Freddy Franz followed in this fellow's footsteps (A Study in HUBRIS)

Terry

Your name is Ussher....James Ussher and you are the Archbishop of all of Ireland. It is the 1600's and you are OCD when it comes to studying

all things scholarly---especially speculative ideas!!

Oh yes! You are convinced that you alone have the intellect to figure out when all the major events in the bible actually occured!

There are those who whisper to each other that your ego is bigger than your credentials, however...

Imagine declaring out loud for all the world to gasp in astonishment that you and you alone know the exact day and time of Adam's creation?!!!?

Nightfall preceding Sunday, 23 October 4004 BC

Is that specific enough for all of you non-genius folk?

You became Professor of Theological Controversies at Trinity College and a Bachelor of Divinity in 1607. A whole string of degrees follow your name.

You speak so many languages it is difficult to keep count! But, you live in very turbulent times politically and religiously!

Perhaps your crowning achievement will be the result of studying CHRONOLOGY as it relates to the Old Testament and the writings of Early Church fathers.

Being a Young Earth Creationist living 200 years before Charles Darwin, there is little in the way of intellectual opposition to your premises.

After all, no less a scientist and genius than Sir Isaac Newton had attempted a similar effort himself!

Computing actual fixed dates in secular history for Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar would serve as a reference toward events to be dated

in scripture. (It is to be noted that Freddy Franz a less distinguished "scholar" would use the same methodology for his own eccentric chronology).

The biggest problem you faced, Bishop Ussher? The ancient texts were in complete disagreement in the length of years between events in the bible!

So, eeny, meeny, miny, moe----you chose exclusively the Masoretic texts and ignored the rest!

How did you balance ancient history, including the rise of the Persians, Greeks and Romans, as well as expertise in the Bible, biblical languages, astronomy, ancient calendars and chronology? How indeed?!!

Yet, you claimed success and that was that. With such a reputation for brilliance--who could criticize or nay-say??

The most important thing to an OCD genius who thinks he has the intellect to pin down the impossible--is to not leave anything out!!

At the age of 75 you suffered internal bleeding and lay on your deathbed. What would be your last words? Most men want forgiveness for what they have done. But, no--not you!

O Lord forgive me, especially my sins of omission.

wha happened?

yea crazy never has an expiration date

Terry

In a speech in Australia in 1975 the society's vice-president Frederick Franz went so far as to name a precise date—September 5, 1975—as the "end of the present wicked system" George D. Chryssides, Historical Dictionary of Jehovah's Witnesses, Scarecrow Press, 2008, pg lx.

In 1976 The Watchtower advised those who had been "disappointed" by the failure of the predictions for 1975 to adjust their viewpoint because their understanding had been "based on wrong premises"... "A Solid Basis for Confidence", Watchtower, July 15, 1976, page 441.

What exactly were those WRONG PREMISES?

Ask Archbishop James Ussher! Fred Franz slavishly followed his line of reasoning and methodology.

wha happened?

wow he actually gave a precise day? That was ballsy

Terry

The word is HUBRIS!

Hubris=arrogance. Hubris often indicates a loss of contact with reality and an overestimation of one's own competence or capabilities, especially when the person exhibiting it is in a position of power.

prologos

re newton: yes, but he had the good sense to keep his religious studies to himself unlike usher, franz etal. Newton, had he lived, would be on this site for sure. Newton the apostate, debunking the trinity. his posting name: iovah magnus or something like that. correct on beaberen.com. thank you.

Aussie Oz

In a speech in Australia in 1975 the society's vice-president Frederick Franz went so far as to name a precise date—September 5, 1975—as the "end of the present wicked system" George D. Chryssides, Historical Dictionary of Jehovah's Witnesses, Scarecrow Press, 2008, pg lx.

Its just a pity that this really is unprovable is it not? (unless a tape recording exists)

Oz

Terry

It is difficult if not impossible to get an active JW to consider disproof pointed at their leaders because there are mental tripwires put in place.

The GB is sacrosanct as a sacred cow. To even suggest their pronouncements are awry is to trigger a psychological chain-reaction that starts

with identifying YOU as the enemy.

Franz got away with so much nonsense because nobody was allowed to think a critical thought about him.

What makes free thought possible is the awareness that you will not be condemned.

Terry

One day I met a member of what use to be called the International Bible Students Association. He and his son lived in a trailer park.

He used his private funds to pay for cable access so that he could tell about the Divine Plan of the Ages on TV.

I sat at his kitchen table as he stood before a giant Dispensation Chart; the same one used by Charles Taze Russell.

He explained "Jehovah's plan" for me and all mankind.

I remember thinking it was odd that all those dates on that chart had been figured out with such precision and confidence without

anybody ever going to college or passing a Seminary examination or earning a degree.

Now I realize they had been using the chronology of Bishop James Ussher the Anglican scholar who would have undoubtedly consider their

use of his handiwork quite devilish and diabolical:)

Of course Freddy Franz recreated the same chart and changed whatever things didn't match his own ideas. All to little effect, that is, other than to turn the world upside down with false predictions and embarassing nonsense!

moshe

Imagine what Russell could have done with a laptop and a Powerpoint presentation.

Freddy Franz followed in this fellow's footsteps (A Study in HUBRIS)

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