questions about 1975 and other dates

by Leander 29 Replies latest jw friends

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  Leander

  My wife and I were discussing the date of 1975 earlier this week and she basically was of the opinion that the individuals who thought the end was coming in that year came up with the date based on their incorrect assesment of published information. I replied that would it make sense for thousands of people across the continent to sell their homes and all of their valued possesions if they really had the slightest doubt that armageddon was not coming in 1975. She did'nt have an answer for that retort but still she insisted that somehow these people must have made a mistake in their judgement.

  So for those of you who may have lived through the 1975 fiasco and those who have in-depth knowledge about the events that took place in that year maybe you can answer a few questions for me.

  How widespread was the belief that 1975 was the year of armageddon? (was it only in North America or did other witnesses across the globe have similar beliefs)

  What was the WTBS position on the matter? Was there ever an apology or aknowledgement on their part that their literature may have misled people?

  Finally what other some other similar instances in which dates were emphasized that turned out to be false?

  I had done some extensive research on some of those questions about a year ago but I had a hard drive crash a few months ago and I lost all of my notes. Thanks
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  SpunkyChick

  What was the WTBS position on the matter? Was there ever an apology or aknowledgement on their part that their literature may have misled people?

  Ray Franz's Crisis of Conscience gives specific examples from Watchtower material citing the year 1975 would be the end of things. The society never acknowledged they were wrong. According to COC, brothers and sisters wrote to the society and they never answered their letters! They decided to just move on and never addressed it!
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  ninecharger

  Before the days when assembly talks were from manuscript, and brothers were monitored for deviations therefrom,

  COs DOs Elders, you name it gave talks hammering 1975 into our brains.

  "Armaggeddon will be over and done with by 1975"

  "Children now at kindergarten will never graduate from High School"

  "Well, Brothers, only eight years nine months and five days to go"

  "Jehovah's Witlessness have been right so often in the past, if they say Armaggeddon may come in 1975, why should we doubt it Brothers."

  There is a website "Quotes-jehovahswitnesses" or"Jehovahswitnesses-quotes which catalogs all their date setting from 1881, right through 1914,1915,1917,1919,1925 etc...

  There is no editorial comment, just the WTBTS own words. Probably why they asked Kindumb Hell libraries to send old publications back to Bethel.

  9
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  Elsewhere

  http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/1975.htm
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  Viperinus

  Well my parents moved our family out to the wilds of North Wales in 1974, because that was where the need was greatest. Coincidence?

  When I was a kid, I also seem to remember a WT picture of a train, labelled this 'system of things', heading towards a crash, labelled 1975.

  V
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  minimus

  1975 was supposed to mark 6000 years of human existence. After that marked date, the Jubilee was supposed to occur with the paradise earth being realized under the kingdom arrangement. Everyone on earth read the same "food at the proper time". No apology or acceptance of misleading was given via the Society. Instead , public talks and various literature EXTOLLED those that were well intentioned but wrong and defended such ones as still "being awake". They reasoned that it was better to be awake than be caught unawares.
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  Black Sheep

  My parents were both firm believers in the 1975 armageddon scenario.

  I can remember my mother going on about young people getting married and having children. Fools all of them. Woe to the ...etc.

  My father recently tried his old end is nigh scare tactics on me and was given a well deserved earful and it was made plain that he had overstepped the mark and outstayed his welcome. We get on quite well as long as we don't talk religion.
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  Nathan Natas

  here are some links with a lot of good info -

  http://www.freeminds.org/history/sunutko.htm

  http://www.freeminds.org/history/franztalk.htm

  http://www.freeminds.org/history/all1975.htm

  http://www.freeminds.org/history/1975.htm

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/22280/1.ashx

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/10738/1.ashx

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/33466/1.ashx
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  rocketman

  Good links Nathan in an always interesting topic.
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  lawrence

  It was widespread. I remember meeting Max Larson at a shindig showing off Russell's slideshow in circa 1974 at a high school auditorium in Connecticut, and then after the hoopla we were invited to the POs house for coffee afterwards, and a few brothers were discussing "The Holy Chronologies" and Max never said anything against the 1975 claims being discussed.