Will the year 2034 be the end? Is the WT seeing a glimpse of "NEW LIGHT"?

by suavojr 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Ding

  A vague "any day now... just around the corner" can only pump people up so long.

  The date setting created a lot of increased sense of urgency in field service.

  True, a lot of people fell away when the predictions failed, but the organization ended up with net gains in numbers.

  It's too soon for them to hype 2034, though.

  That would be saying it's 21 years away and a lot of dubs would slack off.

  Freddy introduced the 1975 date in 1966. The "less than a decade away" generated a lot of fervor for several years.

  It wasn't until early 1975 that he started hedging about how close the finish line was.

  By the end of 1976 JWs seemed to have forgotten that the GB ever said anything about 1975 at all.

  It was weird:

  -- Before October, 1975, if you DIDN'T mention 1975 you were spiritually weak.

  -- After December, 1976, if you DID mention 1975 you were suspected of being an apostate.
• 

  insearchoftruth4

  Trying to make sense of those idiot WT predictions is like smelling farts that linger on and on and on, ugh!
• 

  exwhyzee

  So long as there are people who are afraid of dying, there will be those who beleive the end will arrive in their lifetime regardless of what year it is or what happened to those in the past who had the same belief during their lifetime.
• 

  Vidiot

  Christ Alone - "Personally I don't think they will ever make the mistake of setting a date again. I think they've learned their lesson with that."

  Yes, the WTS has "learned their lesson", so to speak, but therein lies the problem. Historically, apocalyptic millennialist groups have had to regularly "date-set" to maintain a sense of urgency amongst their memberships.

  Since the WTS can't really get away with it anymore, however (not without looking like those wacked-out fringe religions, anyway), it's becoming harder and harder to drum up enthusiasm.
• 

  Vidiot

  straightshooter - "It seems that every elderly witness thinks the end is coming "hopefully" in their lifetime. But the younger witnesses really don't care about the end coming right now."

  Understandable; older generations are much more aware of their impending mortality than young people; the prospect of the Big A relieves that anxiety for them.

  Not to mention that (at least in the developed world) the rapid pace of change inherent to the 21st Century is makes a lot of older people extremely uncomfortable, whilst young people are (by and large) perfectly cool with it.

  I apologize for how cynical that sounds, but IMO, that doesn't make it any less true...
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  I think WTS has considered using 2034 and still keeps it as an idea for retention.

  I remember conducting a WT study that mentioned the 120 years. It seemed like it was not directly pointing to the idea that we should consider 120 years past 1914, but it was out there for many to notice. I believe they send out ideas in their mags and see how people start buzzing about the ideas. It also allows them to later quote such previous articles if they change their doctrine and say "We said this 10 or 20 or more years ago. Jehovah is directing us this way."

  I would not be surprised if, after selling properties, a cash-strapped Watchtower finds itself in lawsuits or just getting no donations and trots out a new light about the imminense of the end of the world as we know it by 2034.

  Lets face it. They have no real good ideas left.
• 

  Chaserious

  It doesn't matter. If they will believe the current generation BS they will believe whatever new nonsense the WTS comes up with in 2034. I mean come on, by this logic my grandfather who is 95, is part of the U.S. Civil War generation because when he was a little boy there were still people alive who were soldiers in the civil war. I think by 2034 the publisher counts will have declined in currently developed countries and will have shifted to places where they are still growing now like subsaharan Africa and South America. I guess they can hope that if those countries are more prosperous in 20 years they can financially support the Borg and supplant the support they'll continue to lose in North America and Europe.