Jehovah's Witnesses: what does the phrase "Stay Alive 'til '75!" mean to you?

Question

remember hearing that?

touched a nerve, conundrum? But this was being gleefully said at the district assemblies and from individual kingdom halls all around that time.. Do you remember it? Were you excited?

I did hear it personally used from the podium at our kingdom hall.

i heard it used by our tuesday night book study leader

i heard it used by the brothers and sisters.

were you not listening or were you in the bathroom?

Answer 1

Well, I have obviously never "heard" it since I was not born then. But according to my research, the Watchtower never DIRECTLY stated the world would end in 1975,

However, there are many older magazines that strongly implyed that date would be the end of the system,

The May 1974 (1 year before 1975) issue of the Kingdom Ministry even made this quote:

"Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old systme in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end."

--edit--
NMB As you can see from my statement above, I said we never DIRECTLY stated it, but did imply it....PLEASE RESEARCH for yourself before you answer a question.

Type in 1975 in Watchtower Library and see what comes up.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

What does it mean, nothing.

Let me ask you, did you personally hear the phrase used?

I never did and I have been around Jehovah's Witnesses all my life.

The funny thing about this phrase is that everyone who brings it up always refer to Charles Sunutko. No one has ever produced another quote from a different speaker.

Mommyof1

"Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old systme in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end."

And yet no where does it say the end was going to occur in 1975.

Mommyof1

"NMB As you can see from my statement above, I said we never DIRECTLY stated it, but did imply it....PLEASE RESEARCH for yourself before you answer a question."

Ok show me where it's IMPLIED that1975 was going to be the big A. in your quote.

Guess what, it isn't.

Think about the following:

How many articles appear in the Watchtower magazine explaining why Jehovah's Witnesses believe and teach that Hell isn't a place of burning torment? About Blood? About wwho the 144,000 are and what they will be doing in heaven?

Would you agree that there is plenty of information on theses subjects?

Then why, if it was really understood that the "end" was coming in 1975 is there a lack of material explaining WHY such was believed?


PediC Again,
"I did hear it personally used from the podium at our kingdom hall.

i heard it used by our tuesday night book study leader

i heard it used by the brothers and sisters.

were you not listening or were you in the bathroom?"


Well that makes you a first as almost everyone else who brings this up admit to not hearing it personally but almost always "a friend did or a relative did or my mother/father did" seems to be the typical reply.

And no I wasn't in the bathroom, I was running the sound system both at the local Kingdom Hall and circuit assemblies. Nice try thought.


Unsilenced Lamb,

"Those who weren't there call it misunderstanding and exuberance......"

I was there. Everything I've read points to it being exactly that, a misunderstanding.

Unsilenced Lamb,

"NMB...IF you were there, then you are a liar,"


Well now that makes my day complete. Imagine being called a liar by one such as yourself. I'm crushed, I'm heartbroken.




































Yeah right!

Answer 4

this is just one of the many dates that the Governing Body of (Jehovah's only voice on earth) were wrong about.

Now they claim that the Witnesses of that day were weak, and went before the organization. I say to that, "Bull". I was there. Not one of the teenage witnesses that I grew up with had any future in education. People either got themselves into Mortgages that they couldn't pay off, because they thought they wouldn't have to, or didn't buy homes at all.

The reason that I think the the governing Body, keeps up the fallacy that the end is right around the corner, is because there is no reason to save money, and funds are given to the WBTS, thus making them more and more wealthy.

I see people who are studying with the witnesses post here, and the thing that they all have in common is, the fear that Armageddon is right around the corner...It was right around the corner when I was a Kid and when my grandmother was a kid, and will still be around the corner when your grand-children's grandchildren have their grandchildren.


Those who weren't there call it misunderstanding and exuberance......one thing for sure, the WBTS is never misunderstood! they are very clear in their directives! If you weren't there, you can not have an opinion on such things.

NMB...IF you were there, then you are a liar, because that was the main thrust of all of the ministry and the assemblies...and IF...you were there....You are lying by omission....You may have not heard that particlar statement, but you KNOW that they were pushing all to prapare for the end by 1975

wish I had access to the Audio tapes from the assemblies and the talks at the Kingdom Halls......Since the WBTS is made up of a bunch of attourneys isnt an oral statement binding?

Answer 5

Honestly, my mother vaguely remembers SOME saying it, I will check to make sure she does remember that.

She often tells me of how she would be in the ministry and people would ask her what she would do if the new system didn't come in '75. She said, same thing I'm doing now.

It made no sense, to her and in general, to believe that '75 was "the year". Sadly a small number did decide this based on misunderstandings and over exuberance.

It is remeniscent of how the apostles would repeatedly get the wrong idea about Jesus' kingdom, while they were with him. I love how patiently he would help correct them.

EDIT

Appearantly my mother doesn't remember hearing it at all, so maybe if you heard it it was just in your area. Kinda like how we in the south at times say Ya'll

Answer 6

My parents joined the org in 1972 and I can't even believe that they stuck around after the 1975 fiasco. I have heard countless stories from people who gave up promitions, marriages, children, home buying, and even critical surgeries, because they believed that the end would be coming in 1975, so why bother. The people who lost the most because of this false prophecy are the ones who left the org. This produced a whole proliferation of WT articles in the early 80s that attempted to stop the exit of more members. Articles that emphasized not giving up hope and throwing in the towel. Those who stuck around obviously never read Deuteronomy 18: 20-22 where God says that even ONE false prophecy makes one a false prophet not to be heeded.

Answer 7

I kind of remember, I was pretty young. My parents got baptized in 1974 because of their proclamation. Curiously enough, most JW on here keep talking about "just look at what's going on in the world and you know the end is near". Now, I know I'm just a little ole apostate, and my thoughts don't mean nothin' to you big ole JW, but isn't when they say "Peace and security" that the **** hits the fan? See, disasters have always been, war has always been, famine, pestilence, etc. have always been on this planet so it makes it easy to point to that. But where is the "Peace and Security"?

Answer 8

It refers to their belief that the world would end in 1975. So much for that.

Answer 9

Some of my older x-JW friends remember it. They said that was they year they all expected things to end.

I guess that is one reason they are X-jws

Answer 10

Jesus said: “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father." Matthew 24:36.
Some ridicule godliness itself, but in these “last days,” former Christians who have become apostates often prove to be especially scornful in their ridicule. The apostle Peter warned fellow believers: “Beloved ones, . . . you know this first, that in the last days there will come ridiculers with their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires and saying: ‘Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep in death, all things are continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.’” (2 Peter 3:1-4) If we never ‘sit in the seat of ridiculers,’ we will avoid the disaster that is sure to befall them.