Crisis of Conscience

by Raymond Franz

  Though different systems of measuring may have gained a year or so here and there, the fact remained that the generation of the 1914 period was shrinking with great rapidity, since the death rate is always highest among those of older age. The Governing Body was aware of this, for the matter came up for discussion a number of times.

  The issue arose during the June 7, 1978, session of the Body. Earlier factors led to this. Governing Body member Albert Schroeder had distributed among the members a copy of a demographic report for the United States. The data indicated that less than one percent of the population who were out of their teens in 1914 were still alive in 1978. But a more attention-getting factor had to do with statements Schroeder had made while visiting certain countries in Europe.

  Reports drifted back to Brooklyn that he was suggesting to others that the expression “this generation” as used by Jesus at Matthew 24:34 applied to the generation of “anointed ones,” and that as long as any of these were still living such “generation” would not have passed away. This was, of course, contrary to the organization’s teaching and was unauthorized by the Governing Body.

  When the matter was brought up, following Schroeder’s return, his suggested interpretation was rejected and it was voted that a “Question from Readers” be run in a forthcoming issue of the Watchtower reaffirming the standard teaching regarding “this generation.”1 Interestingly, no rebuke or reproof whatsoever was directed to Governing Body member Schroeder for having advanced his unauthorized, contradictory view while in Europe.

  The issue emerged again in both the March 6 and November 14, 1979, sessions. Since attention was being focused on the subject, I made Xerox copies of the first twenty pages of the material sent in by the Swedish elder which detailed the history of chronological speculation and revealed the actual source of the 2,520-year calculation and the 1914 date. Each member of the Body received a copy. Aside from an incidental comment, they did not see fit to discuss the material.

  Lyman Swingle, as head of the Writing Department, was already familiar with this material. He directed the Body’s attention to some of the dogmatic, insistent statements published in several 1922 issues of the Watch Tower, reading portions of these aloud to all the members. He said that he had been too young in 1914 (only about four years old then) to remember much about it.2 But he said that he did remember the discussions that took place in his home regarding 1925. That he also knew what had happened in 1975. He said he personally would not want to be misled regarding another date.

  In the course of the session, I pointed out that the Society’s 607 B.C.E. starting date had no historical evidence whatsoever for support. As for 1914 and the generation then living, my question was: If the organization’s traditional teaching is valid, how can we possibly apply Jesus’ accompanying words to the people living in 1914? He said: “When you see all these things, know that he is near at the doors,” and “as these things start to occur, raise yourselves erect and lift your heads up, because your deliverance is getting near.” The publications regularly stated that those words began applying from 1914 onward, to those Christians living in 1914. But if so, then to whom among them could this apply? To those who were then 50 years old? But such ones if still alive would now (that is, in 1979, the time of the discussion) be 115 years old. The 40-year-olds? They would be 105. Even the 30-year-olds would be 95 and those just out of their teens would already be 85 in 1979. (Even these would be over 100 if still living today.)

  If then those stirring words ‘lift up your heads because your deliverance is getting near, it’s at the doors’ indeed applied to people in 1914 and meant that they could hope to see the final windup, reasonably that exciting announcement would need to be qualified by saying: “Yes, you may see it—that is, provided you are now quite young and live a very, very long life.” As an example, I pointed to my father who, born in 1891, was just a young man of twenty-three in 1914. He lived, not just threescore years and ten, or fourscore years, but reached eighty-six years of age. He had been dead for two years by this time and died without seeing the predicted things.

  So I asked the Body how meaningful the application of Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:33, 34, could have been in 1914 if the only ones who could hope to see them fulfilled were children just in their teens or younger? No specific reply was offered.

  A number of members, however, did voice their continued support for the organization’s existing teaching about “this generation” and the 1914 date. Lloyd Barry expressed personal dismay that doubts existed within the Body regarding the teaching. Referring to Lyman Swingle’s reading of statements from the 1922 Watch Towers, he said that he saw nothing to be concerned about in these, that they were “present truth” for the brothers at that period.3 As to the advanced age of the 1914-generation, he pointed out that in some parts of the Soviet Union there are regions where people live to be 130 years old. He urged that a united position be expressed to the brothers so that they would maintain their sense of urgency. Others expressed concurring views.

  When later recognized by the Chairman, my comment was that it seemed we would need to keep in mind that what is today taught as “present truth” may also in time become “past truth,” and that the “present truth” that replaces such “past truth” may itself become replaced by “future truth.” I felt that the word “truth” used in such a manner became simply meaningless.

  A couple of the Body members said that if the current explanation was not the right one, then what was the explanation of Jesus’ statements? Since the question seemed aimed at me, my response was that I felt there was an explanation that harmonized with Scripture and fact, but that anything presented should surely not be some “spur-of-the-moment” idea, but something carefully researched and weighed. I said that I thought there were brothers capable of doing that work but that they would need the Governing Body’s authorization. Was the Governing Body interested in having this done? There was no response and the question was dropped.

