When did you think Armageddon would come?

by comment 51 Replies latest jw friends

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  JAVA

  BTW Java - I love that 'leaflet'

  Thanks Simon. I put it together a few months ago when You Know started in with his "Jehovah's only true religion" comments. Arguing with him was about as useful as sawing wood without a blade, so I came up with an in-your-face leaflet highlighting the Tower's successes and theme song. It took about an hour getting the links and formatting as you see it, but it was time better spent than arguing with the blind.

  BTW, someone has already used it in court to show how the Witnesses view the world they live in. I'm not sure if they were successful in winning the case, but I would have enjoyed seeing the JW lawyer's face.

  --JAVA

  ...counting time at the Coffee Shop
• 

  RunningMan

  My mother used to say that she would never see the day when I would go to
  school in this system. Well, my son starts high school next year.

  Actually, in the late 70's, Jimmy Carter signed an historic peace initiative
  with Isreal and Egypt. Battlestar Gallactica was interrupted on TV to bring
  the news and ceremonial handshake. They called it the "Peace and Security"
  accord. Wow, I thought that was it.

  Oops. Double oops for my mom.
• 

  NameWithheld

  I wonder if others struggle with that, too. It seemed surreal when exiting--I was going to grow old and die like everyone else. My parents studied with the JWs when I was 10, and it was the only religion I really thought about until I left 30 years later. At the age of 40 it hit me, I might just grow old and die. It didn't seem real.

  I really wonder if this isn't a very large factor in why so many persist in the face of overwhelming evidence that the religon that they are involved with is a farce. I mean, if you've conditioned yourself to live life with the thought that you will never die/grow old, how can you possibly be mentaly equiped to deal with those facts of life. Once you begin to think for yourself and you realize answers to questions like is there life after death, etc aren't so cut and dry, it can be a shock to the system.

  It doesn't help that the investments people make into the religion means that they are stuck in dead-end jobs with no retirement, no true friends, and surrounded by the most selfish people in the world (who won't life a finger to help their fellow humans, even those 'in the faith'). Hard to do much when you're 50-60 and have no money, massive debts, and nowhere to go.
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  NameWithheld

  RunningMan: And remember when the UN declared 1986 the 'year of peace and security'? (Or something similar) I remember my mother getting really worked up over that one, it was the end for sure! No doubt about it. What a shocker nothing happened. Unless it was invisible.
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  Black Man

  Oh, in 1986 the propoganda machine was in full-swing. There were articles on the fact that it was designated the year of peace. You had brothers creating anticipation in their public talks by putting their spin on the cry of peace and security. Wasn't nothing like '75, but there was still a great deal of speculation.
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  Duncan

  Hey comment, Great thread!

  The summer I left school to pioneer was 1970 (I was 15, youngest legal age to leave school in the UK at the time) and before I left, I had occasion to speak to my class (I was ALWAYS doing stuff like this in those days) about our "bible-based beliefs".

  THe 1975 thing was in at fever pitch in the Org. at the time, and I had many times preached to my friends about it. They had all seen - and were probably sick of - the October 1968 Awake! magazine about being "later than you think"

  But I recall being very circumspect about what I said as regards precise dates - noting that the Society always seemed to fudge a bit in print, talking about "the mid-seventies" as being "Significant" and an "Appropriate Time" etc.etc. So, when pressed abut the date at the end of my spot, I was all "mid-seventies" this and "mis-seventies" that.

  The class were not satisfied and kept up the pressure, and I ended the session - in a flush of Zeal, Righteousness and Holy Spirit - by proclaiming that it was

  "...a cast-iron CERTAINTY to be all over by 1980!"

  I remember it so well. It's great being so RIGHT about things, isn't it - when everyone else is wrong?

  By 1980, I was well on the way out, so it sort of was all over - for me, anyway.

  In 1993, there was a 25-year class reunion, and not a single person was unkind enough to mention it.

  Our 50 year reunion is scheduled for 2018.

  Unless Armageddon comes first.

  Duncan, (buying out the opportune time)
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  VeniceIT

  ***(I was ALWAYS doing stuff like this in those days) about our "bible-based beliefs".***

  HHAHHAAH ohh man Flash backs!!!! Yup that was me too. Every speach I gave (and yes I gave a ton) and every report I wrote had to do with the bible. I wrote several on xmas that I then just revised and printed out each year ohooops!! and I even did my term paper on the montheism of the Ancient Jews. I even managed to tie in my report/speach on AIDS, don't ask me how. To say nothing of the creation/evolution debates, abortion debates, ohhhh man I was sure a crusader!!!! There were about 9 JW's in my high school, and there were 5 of us in one class, so the rest of the class really got to know about the JW's I really got to count some time . They all knew how gunho and involved I was. I got in touch with Andy, a guy I was friends with from 7-12 grade, hadn't seen him in 5 years, but I got his email about a month ago. I sent him my story and told him how I'd been cut off from EVERYONE. Well he knew a lot of JW's he'd met my family and he was REALLY blown away! He was amazed that I was able to give it up. And rather proud of me.

