The Watchtower mentions "Apostate" 190 times and the word "Apostasy" 87 times. The Awake doesn't mention either word and there were no books or KM's of that time that showed up in the search. So, looking at just the Watchtower and Awake, we have 277 mentions of apostasy in the traceable period prior to 1970.
From 1970 to 1989: The Watchtower mentions "Apostate" 313 times and the word "Apostasy" 292 times. The Awake mentions "Apostate" 30 times, and "Apostasy" 39 times. The books of that period mention both words 149 times combined, and the KM's mention them 7 times combined. This means that apostasy was mentioned 830 times in the period of 1970 to 1989.
From 1990 to 2008 (which is all I have right now): The Watchtower mentions "Apostate" 215 times and the word "Apostasy" 208 times. The Awake mentions "Apostate" 23 times and "Apostasy" 10 times. The books of that period mention both words 138 times combined. The KM is interesting in this time period because, while it mentions "Apostate" 13 times, there is no record of it mentioning "Apostasy" after 1999. From 1990 to 1999, it's mentioned 6 times. So the total here is 613 times apostasy was mentioned between 1999 and 2008.
This shows, to me, that the 70's and into the 80's were a desperate time for the WTBS due to the failure of the 1975 prediction of Armageddon. After the 80's dwindled out, they gave it a little bit of a rest because the danger level wasn't SO high as it was then...
I think, though, that we are going to see more and more mentions in the time to come...particularly because of the internet and the fact that the society is dead-nuts SCARED of apostates speaking out and waking up the sleeping rank and file.
Yup, their "poison the well" tactic with regard to the internet, and their demonisation tactic with regard to "Apostates" is going to increase, it is all they have.
If they really had the "Truth" they could ignore the Internet and apostates in general, they cannot any longer do that.
I've always thought that, wobble. The truth, the absolute truth, can stand up to scrutiny and will ALWAYS come out victorious. So, if they had the truth, there would be nothing to be afraid of. They could tell all of the rank and file to research for themselves and to go ahead and look at apostate material and find out what they have to say because, in the end, the truth is the truth and will be proven so no matter what is brought against it. The fact that they are afraid to let the "truth" speak for itself is very telling.
Thx Morbidzbaby!
I'll bet anything if you look at the pre 70's view of apostates it was a totally different tone.
darth frosty, interestingly, the Watchtower seems to be using the word "apostate" in regard to Christendom and the clergy during the pre-70's period.
For instance, the November 1, 1951 Watchtower has an article called "The Triumph of Clean, Undefiled Worship" in which the word "apostate" is used 7 times, but only ever in reference with the church. However, the January 15, 2006 Watchtower has an article called "Do Not Allow Place for the Devil" in which Satan is called the foremost apostate and Adam and Eve are referred to as "apostasizing" and the reader is encouraged to not even greet an apostate.
I figured as much Thanks again!
Its sad that Dubs are so drone connected to the borg that they cant even examine their own teaching and see whats going on.
Of course as we know it today there was no governing body before the 70's. Thats another thing most dubs don't realize.
I began in the mid '50s (left in the late 70's). I don't remember the prevalence of the word apostate in those years. However I seem to remember evil slave a bunch. Mom used that a lot.
Just my take.
Len
The disfellowshipping for "apostasy" was few and far between from the
1950s to the late 1970s. But the events at Bethel triggered an almost
paranoid reaction from the GB. The dismissal of Ray Franz, Ed Dunlap
and others at the headquarters caused a great witch hunt throughout
the organization. "Apostates" were found lurking in the congregations.
And any who questioned the FDS and its teachings were labeled as
"apostates." Many were subjected to judicial committee meetings
and thrown out of the association. From what I have read and heard
this paranoia continues to this day.
Len,
You are right. The WT usually used "evil slave" to describe anyone, both in or out of the Witnesses, that was an opposer.
They did use the term "apostate," but rarely in print. It was usually mentioned in talks or in service meetings. The only "apostate" that I remember being so branded back in the 1950-60 time period was William Schnell who wrote "Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave." He was always referred to that way.
Another group that was often referred to as "apostates" were the original Bible Student breakaway cult and the Russellites, those that left during the Rutherford schism. They were referred to as being part of the evil slave class during the schism and up to 1920, but after that were referred to as "apostate members of the Bible Students."
It was clearly in the early 80s, after the Ray Franz debacle, that thinking people like you and me were branded as apostates - a description that I gladly glory in.
Juan V iejo el apóstata