  At the discussion’s end, with the exception of a few members, the Body members indicated that they felt that 1914 and the teaching about “this generation” tied to it should continue to be stressed. The Writing Committee Coordinator, Lyman Swingle, commented, “All right, if that is what you want to do. But at least you know that as far as 1914 is concerned, Jehovah’s Witnesses got the whole thing—lock, stock and barrel—from the Second Adventists.”

  Perhaps one of the most disturbing things to me was knowing that, while the organization urged the brothers to maintain unwavering trust in the interpretation, there were men in responsible positions within the organization who had themselves manifested that they did not have full confidence in the predictions based on the 1914 date.

  As a notable example, at the time of the February 19, 1975, session, in which the Governing Body listened to Fred Franz’s taped talk on 1975, there followed some discussion about the uncertainty of time prophecies. Nathan Knorr, then the president, spoke up and said:

  There are some things I know—I know that Jehovah is God, that Christ Jesus is his Son, that he gave his life as a ransom for us, that there is a resurrection. Other things I’m not so certain about. 1914—I don’t know. We have talked about 1914 for a long time. We may be right and I hope we are.4

  At that session the date primarily under discussion was 1975, so it came as a surprise that the far more fundamental date of 1914 should be referred to in such context. As stated, the president’s words were spoken, not in private conversation, but before the Governing Body in session.

  Previous to the major discussion of 1914 (in the November 14, 1979, full Governing Body session), the Body’s Writing Committee in a committee meeting had discussed the advisability of continuing to stress 1914.5 In the committee discussion it was suggested that we might at least refrain from “pushing” the date. As I recall, Karl Klein reminded us of the practice sometimes followed of simply not mentioning a certain teaching for a time, so that if any change came it would not make
such a strong impression.

  Remarkably, the Writing Committee voted unanimously to follow basically that very policy in the publications with regard to 1914. This position, however, was short-lived, since the November 14, 1979, full session of the Governing Body made clear that the majority favored emphasizing the date as usual.

  That questions about this teaching were not limited to Brooklyn was brought home to me by an incident occurring while I was on a trip to West Africa in the fall of 1979. In Nigeria, two members of the Nigerian Branch Committee and a longtime missionary, took me to see a property the Society had purchased for constructing a new Branch headquarters. On the return trip I asked when they expected to be able to move to the new site. The reply was that, with the clearing of the land, obtaining approval of plans and getting necessary permits, and then the actual construction, it might well be in 1983 before the move was made.

  Because of this, I asked, “Do you get any questions from the local brothers as to the length of time that has passed since 1914?” There was a momentary silence, and then the Branch Coordinator said, “No, the Nigerian brothers seldom ask questions of that kind—but WE do.” Almost immediately the longtime missionary said, “Brother Franz, could it be that Jesus’ reference to ‘this generation’ applied only to persons back there who saw the destruction of Jerusalem? If that were the case, then everything would seem to fit.”

  Quite evidently not everything did seem to fit in his mind, the way the existing teaching had it. My reply was simply that I supposed that such was a possibility but that there was not much more that could be said for the idea. I repeated this conversation to the Governing Body after my return, for it gave evidence to me of the questions existing in the minds of men throughout the world, respected men in positions of considerable authority. The comments the men in Nigeria made and the way that they made them indicated clearly that they had discussed the question among themselves before ever my visit took place.

  Shortly after my return from Africa, in a Governing Body session on February 17, 1980, Lloyd Barry again voiced his feelings about the importance of the teaching regarding 1914 and “this generation.” Lyman Swingle said that the “Questions from Readers” material published in 1978 had not settled the matter in the brothers’ minds. Albert Schroeder reported that in the Gilead School and in Branch Committee seminars, brothers brought up the fact that 1984 was now being talked about as a possible new date, 1984 being seventy years from 1914 (the figure seventy evidently being looked upon as having some special import). The Body decided to discuss the matter of 1914 further in the next session.”6

  The Chairman’s Committee, consisting of Albert Schroeder (Chairman), Karl Klein and Grant Suiter, now produced a most unusual document. They supplied a copy to each member of the Governing Body. Briefly put, these three men were suggesting that, rather than applying to people living in 1914, the expression “this generation” would begin applying as of 1957, forty-three years later!

  This is the material exactly as these three members of the Governing Body supplied it to us:

  1957 marked the year when the first Russian Sputnik was launched into earth’s outer space. Evidently the Chairman’s Committee felt that that event could be accepted as marking the start of the fulfillment of these words of Jesus:

  The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.7

  Based on that application, their conclusion would be as they stated:

  Then ‘this generation’ would refer to contemporary mankind living as knowledgeable ones from 1957 onward.

  The three men were not suggesting that 1914 be dropped. It would stay as the “end of the Gentile Times.” But “this generation” would not begin applying until 1957.

  In view of the swiftly diminishing numbers of the 1914-generation, this new application of the phrase could undoubtedly prove even more helpful than some person allegedly living to be 130 years old in a certain section of the Soviet Union. As compared with starting in 1914, this new 1957 starting date would give an additional 43 years for the period embraced by the expression “this generation” to reach.

