Topic : 05/02 Missing

So if one community is hiding something, then ALL of the MUST BE GUILTY of something??? If one person commits a crime, does that mean their family, race or religion must also be guilty of something or anything?????  Again, people tend to paint everyone with the same brush.

Love they neighbor as thyself... I thought babtists read the bible...  You actualy hate them? How christian of you.

 If Michael and Peter REALLY DID BELIEVE that the mother of the children was an 'unfit' mother, and that she should not see her children, THEN WHATS ALL THE SECRECY ABOUT ???? Why did they run and hide? I think he KNEW it was wrong to kidnap his children, and is simply hiding behind religious issues to justify his actions. Otherwise , believing he was right, he would simply present his side of the argument to the courts, SURE that they would take his side. 

  

I AM A CHRISTIAN,(and I'm sure lots of other Christian viewers would agree), WHAT WAS PETER TALKING ABOUT when he said that they would obey the law except when it went against the will of Christ ??? Where was Christ dissobeyed by Michelle and the children???  

  

I hate it when people do silly things and then say, "we were only following God." 

  

I think the dad was thinking "Michael's will be done." 

not, "God's will be done.": 

  They didn't say why he didn't talk to them in 11 years but he may have tried and they may have been very harsh to him at first as he said he was apprehensive about going to the house. My Son's case is almost a double for John's and let me tell you we have plenty of reason to stay away from his ex-wife's family.Just one example that happened to my son was after he finally tracked her father across the state of Washington from Seattle to Spokane area, and was trying to see if they were with him, the father took him to court twice and tried to have him charged with stalking. This carries a penalty of five years in prison. Thankfully he was unsuccessful but this is just the most extreme thing of the many things that was done to my son and our family because we were trying to find my sons four children. I don't know if John had any of these problems with his wife's family but seems reasonable to me that he might have had good reason to stay away from them because they weren't going to help anyway as we saw on the show.  

  

These poor children! While the 13 y/o may have been baptized, it doesn't erase her mother from her life.  This Hutterite leader needs to get his ducks in a row - most clergy learn the hard way that when you've heard someone's story, that's what you've heard -thier version of a story. He may've swallowed the father's noble purpose hook, line and plain clothes but he has more information now. Every day he doesn't act he's now a party to thier kidnapping. Christian scripture instructs believers to submit to legitimate authority as God-given for good order. It may be pastoral concern to ask that mom be patient with the faith daughters may have formed, but he has no right, none to demand it as a condition.  

  

When -not if, when- these girls are reunited with thier mother, I hope she'll have patience with whatever attachment they show to the Hutterite/Brethern faith. It's possible that one or both have turned to this religious faith for comfort and hope, and not soley because of thier father.  Most branches of Christianity understand God as a source of strength and hope in adversity, the One who walks with us even in the darkest circumstances. Skilled counseling and spiritual support could become a powerful part of their healing, when dad used it for control. Being a believer is not a crime -kidnapping your children is. Using religion to justify doing it is an abomination.  

  

I don't remember who said, "All that's necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." But that's true here. These kids stay hidden because "good" people -neighbors, co-workers, teachers, family- do nothing.   

I agree.  It seems the early Christian church enjoyed communal living.  "And all that believed were together, and had all things common;  and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need."  Acts 2:45.  A cult?  I don't know much about the Hutterites, but most plain groups would believe in obeying the laws of the land unless the law was in direct conflict with God's law.  Their soverienty is to God.

Noticed on todays show that a Church of the Brethren church was shown as part of this story. This is misleading as the Church of the Brethren has nothing to do with Hutterites.

 I am very concerned that the camera man may have just picked a church with the word brethren in it's name when showing the brick church labeled "Church of the Brethren" while the mother was talking about  it being strange church and never going back.

My husband is Chruch of the Brethren which is a German Anabaptist offshoot more closely associated with the Mennonites and the Quakers.  There have been several splits along the way.  The Church of the Brethren is not all like what is implied.  Last year the Christmas service on CBS was done by The Church of the Brethren - pretty diverse and mainstream.  The Church of the Brethren is a small denomination and doesn't need bad press.  I'd hate for people to think that they are a cult.  The best tagline to sum up their beliefs is "Continuing the work of Jesus, Simply, Peaecfully, Together".

I don't know I am just hopeing and praying that Dr. Phil can pull this off and bring those girls home safe to their mother. That's what the girls need is a mother. Not a controlling cult. I agree He knew what he was doing was wrong. He just didn't want the mother to have the children. So that's where the disapeering comes in. What better way to get the kids? Atleast in his mindset.  

  

I am a child of a divorce and I have visitation with my father atleast twice a year. I live in mississippi and he lives in Texas but he would never up and kidnap me and my brother.  

  

I think that the father didn't want his wife to have custody of the children. Whyelse would he lie to the corts and say that she was insane and unfit and unstable????? 

  

I believe that cults are very controlling things. Not that their good or bad or anything like that. Just that it's a very strict lifestyle that needs to be followed.  

  

It's horriable that those two girls daddy made them live in a house like that that didn't even have indoor plumming! or running water inside! In texas that alone would be considered abuse. Not to metion the walls were put together with MUDD and HAY! In texas those children would have been taken away form him and made wards of the state.  

  

sorry im rambling. 

  

My prayers and thoughts are with these two young girls and their familys tonight.  

  

Love Always,  

Alissia 

My mother lost her child (kidnapped) to the non-custodial parent when she was 3.  Her ex husband had them in his car and was taking them back to their home.  He opened up the door and forced her out of the car and drove off.  She was gone for 15 years.  She was able to make contact with my mother when she was legal age.  The hardship on my mother over all of those years was something else.  No body is right to take away children and hide them in a foreign country, a religious place or in another state for that matter.  Children all grow up and then they can make the decision if one of their parents didnt really love them. But to force the issue by the father telling the children that the mother doesnt love them is absolutely crazy.  To tell the children that their mom died is horrific, they will figure it out one day and the children will hate their father.  My sister figured it out when she was in her latter teen years.  Her father told her that my mother was dead also.  Now she is apart of my mothers life, and she has children of her own now.  If this man honestly thinks that he is helping them, then he needs to rethink his plan and know that there are consequences that will be paid.  What goes around comes back around.