  HE said I seem differnet but better, maybe freer, or the fact that'll talk to a 'worldly' person HAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHA, funny now I'm WORSE then a worldy person in the JW's eyes ahhahhahaha ohh well!!

  Ok Back to the topic of the thread--Ya it did hit me pretty had this last year realizing, I'll grow old. It wasn't something I'd EVER thought of or delt with before, it was a bit of shocker!!!

  Ven

  "I'm gonna wash that borg right out of my hair,I'm gonna wash that borg right out of my hair,I'm gonna wash that borg right out of my hair, and send it on it's way"
• 

  Amazing

  Hi Comment: I became associated in late 1968. I had heard about previous dates, such as 1914, and the 1940s expectations, our focus was irrefutably 1975. The Octover 8, 1968 Awake! brought out and highlighted 1975 as no other publication had.

  IN the summer of 1975, when my two oldest children were toddlers, I was at the District Convention where they said that, 'it is possible that Armageddon will not arrive by October, possibly due to the time frame added on from the creation of Adam until Eve was created, marking the end of the 6th creative day. So, the system may go on for a few months, maybe a year or so. But, do not suppose it will drag on for another 5, 7 or ten years. Brothers, it would be the heights of immaturity to get lulled to sleep as we are so close to the end.' Again, that was summer of 1975. Add 10 years, like the speaker said not to do, and we roll forward to 1985.

  1985: Peace and Security is looking more and more imminent all the time. Gorbachev has taken the reigns of power in the Soviet Union. He is most moderate and makes overatures to the west. 'Brothers and sisters, while we cannot say for an absolute certainty, the fortold time of Peace and Security looks promising.' We get excited again ... perhaps this time is really it. Many JWs get out their Watch Tower book "Your Will Be Done" because if the two great blocks, the Communist King of the North and the Democratic King of the South are suppose to suddenly lose peace, possibly over oil, and go to war, and then Jehovah brings in Armageddon.

  1991: August 1991, Gorbachev and Bush, sr. declare Peace and Security as the relations between the eastern Warsaw alliance and the western Nato alliance warms, thaws, and starts to get really chummy. We are 77 years since 1914, or at the upper end of a Psalm 90:10 generation since 1914, and the Society is still pushing 1914 as the start of the Last Generation before Armageddon arrives.

  1994: The Soviet Union has collasped, according to my grandmother's calculations because Catholics pray for it to happen. Eastern Europe is in a scramble to join the EU and/or Nato. we are 80 years from 1914, or at the very last year of the Biblical generation. Can it still happen?

  1995 Mr. Amazing is formally DA'd after 27 years of association and 25 years of baptism as a faithful JW. The Society starts changing its definition of a generation, changes its statement about the end coming by the end of this century. Moves its theology more in line with standard Christian thought that at the immenience of Jesus visible arrival will mark the Last Generation as the Great Tribulation gets underway. We have come full circle.

  2001: 20th Century ends, 21st Century starts. So far ALL WATCH TOWER EXPECTATIONS HAVE FAILED! 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1940s, 1970s, 1980s, early 1990s, and end of century. Fail, fail, fail!!!

  Is there somthing wrong with this picture? "Millions of JWs just now getting baptized will likewise be disappointed"

  It is as always, Simply Amazing!
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  ozziepost

  G'day Maximus,

  I'm sorry we haven't had opportunity to correspond before, but in the short time you've been here in our happy discussion place I've always been very interested to read each word. Keep it up, brother! I came back to see more of this thread a bit late but this point has really 'struck' me

  Can anyone confirm the figure I hear that 22,000 elders resigned during the last three years? (That's twenty-two thousand.)

  It sounds a very big figure, but I suppose, if looked at as 1 elder from every 3 congregations, isn't so improbable as it first seems. Please let us know if you receive further info. on this. Could it be the beginning of........?

  Cheers,
  Ozzie

  "Truth persuades by teaching, but does not teach by persuading."
  TERTULLIAN, Adversus Valentinianos
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  Mulan

  When I was 15 my Uncle, who was a fanatical researcher, came up with the 1975 date, 6 years before the Borg officially told everyone. I loved his research, and thought it was so great that I would never get older than 30 (my age in 1975). I married in 1962, at age 17, and had three children by 1969, and when my husband wanted a fourth, I resisted because I didn't want to have a baby to take through Armageddon. I really believed it would happen that year. In 1973, we were camping with my husband's brother's family, and talking about 1975. My sister in law said "It can't happen in '75. Because too many think it will happen then. The Bible says it will be when you LEAST expect it." That crushed me, but I knew she was right. From then on I had no date to rely on. I truly never expected my kids to go to school in this system. All four (I had that fourth baby in 1979 HAHAHAHA) have graduated from high school, and the youngest from college, YAY! He is getting married next month. My eldest grandchild is almost 16 (okay she is a step grand daughter). The eldest grandchild born to us, is 7 in August. He started school last year.

  It was a hard blow to realize I was going to live out my life, and grow old, and die one day. The pain in my back gets so bad at times, I almost wish I had the new system to hope for again. I see my parents, who never planned for retirement, nearing 90 years old, with poor quality of life. Now I believe Armageddon already happened. And......we are FREE!!!!