Recent articles in the mainstream media have once again proven that the mainstream media is not an unbiased source of news. The articles are filled with sensational headlines of “a cult which abuses its children.” I put the question to the journalist who wrote those articles: Did you thoroughly investigate and try to come up with an unbiased picture? Or did you just print what would make a good story?

I’ve lived in the Family since my birth—that’s 23 years. During my childhood, I was raised in a godly, loving and safe environment. I’m presently married and have a daughter who’s 1 year old. If I didn’t feel the Family was a safe environment for my daughter, I would have left the group long ago. However, that hasn’t been the case. Why not? Because the Family has taken every step to ensure that my child is raised in a safe, caring and abuse-free environment.

Every time there’s an incident involving the Family, these same accusations are pulled up. While some may be things that did happen by certain individuals who acted of their own accord outside of the boundaries of the “Law of Love,” the majority have been drummed up and blown completely out of proportion into incidents that never really happened.

A favorite line of a lot of our disgruntled ex-members is that they want to free their friends and brothers and sisters from the Family. My response is: If you want to free us, let us live our lives that we have chosen to live. Let us serve the Lord and our fellow man. I challenge those ex-members who have not “moved on” to truly move on. If you want to do us a favor, let us get on with our lives. You blame the Family? You’re blaming me, because I am a member of the Family.

Dan Johnson is a second generation member of the Family International currently residing in the United States.