Murray Smith

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Posts by Murray Smith

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  51

  Earthquake in N.Z.

  by smiddy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i guess the witnesses are rejoicing over the death and destruction of the latest earthquake in n.z.as proof of the imminent coming of armageddon,and their deliverance into the "new world system of things" i can just see it now ,the kh`s in nz will be filled to overflowing in the next month,......then in six months later it will be back to the status quo.. p.s when jesus said their would be" earthquakes in one place after another" couldn`t he have identified these areas for the faithfull ?

  so at least beleivers would have been spared the trauma ?

  of course non beleivers would have suffered the consequences,but why should beleivers suffer also ?.

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  Murray Smith

  Thanks Mr M . . . isn't this site just fantastic! . . . like a long cool drink in a parched throat . . . the delights just keep on coming!
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  46

  A question to the ex-JW's...

  by losthobbit in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i'm curious about what made you realize that your ex-religion was not "true"?.

  i've had discussions with many religious people, and they're always trying to protect their beliefs, rather than allowing anything i say challenge what they believe.

  was there ever something someone said to you, or something you read that maybe made you doubt your beliefs for the first time, or had a similar effect?.

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  Murray Smith

  Nothing anyone had to say to me ever triggered doubts.

  I moved congregations several times over a short period and coincidentally encountered a spate of suicides around me (heartbreaking) and a prevalence of mental illness (much going untreated) . . . then I got mentally ill myself.

  Found a research paper on Mental Illness among JW's . . . got out (hard going) . . . and got well.
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  48

  Hello to everyone.... and could I ask a really basic question here please...

  by JamesS in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm james i'm new to this forum as of today and i'm a ex-jw who was "born into the truth" and then left it officially at the age of twenty after "drifting out" of it for some time.

  i'm now 34 and whilst i'm not exactly happy with the world i'm living in, i'm largely happy with my own life.. one question i've got about this forum - i didn't join for a long time because i thought it was for active jw's (based on the web-site url), not ex jw's, but then looking at the threads, it seems it is more for ex-jw's!

  what is the demographic for the membership?

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  Murray Smith

  Hey leavingwt . . . I think I'm all three!
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  48

  Hello to everyone.... and could I ask a really basic question here please...

  by JamesS in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm james i'm new to this forum as of today and i'm a ex-jw who was "born into the truth" and then left it officially at the age of twenty after "drifting out" of it for some time.

  i'm now 34 and whilst i'm not exactly happy with the world i'm living in, i'm largely happy with my own life.. one question i've got about this forum - i didn't join for a long time because i thought it was for active jw's (based on the web-site url), not ex jw's, but then looking at the threads, it seems it is more for ex-jw's!

  what is the demographic for the membership?

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  Murray Smith

  Hi James and welcome. As you can see from my post count, I'm fairly new also.

  Ive been out 7 years after 23 yrs in. Great bunch here . . . different posters come along at regular times and you'll find some valuable stuff from time to time . . . . and no shortage of humor. Every contribution is warmly welcomed (except for spade and a couple of other loonies ... but they fall into humor category mostly).

  I'm from CHCH NZ . . . "shakeytown" at the moment as I'm sure you already know . . . stirring up lot's of interesting happenings!!
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  76

  What world events would cause you to run back to the JW,s

  by jam in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a year or two after leaving the borg.

  i was on shaky ground.. any major catastrophe in the world that took place, i thought.

  today i can not think of one single event.

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  Murray Smith

  On second thought . . . on this occasion I'll make an exception
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  76

  What world events would cause you to run back to the JW,s

  by jam in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a year or two after leaving the borg.

  i was on shaky ground.. any major catastrophe in the world that took place, i thought.

  today i can not think of one single event.

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  Murray Smith

  Cyberjesus . . . if there are too many earthquakes all over the world.

  Accepting that "too many" is purely subjective, I personally have felt just on 5000 earthquakes kick me in the ass over the last 6 months (no I'm not kidding) . . . and I still aint going back!

  Maybe if they manage to convert the other 7 billion of you in my lifetime I'll look at it again . . . but only to stop you all bangin on my friggin door! . . . and i've never liked being the odd one out.
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  35

  Does anyone out there understand how i feel?

  by TimothyT in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  my name is tim, im 23, from the uk, and im currently a jw!.

  ok... to cut a long story short... i love serving jehovah but ive begun now to embrace my sexuality as a gay man.. although im still attending the meetings, praying to jehovah and trying my hardest, i can no longer lie to myself about my sexuality.. i have had enough of feeling depressed and confused now - its killing me!!!.

  does anyone else know what i feel like?

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  Murray Smith

  Hi Tim . . . I can't add a lot except to say . . . what the Bible has to say can be viewed quite seperately from the "full set" of JW teachings . . . it is there for YOU personally . . . not simply a piece of equipment for the exclusive purposes of WT Society.

