1975

by Grouper 21 Replies latest jw friends

  • seattleniceguy
    seattleniceguy

    Grouper,

    Two good references on this subject:

    What the Society actually published, in its entirety, on 1975:
    http://quotes.watchtower.ca/1975.htm

    A good article that blends personal experience with some sociological perspective, and, of course, references:
    http://members.aol.com/beyondjw/1975.htm

    Hope that helps!

    SNG

  • Frog
    Frog

    Thanks for the links SNG:) frog

  • JAVA
    JAVA

    As an elder in 1975, I know that the Tower did everything they could to encourage members to sell all and pioneer before it was too late. I attended a dis. assembly in Cin. OH in 1972, and one speaker said, "If a person starts a four-year college today, they won't graduate before the end of this system of things."

    As we all know, a few years later, the Tower blamed members for putting too much faith in a date! :)

  • DannyBloem
    DannyBloem

    My father was a elder and he told the congregation that it would not come in 1975 (because nowbody knows the hour) etc.
    it was not appriciated, but tolerated. Anyway most did not listen to him, but there was a lot of discussion about it.

    What I remember from the "older times" was that discussion was much more possible then it is now.

    Anyway it is not too important what the WTS exactly said IMO. They knew very well what was going on worldwirde, and did nothing to prevent people from putting their fate on this date. That says enough for me

  • DannyHaszard
    DannyHaszard

    An 'apostate fabrication' bulls**t

    Staying Alive till '75 I was there people!

    A common meet and greet exchange among Jehovah's Witness for the next ten years post 1975 was,".we never imagined that we would still be in this system." "Staying Alive Until 1975" My Story of Growing Up JW with Severe Ulcerative Colitis Witness of the Watchtower Holocaust

  • Bonnie_Clyde
    Bonnie_Clyde

    There were two schools of thought. Fred Franz was the one who originated and promoted the idea of 1975. He wrote the book, "Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God" which started the ball rolling. He printed a chart showing the seventh millenium of man's existence beginning in 1975 and on page 30 he asserted that it would be "according to the loving purpose of Jehovah God for the reign of Jesus Christ, the "Lord of the sabbath," to run parallel with the seventh millenium of man's existence."

    I was at the assembly in 1966 when this book was released and news spread like wildfire. Then there nothing more for quite awhile. Then one day in 1968 we got a Watchtower that "In Our Next Issue" there was article "Why are you looking forward to 1975?" Can you imagine the excitement and the talk? Yes, I was one who eagerly awaited the article. But the article didn't quite say it would happen in 1975, it just might. But we spent two weeks studying why it might. People were confused during those years. Clyde and I couldn't figure out why they kept talking about 1975, then they would caution us not to look at a date. Clyde finally stated, "There are problem at Bethel. I believe there are two factions working against one another. I can tell it by reading the literature and listening to the talks." Little did we realize what really was going on as revealed in Crisis of Conscience. Clyde started to realize the truth about the "truth" way back then, it took me many more years.

  • rebel8
    rebel8

    The most damning thing I've found in WTS publications is this (from the quotes site). It doesn't say the end will occur in 1975 but it does say it will end NEAR 1975:

    *** Awake! 1969 May 22 p.15 ***

    If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not? Because all the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. Of the generation that observed the beginning of the 'last days' in 1914, Jesus foretold: 'This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.' Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in high school and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way towards its finish, if not actually gone! This is why parents who base their lives on God's prophetic Word find it much more practical to direct their young ones into trades that do not require such long periods of additional schooling… True, those who do not understand where we are in the stream of time from God's viewpoint will call this impractical. But which is really practical: preparing yourself for a position in this world that soon will pass away? or working toward surviving this system's end and enjoying eternal life in God's righteous new order?

  • kid-A
    kid-A

    Dont mean to hijack, but does anybody have a reference to statistics regarding the number DF'd, those becoming inactive, increased or decreased membership and baptisms in the years immediately leading up to 75, and the couple of years post-75? thanks

  • Mary
    Mary

    They never ever discouraged anyone from selling their homes or businesses. In fact, quite the opposite happened. I believe it was in the May 1974 Kingdumb Ministry that said something to the effect of: "...Reports are coming in of brothers selling their homes and businesses and they are planning to spend the remaining months in this old system of things in the pioneer work. What a fine witness..." or something to that effect.

    Assholes.

  • Darth Yhwh
    Darth Yhwh

    Rebel8, your article from that Awake sums it all up in my opinion. You cant get too much closer to actually pinning down a date then that. That Awake should be current study literature for every current JW.

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