by nicolaou 48 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I was born in 1969... I always felt the 1914 date was the most important of JW teachings. I got df'd in 1992 and was half-in, half-out for the next few years. When 1995 came and the "generation" teaching was changed I was gone, never to look back.
No regrets since then.
Brad
I was a ministerial servant when I started questioning the WT teachings. I was attending college even though all of the elders were telling me not to worry about my education because even before I would finish college the Armageddon would be here. I even remember on one of the CO's visit he asked me if I could become a regular pioneer so that I could go to Bethel, and I told him I couldn't because of college and he looked at me like I was crazy. The last straw was when all of the elders decided to meet with me one night. They were all accusing me of not doing my duties and following worldy goals. I told them that I wanted to have a good job for my future but they kept on saying that the goals I was looking for were not going to mean anything. Well that was the last night I attended a metting, I never went back. I'm not disfellowshipped so I still have some friends inside that I talk too but I haven't stepped back in a Kingdom Hall for a couple of years, and I never regretted my decision.
I lived for it!!! This is why in 1995, when they unveiled the 'new light' regarding 1914, I lost all faith in the WTBTS.
DY
I didn't even KNOW about the knew light in 1995 until just a few months ago! Back in 1995 I was homeless and contemplating suicide since I was disfellowshipped to save myself from a painful death at armageddon which was likely to happen anytime. I spent another 4 years still believing.
I came in in time for the 1975 thingy as well. Turned down a scholarship to one of the best universities in the nation for my rather special talents because of the pressure from the Bros. not to get a higher education.
Yep, I accepted the 1914 generation thing. I was in a university when the Society changed the definition of "generation" to make it open-ended. My first thought was "shades of Orwell's 1984." LOL
As for the date for the fall of Jerusalem, the basis for 1914, that date is by no means certain at 587 b.c. as scholars alledge. The archealogical evidence is by no means certain. 537 b.c. for the fall of Babylon to the Persians and the liberation of the Jews is far more certain and accepted by scholars. Since Daniel confirmed that 70 years of exile as decreed in Jerimiah were in fact fulfilled (Dan. 9:2, Jer. 25:11, 29:10) then the date for the fall of Jerusalem is in the area of 607 b.c., that is if we can rely on the evidence for the date of the fall of Babylon. My problem is not with the date of 1914 so much as its significance. IMO that is what is misunderstood. The end of the times of Gentile domination over the Jews and Israel does not invariably equal the establishment of the messianic kingdom in heaven or anywhere else. It simply means that the Gentiles no longer have uncontested authority over the Jews and the Holy Land. And I think that the restoration of the Jews to the Holy Land that is now playing itself out right before our eyes bears that out.
Boy! That'd get me DF'd in a hurry if it got into the wrong hands!
Nope! I took my female dates seriously.
Yes it's more healthy to look back on our zombie time with laughter rather than anger if we can
Well said Uncle Bruce. I too recali both good and bad times.Not so exciting as your own, but all too many years trudging the residential streets and hammering door knockers of suburban England
All of us who were brought up on this baloney had to take it seriously, or not believe anything about "The Truth". We saw the teaching slowly evolve ffrom a faith that it would come in the lifetime of those old enough to have fought in WW1, to the idea that they must have been reasoning children in 1914, to having been born then - to finally abandoning the teaching in the 1990's. That was a beginning of doubts for me because it was so obvious that they were changing doctrine to fit the failed prophecy. Anyway it made no sense.
I was threatened with police, guns, dogs, cars, being thrown overboard, .. water hosed, had peaches thrown at me (by a lovable old witch) shot at by a guy with no legs .. bitten by a horse .. sunburned, collapsed in the desert from heatstroke .. cut and bruised falling off my bicycle .. suffered leeches, centipeed bites .. all because "we were living in the Last Days of this old system" (Days not to be taken literally but "Armageddon was definitely months away but not years")
I dub thee Saul......er......no......Paul. That's it.
UncleBruce - that is quite a list. Glad it didn't kill ya!
that date is by no means certain at 587 b.c. as scholars alledge
You're right, it could also be 586 BC. But it is one of those years.
537 b.c. for the fall of Babylon to the Persians and the liberation of the Jews is far more certain and accepted by scholars
That was 539 BC. It is much easier to work out this date by counting forward from 587 as there is far more evidence for 587 than for 539. I think with Daniel saying the seventy years were up then he thought they must have begun around 609/608. He also states that the desolations are still continuing after the end of this 70 years so rejects the chronicler's interpretation of the seventy years. Basically god then tells him "Seventy years? Did I say seventy years? What I really meant to say was seventy weeks of years!"
Anyway, sorry to go off topic!
I didn't even KNOW about the knew light in 1995 until just a few months ago!
im in that boat! i was shocked.
Ive enjoyed reading this thread immensly. unclebruce your a champ. id love to chat about your studys as i plan to go to uni when i return to oz. i think you did a few more years in the sweat shop than i did. but I can relate to you. your a real success story.
like itsallgoodnow said shes an underachiever, i was the same but plan to go to school when i get back to oz. its never too late. and a friend of mine who was an electrician(although being one of the smartest guys ive ever met) was recently dissed and has gone after his true passion and gone to uni to study law.
theres hope for our misguided, detoured bunch.
cheers
life