  I left about 7 years ago for quite different reasons but it was very daunting at the beginning, and a difficult journey (it would appear this is unavoidable). What I can say, is that the journey was so worth it! . . . I have no strong religious affiliation but connect with many good and trustworthy friends . . . XJW and otherwise . . . and feel a freedom to approach Christ in my own way with a sense of closeness I never experienced in my 25 years as a JW . . . there is life after WT . . . and it is as good as you want to make it.
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  18

  March 2nd 2010 was.............

  by cantleave in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ........the last meeting i ever attended.

  one whole, meeting free year, many more to come..

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  Murray Smith

  Congratulations to you cantleave . . . kinda makes your name a bit out of date now tho? . . . be sure to make it well known if you do contemplate a change . . . but then . . . "a rose by any other name ..."

  Personally, I have long forgotten my last meeting attendance . . . has to be around 7 years now, but I must confess . . .

  I have been tempted of late (since I moved towns), to attend a meeting purely for a human interest purpose . . . to observe any changes in attitude, enthusiasm, demographics, participation etc.

  Has anybody similarly been tempted? . . . to the point of attending for such a purpose? . . . if so, I'd love to hear your observations . . . ?
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  51

  Earthquake in N.Z.

  by smiddy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i guess the witnesses are rejoicing over the death and destruction of the latest earthquake in n.z.as proof of the imminent coming of armageddon,and their deliverance into the "new world system of things" i can just see it now ,the kh`s in nz will be filled to overflowing in the next month,......then in six months later it will be back to the status quo.. p.s when jesus said their would be" earthquakes in one place after another" couldn`t he have identified these areas for the faithfull ?

  so at least beleivers would have been spared the trauma ?

  of course non beleivers would have suffered the consequences,but why should beleivers suffer also ?.

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  Murray Smith

  Thank you both for those comments . . . I appreciate them alot, believe me.

  I try hard to resist resentment or bitterness as an XJW, but in light of my experience, statements like the following cannot help but offend me . . .

  So far there are no reported casualties or missing among our brothers and sisters...

  How this viewpoint could ever provide a source of comfort to anybody simply underscores how the subtle mind control of WT indoctrination actually strips away the very basic "humanity" of the people under it's influence.

  How can any who find comfort in such a report equate such feelings with the most basic teachings of Christ?? . . . the parable of the good samaritan is quite brilliant in that it sweeps aside all the precepts for prejudice and elitism with such simplicity and clarity . . .

  . . . only to see the WT put it all back again with statements like that seen above. (sigh)
• 
  51

  Earthquake in N.Z.

  by smiddy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i guess the witnesses are rejoicing over the death and destruction of the latest earthquake in n.z.as proof of the imminent coming of armageddon,and their deliverance into the "new world system of things" i can just see it now ,the kh`s in nz will be filled to overflowing in the next month,......then in six months later it will be back to the status quo.. p.s when jesus said their would be" earthquakes in one place after another" couldn`t he have identified these areas for the faithfull ?

  so at least beleivers would have been spared the trauma ?

  of course non beleivers would have suffered the consequences,but why should beleivers suffer also ?.

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• 

  Murray Smith

  I'm from Christchurch, although I don't post often. I don't mind my identity being known either. All of the foregoing paints the picture fairly accurately. My family and I have survived both major quakes thus far, along with the countless afterquakes (over 5000) since Sept 2010.

  The shaking is terrifying at the time . . . seems to persist for much longer than I previously imagined. And the constant smaller shakes are hard on the nerves over time. The diversity of human behavior it gives rise to is fascinating to me also.

  The hardest blow in the most recent quake is the loss of life. I learned yesterday that our family doctor had perished inside a collapsed building. I want to tell you about this man. Unremarkable in many ways upon first meeting . . . aged in his mid-late thirties . . . quiet, unassuming and gentle by nature . . . but extrordinarily attentive. A man of few words . . . but the words he spoke were of real value. It's hard to put a definition on it but he had a "way" about him . . . a way that connected . . . especially with youths and young adults . . . a rare quality.

  Anyway, he did extrordinary things in his quiet, unassuming way for me and my family along with many other young people we know. He helped my eldest son through a very difficult period, as well as his fiancee who also had a serious medical problem. My niece and nephew had lost thier mother as small children. They are now grown up and thought the world of him. He didn't just help you with medical treatment . . . he took time to get to know you and took a genuine personal interest in people.

  When I left his presence I always felt uplifted and encouraged, like he had 'restored' me inside . . . given me back something I didn't know I had even lost.

  All said and done . . . He was simply a very fine human being. I can't help but wonder if my once long-held view of the world as a witness would ever have allowed me to see the very real beauty in this man.

  He leaves behind a widow and three small children of his own . . . and a large tear in the hearts of so many people . . . young people.

  RIP my friend, you will be loved, admired, remembered and deeply missed for a very long time. That's what this Earthquake has mostly done to me