The Real Reason why the WT predicted Armageddon in 1975

by OrphanCrow 53 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Finkelstein

  Let it be clearly understood that 1975 for the WTS. was a marketing success story for the WTS. indicated by the % increase of members to the JWS all around the world.

  In no other time has the WTS/JWS made such an percentage increase toward its devoted members in its history.

  Fear mongering does work onto the ignorant, susceptible and vulnerable in society.
  

  Was this endeavor bible supported ? absolutely not it just another failed culpable attempt by the WTS to draw attention to its published works and enhance the proliferation of those publications by its following adherents .

  The WTS announced that it was a true modern day prophet being guided by God's holy spirit, specifically chosen by Jehovah for their truthful bible interpretation and righteous adherent purity.
  
• 

  slimboyfat

  Actually the growth was better from 1945 to 1955 than 1965 to 1975. I haven't checked this again right now but I remember from comparing it a few years ago.

  But yes it's true to say 1975 appears to have been a net gain for JW numbers because growth was slowing down considerably in the 1960s before the prediction was made.
• 

  Nathan Natas

  Sir82 said, "It was Freddy's idea all the way. He thought it up all on his own and pushed for its acceptance."

  Well, not entirely, really. First it seems that "Perfesser" Franz accepted the basic premise of Archbishop James Usher's (Irish Protestant) decision in 1654 to "reverse-engineer" his Bible so that he could determine the "Bible-based" date for the creation of Adam. Usher settled on "the entrance of the night preceding the 23rd day of October... the year before Christ 4004"

  Our Beloved Perfesser Freddy (Peace be upon him) had confidence that he could repeat Usher's exercise, which he did, several times, each time 'discovering' a reason why God's revelation to him was incomplete and innaccurate. Two examples are the 'discovery' that there was no year ZERO, and that Eve, God's presumed last creative act, was not created immediately after Adam, but some unknown period of time later.

  "When prophecy fails, your skills at improv shall be tested." Kinnison 3:16

  Then there are the undocumented contributions of Freddy's Jewish-Iraqi Bethelite friend, Natheer Salih. In fact, Mssr. Salih is so underdocumented as to be invisible, so I am going to do a very cruel thing: I will drop his name and then drop the mic.
• 

  Vidiot

  And don't forget, "Stay Alive 'til '75" was a very catchy slogan (official or otherwise). :smirk:
  
• 

  baker

  The slogan I remember in the 60,s was "Drive the USA in a Chevrolet".. and was promoted on Bewitched
• 

  OUTLAW

  No discussion of 1975 is complete without mention of the 1943 Watchtower publication "The Truth Shall Make You Free," which provided step-by-step "Bible-based" evidence on page 152 that 6,000 years of human history would be marked in 1972......NN

  ...............

  
• 

  nonjwspouse

  I would not argue FF was already under the idea of the end times being near or in 1975 before a possibility of losing the USA status of religious organization. Whether just in NY or all of the USA I am not sure as I still have not had a chance to read the works yet. But either way, the membership was falling before the loss of status. The WT needed fear mongering and knew by their own history that it worked heavily in their favor. Those in charge of the money arm of the WT could have easily "stoked the fire" under Freddy, becoming very vocal "yes men" to his ideas and encouraging the fear mongering ( and hugely profiting) 1975 date. It could even be the reason Freddy was in such a frenzy about it if he was surrounded with some people zealously encouraging him. As noted before, not all. Some were wanting to hold him down. But I am going to bet, there were those who pushed.
  

  So, I still stand by my idea that this is not far fetched, not in the least. The WT has been about money all along. More now than before, but it was always there. Russell as a man may have put his fortune into the WT, but remember, his incorporated company was selling books, pushing them heavily, "colpretutures" sp? then. In his end years he was publishing book after book to be sold, promoting them to be the only key to understand the bible, and those without them, in the dark .
  
• 

  nonjwspouse

  marked in 1972.

  Certainly in 1943 when this book was published no one had any inkling that the tax-exempt status of the WTB&TS would be challenged in 1971.

  NN it takes a few years to whip people up into a fear frenzy. Not 1942, but maybe mid to late 60s when the threatened tax status could have been on the horizon. The time frame of Freddy's push.
  
• 

  rebel8

  Is it right, that the tax involved was property tax in the state of New York?

  Actually, I believe it was the City of NY that was attempting to revoke the exemption.
  

  If they paid the tax from 1971 to 1974 is there public record?

  But the city lost the case, so I don't think they would have had to pay?

  I looked up 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, BBL 3-00204-0001/0, and came up with no payment history.

  97 and 107 Columbia Heights are registered to WTS as a multi-unit dwelling and pay a $13 fee per year for each.
  

  http://nycserv.nyc.gov/NYCServWeb/NYCSERVMain
  

  None of the property I checked had records on this website dating back to the 1970s though. Just a random bit of info.
  
• 

  steve2

  SBF, if you're using percentage of growth, yes the earlier decade had greater percentage increases - but if you're using absolute numbers, 1966 to 1975 saw phenomenal absolute growth. It's easy to see how percentages devoid of absolute numbers can be deceiving . For example, if there is but 1 publisher in 1936 (to use a simplistic example) and there are 2 in 1937, that's a 100% growth rate - but you literally still only have 2 publishers. Conversely, if you have 100 publishers in 1970 and recruit half as many more for 1971, you "only" have 50% growth compared to the 100% in 1936 .

  Comparisons of percentages across the decades need to be anchored with absolute numbers for meaningful comparisons .