  Governing Body standards required that for any Committee to recommend something to the full Body there should be unanimous agreement among the Committee members (otherwise the divided viewpoint should be presented to the Body for settlement). The presentation of the novel idea regarding 1957 was therefore one upon which the three members of the Chairman’s Committee, Schroeder, Klein and Suiter must have agreed.

  I would think that, if asked about this presentation today, the response would be, “Oh, that was just a suggestion.” Possibly, but if so it was a suggestion seriously made. And for Albert Schroeder, Karl Klein and Grant Suiter to bring such a suggestion to the Governing Body they must have been willing in their own minds to see the suggested change made. If, indeed, their belief and conviction as to the Society’s longtime teaching about “this generation” (as applying from 1914 onward) had been strong, firm, unequivocal, they certainly would never have come forward with the new interpretation they offered.

  The Governing Body did not accept the new view proposed by these members. Comments made showed that many considered it fanciful. The fact remains, however, that Governing Body members Schroeder, Klein and Suiter presented their idea as a serious proposition, revealing their own lack of conviction as to the solidity of the existing teaching on the subject.

  Despite all this evidence of divided viewpoint as to the validity of the claims regarding 1914 and the “1914-generation,” bold, positive, forceful statements regarding 1914 and “this generation” continued to be published as Biblically established fact by the “prophet” organization, and all of Jehovah’s Witnesses were urged to put full trust in this and carry the message about it to other people earthwide. In an apparent effort to calm concern about the diminishing ranks of the 1914-generation, the same Watchtower (October 15, 1980, page 31) that implied that the age limit for that generation’s members could be lowered to ten years of age, also said:

  That was written in 1980. Twenty years later, by the turn of the century, the ten-year-olds of 1914 would be ninety-six years old. Still, there might be a few of them yet around and evidently that was viewed as all that was necessary for Jesus’ words to be fulfilled—depending, of course, on the acceptance of the idea that Jesus was directing his words particularly to ten-year-old children. This illustrates the extremes to which the organization was willing to go to hold on to its definition of the “1914-generation.”

  More years passed and now no mention was made of “ten-year-olds” but instead the reference was simply to “those living in 1914” or similar. This, of course, allowed for newborn babies to be included in the “1914-generation.” But with the arrival of the 1990s, and with the third millennium about to begin, even this “adjustment in understanding” provided only momentary relief for the problem. Even a newborn in 1914 would be approaching 90 by the year 2000.

  One thing I can say with positiveness about the matter is that I personally found the reasoning employed within the Governing Body to be incredible. I found it tragic that a time prophecy could be proclaimed to the world as something solid upon which people could and should confidently rely, build their hopes, form their life plans, when the very ones publishing this knew that within their own collective body there did not exist a unanimity of genuine, firm conviction as to the rightness of that teaching. It may be that when viewed against the whole background of the organization’s decades of date-fixing and shifting of dates, their attitude becomes more understandable.

  Perhaps more incredible to me is that the Chairman’s Committee members, Albert Schroeder, Karl Klein and Grant Suiter, within about two months of their submission of their new idea on “this generation” listed the teaching about the start of Christ’s presence in 1914 as among the decisive teachings for determining whether individuals (including headquarters staff members) were gu
ilty of “apostasy” and therefore merited disfellowshipment. They did this knowing that just months before they themselves had placed in question the corollary, companion doctrine regarding “this generation.”

  Throughout the half century in which the organization promulgated the concept of a “1914-generation,” its span consistently proved like a couch that is too short for comfort, and the reasoning used to cover that doctrinal “couch” proved like a woven sheet that is too narrow, not able to shut out, in this case, the cold facts of reality.

  The leadership had made numerous adjustments and now had few remaining options. There was the 1957 starting date for “this generation” proposed by members Schroeder, Klein and Suiter, but that seemed an unlikely choice. There was Albert Schroeder’s idea of applying the phrase to the “anointed” class (an idea that had been floating around the organization for many, many years) which offered certain advantages—there are always additional persons (some fairly young) who each year decide for the first time that they are of the “anointed” class. So this would offer an almost limitless extension of time for the teaching about “this generation.”

  There was another option. They could acknowledge the historical evidence placing Jerusalem’s destruction twenty years later than the Society’s 607 B.C.E. date. This would make the Gentile Times run out (using their 2,520-year interpretation) about 1934. But such enormous importance has been placed on 1914 and, as has been shown, so much of the doctrinal superstructure is linked to it, that this also seemed an unlikely step.

  The inevitable signs of yet further “adjustment of understanding” began to appear with the February 15, 1994, Watchtower. In it the beginning of the application of Jesus’ statement about “signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations” was moved up from the year 1914 to a point following the start of the yet future “great tribulation.” Likewise, the foretold ‘gathering of the chosen ones from the four winds,’ previously taught as running from 1919 onward, was now also moved to the future, following the start of the “great tribulation” and subsequent to the appearance of the celestial phenomena. Each of the now-abandoned positions had been taught for some fifty years. (See, as but one of numerous examples, the Watchtower of July 15, 1946.)