Why are you looking forward to 1872? Er, 1873? Um...1874? Oh, I mean 1975?

by AndDontCallMeShirley 34 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  AndDontCallMeShirley

  Br Mike: My thought is the Watchtower didn't say the world would end in 1975, they pretty much said wouldn't it be interesting if it did.

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  Re-read the previous WT quotes. There is little in them that indicates WT was saying 1975 would merely be "interesting". Here's an excerpt from a District Overseer's talk ( a DO is an official representitive of WT). I've read nothing that indicates WT corrected his public assertions or made him apologize:

  Charles Sunutko's "Stay Alive 'to 75":

  "Well, we don’t have to guess what the year 1975 means if we read the Watchtower. Because the Watchtower has been very explicit as to what the year 1975 means to us.

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  "Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end." Kingdom Ministry May 1974 p.3 How Are You Using Your Life?

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  Additionally, if the idea of 1975 'possibly' being the year of Armageddon was only "interesting" speculation, why did 10% of JWs leave the Org. after the failure of WTs 'prophecy' occured? In some European countries 40-60% of JWs left the Org. If WT was truly concerned about 1975 fervor getting out of hand, surely they were in the best position to stop it by printing corrective articles. The fact is, WT not only started the 1975 hype, but they were all-too-willing to let it build and fan the flames because it served the Org's interests perfectly.
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  AndDontCallMeShirley

  In a very feeble, lame attempt at an "apology" WT said this:

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  *** w80 3/15 pp. 17-18 pars. 5-6 Choosing the Best Way of Life ***

  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."

  (Please note that WT's "apology" took 5 years to finally be stated. Hardly a sincere apology or a strong desire to right the wrong).

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  And, of course, WT predictably blamed the people stupid enough to fall for the scam- Jehovah's Witnesses themselves:

  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 informationthat contributed to the buildup of hopes centered on that date.
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  Bonnie_Clyde

  What about the book "Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Son's of God?" I remember when that book was released at the disctrict assembly, and it started a buzz through the assembly. Don't remember the page, but a chart showed the beginning of the thousand year reign in 1975. Everybody knows that Armageddon had to be over by then.
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  AndDontCallMeShirley

  B_C: What about the book "Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Son's of God?"

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  This book is mentioned in the first part of the paragraph I quoted above. Yes, the chart in the book ( a fiction created excusively by Fred Franz), it culminates with the year 1975. This is what whipped up the already building fervor of the "1975" fiasco....

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  *** w80 3/15 pp. 17-18 pars. 5-6 Choosing the Best Way of Life ***

  "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." [emphasis added]
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  Oubliette

  ... considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975 ...

  Gotta' love the WTBTS's use of the passive voice here.

  I have only one question: Just WHO was it that aroused expectations concering the year 1975?