1975---- DID IT REALLY BOTHER YOU?

by minimus 41 Replies latest jw friends

  • garybuss
    garybuss

    Current Witnesses know the Society expected Armageddon in 1975 and led members in error but current Witnesses I have talked to about it feel satisfied that the Society has done a sufficient job of explaining their behavior and have admitted their error and have, in their opinions, made amends satisfactorily. They wish to close the book on a mistake forgiven. They are like children who desire a relationship with their parents even though those parents are prone to error, human mistakes and occasional bad behavior.

    To others, the Society is a social club and those Witnesses are basically skeptical, not at all religious and view meetings as social appointments and service as exercise and a requirement for continued acceptance in the club. Many are habitual Witnesses. Of the current Witnesses, most do not even like critical thinking and can't understand why we do it. They see critical thinking as a flaw needing correction.

    Those Witnesses have a sense of honor, a loyalty. They are comfortable. They can't see how their lives would be better without involvement, at some level, in the Watch Tower Society.

    Their children who quit attending meetings and quit service and got disfellowshipped or decided to announce disassociation, were always dispensable to the long time Witness parents. They were always feeling, deep down, a sort of disloyalty to the Society for having the children in the first place. The Society was right, in their minds, this was not the time to have children. Look how they turned out. If we lived in ancient Israel, we would kill them and we would cast the first stone. They are easy for the parents to shun.

    The phone sets on the hall table. The mother sits and rocks while the high school picture is still on the same shelf. She never looks at it. The father has the TV on with the sound off, a half a beer on the table, while he reads the Watchtower for tomorrow's meeting. No thoughts, no feelings for unfaithful adult children.

    Current Witnesses mostly do not ever talk about 1975. It is not important to them. It is only important to former Witnesses.

    gb

  • minimus
    minimus

    WOW---GARY BUSS, That was a BULLSEYE!!!

  • cruzanheart
    cruzanheart

    In 1970 my parents made the momentous decision to sell most of our possessions and move to the Northern Territory of Australia where the need was greater. I was 14 and totally aghast at the thought of losing my grandmother's beloved antique furniture. I salvaged a couple of pieces, but I have regretted for 32 years leaving behind that beautiful stuff with all of its memories. And the good china. And the silver that was my parents' wedding present from her company. But, hey, we weren't going to need it - Armageddon was coming! Actually, the thing that bugged me the most was that I might end up being a virgin for eternity (remember the thing about no marriage or kids in the New Order), so that's a big load off my mind! (Thanks, Big Tex!)

  • Pistoff
    Pistoff

    the brothers, i mean elders, co's and do's and ALL the publications PREACHED THAT THE END WOULD COME BEFORE 1975. Don't kid yourselves; anyone who did not actively believe that was considered to be weak, or apostate. I was there, I have not forgotten. It was the ultimate reason everything was so urgent. DON'T TELL ME THAT IT WAS THE BROTHERS, NOT THE SOCIETY; WHERE IN THE HELL DID THE BROTHERS GET IT?
    They put it into print with the Freedom book; the fellowship did the rest. You know that the co's got the direction from upper leadership.

    And yes it bothered me a lot. I married in '73 because of course we didn't know if there would be marriage in the new system; I wanted to be married. I didn't go to college, it was just not done then, you were nearly apostate, greedy or unappreciative if you did. I didn't learn to save money, why save money since you were going to throw it into the streets? Why straighten teeth, get surgery? THE END IS AROUND THE CORNER, concentrate on the more important things.

    Ugh. I am so sick of this pathetic excuse for a faith.

  • minimus
    minimus

    Hi PISTOFF, I never thought about feeling the need to get married by 1975. I wonder how many divorces or miserable marriages exist because of this reasoning?

  • cruzanheart
    cruzanheart

    Mom was, unfortunately, too practical in some areas: I had to have braces, though I tried the Armageddon Near ploy - hey, they applied it to the furniture and the silver! Oh well, I'm grateful for the straight teeth.

  • JW Ben
    JW Ben

    NO 1975 did nor dother me

    I was a publisher since 1965

    I always took it as the way it was meant... 1975 was the end of 6000years of mans creation... and nothing more.

    I remember Watchtowers in 1966 and 67 talking about it as the end of mankinds first 6000 years of excistace on earth. There were "quotes" from people that felt that the "end" was close because of that.

    Jesus apostles thought the end was close. I thought the end was close (but close in jehovahs point of vire not our human point of view)

    Me. I just keep lodding away trying my best to do what is right rgardless of the wrong actions of some men in positions of resonsability. They will get their reward for their wrong actions.

  • PopeOfEruke
    PopeOfEruke

    Sorry JW Ben but it don't work like that. If you support an organisation that is FULL of corruption and nefariousness, and you KNOW what the leadership is doing is wrong, then YOU share the blame.

    If they have a Nuremburg trial for JW's, I afraid you will be judged along with the leaders, just like the Nazi supporters who got HANGED! "Oh but I was only following orders Judge!! Its not my fault!!'

    You have 2 choices, stay and share the bloodguilt, or get out. There ain't no middle ground.

    The Pope

  • Black Man
    Black Man

    up..........

  • DanTheMan
    DanTheMan

    Man Gary B, that post rocked! DEADLY!

    A social club, for sure. A very bizarre social club, at that. A few true believers give it all credibility in the social clubbers minds.

    corrected spelling error, to preserve my credibility

    Edited by - dantheman on 16 August 2002 21:25:30

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