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Replies to '08/24 The Family Cult'
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October 3, 2005, 4:47 pm PDT
 Quote From: juliakelly My name is Julia Kelly, seventeen years old, and I was born and grew up in the Family International. Never once was I ever abused in any way, physically, sexually, emotionally or otherwise. I was home schooled my whole life, and very happy with the results. I feel just as educated, if not more so, than any student fresh out of high school. Home schooling, by the way, is something done by hundreds of thousands of citizens all over the United States and not at all unusual. For the record, though it seems ridiculous to even mention, I have written checks, opened my own bank account, have a high school diploma, am working on my drivers license, and know how to use a vending machine (If you get it, you get it). Living in a Family home, I have a life that supplies my every need, I am advancing in my chosen field of work, happy and fulfilled with what I spend my days doing, in a loving, caring, supportive environment. If I had the slightest inkling that any abuse or mistreatment was going on in my house, (where there are eight children under the age of five), I would report it to authorities without delay. I have reiterated this statement numerous times, as have hundreds of current second-generation Family members. I live my life for others in a Christian organization that has only ever helped me to be a better person and live a happy life. All I’m asking is that I be able to continue to do so without my way of life being slandered and my organization being made out to be an abusive, unsafe, malicious cult. That’s the long and the short of it. I won’t feel guilty because I don’t have time to rebut every accusation and complaint made – the facts are there if you’re looking for them. I have a wonderful life that I’d rather live to the full than spend defending to those who have not moved on with theirs. To the general public, check your facts, please. Don’t let it be said of you that you’ll believe the first thing you read and run with it, you’re better than that. Go to www.myconclusion.com and read for yourself what current and former Family members have to say about The Family International. Make up your mind after having heard both sides and see which one holds more water. I read all the links I have been given here- completely. (After I discovered pages 2 and 3 -blush) I have to say, I do believe there are regional disparities that may explain the difference in experiences? How can some individuals experience such a horrific time and others in the same "religion" have an exact opposite experience?
I believe it is a matter of certain groups functioning differently. I do not think all of these people are liars! I was raised a Witness as I said before. I have known a lot of other Witnesses. There is a difference between one congregation and another. There are even differences within the same congregations. I have seen this in other churches also. (I spent a long time looking)
I do believe that not every outcropping of this 'religion' have behaved in identical manners. After having read the letters that are sent to their missionaries, however, I believe the foundation is the same and can easily see where the deep depravity comes from.
It is planted there. I guess the interpretation is left to the individual communal groups? |
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October 3, 2005, 8:24 pm PDT
Quote From: juliakelly My name is Julia Kelly, seventeen years old, and I was born and grew up in the Family International. Never once was I ever abused in any way, physically, sexually, emotionally or otherwise. I was home schooled my whole life, and very happy with the results. I feel just as educated, if not more so, than any student fresh out of high school. Home schooling, by the way, is something done by hundreds of thousands of citizens all over the United States and not at all unusual. For the record, though it seems ridiculous to even mention, I have written checks, opened my own bank account, have a high school diploma, am working on my drivers license, and know how to use a vending machine (If you get it, you get it). Living in a Family home, I have a life that supplies my every need, I am advancing in my chosen field of work, happy and fulfilled with what I spend my days doing, in a loving, caring, supportive environment. If I had the slightest inkling that any abuse or mistreatment was going on in my house, (where there are eight children under the age of five), I would report it to authorities without delay. I have reiterated this statement numerous times, as have hundreds of current second-generation Family members. I live my life for others in a Christian organization that has only ever helped me to be a better person and live a happy life. All I’m asking is that I be able to continue to do so without my way of life being slandered and my organization being made out to be an abusive, unsafe, malicious cult. That’s the long and the short of it. I won’t feel guilty because I don’t have time to rebut every accusation and complaint made – the facts are there if you’re looking for them. I have a wonderful life that I’d rather live to the full than spend defending to those who have not moved on with theirs. To the general public, check your facts, please. Don’t let it be said of you that you’ll believe the first thing you read and run with it, you’re better than that. Go to www.myconclusion.com and read for yourself what current and former Family members have to say about The Family International. Make up your mind after having heard both sides and see which one holds more water. Julia, I'm glad you're a happy teenager. But you see, most of the abuses that we're talking about all happened BEFORE you were born. I believe you that you have probably never seen any of the abuses we speak of, because by the time you were old enough, WE, my peers, were your 'teachers'.
Abuse is very relative to those being abused. When I was in your cult, I had no idea that life as I knew it was not as life should be. I had no childhood, I had adult responsibilities at the tender age of 6. Once you become a parent, as I have done, you'll realise that children should be allowed to exoerience loss of innocence on their own, during their teenage years, and will do so without your help. Once this happens, their lives will never be the same. When we were children, we lost our innocence at the ages of 4, 5, 6, & 7.
I never knew that having to go out and raise money to pay the rent at the age of 5 was wrong, or child abuse. I never realised that seeing my parents and other adults naked and in sexual situations was abuse. I never realised that when an adult man would touch me sexually and make comments to me that it was abuse. It didn't seem like abuse when I danced naked at 7 for my 'grandpa' Berg, the ancient founding father of the group.
Not even when I first left did I fully grasp enormity of what I had gone through. It was only once I had my own child that I began to re-evaluate what I knew to be the process for raising children against what I now saw in every-day life. There is nothing I would do for my child! I would never let her ask perfect strangers for money to live when I know I can go out a get a job so that she can play, go to school (a state-accredited school), ride her bike and play twister with her cousins and their puppy....now that's a childhood and I swell with pride that I was able to escape from the wreck of my childhood to provide this new life for my child. |
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October 5, 2005, 2:10 pm PDT
Quote From: juliakelly My name is Julia Kelly, seventeen years old, and I was born and grew up in the Family International. Never once was I ever abused in any way, physically, sexually, emotionally or otherwise. I was home schooled my whole life, and very happy with the results. I feel just as educated, if not more so, than any student fresh out of high school. Home schooling, by the way, is something done by hundreds of thousands of citizens all over the United States and not at all unusual. For the record, though it seems ridiculous to even mention, I have written checks, opened my own bank account, have a high school diploma, am working on my drivers license, and know how to use a vending machine (If you get it, you get it). Living in a Family home, I have a life that supplies my every need, I am advancing in my chosen field of work, happy and fulfilled with what I spend my days doing, in a loving, caring, supportive environment. If I had the slightest inkling that any abuse or mistreatment was going on in my house, (where there are eight children under the age of five), I would report it to authorities without delay. I have reiterated this statement numerous times, as have hundreds of current second-generation Family members. I live my life for others in a Christian organization that has only ever helped me to be a better person and live a happy life. All I’m asking is that I be able to continue to do so without my way of life being slandered and my organization being made out to be an abusive, unsafe, malicious cult. That’s the long and the short of it. I won’t feel guilty because I don’t have time to rebut every accusation and complaint made – the facts are there if you’re looking for them. I have a wonderful life that I’d rather live to the full than spend defending to those who have not moved on with theirs. To the general public, check your facts, please. Don’t let it be said of you that you’ll believe the first thing you read and run with it, you’re better than that. Go to www.myconclusion.com and read for yourself what current and former Family members have to say about The Family International. Make up your mind after having heard both sides and see which one holds more water. Julia, no one is questioning home schooling. We are aware that many, many people home schood their kids. This is not an issue. I think you are confusing the cult in Colorado city with the Family. When they spoke of not being able to write a check, they meant the Colorado city cult, that does not believe in educating women. |
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