By Kerenina Ong, Southeast Asia.

Have I ever been abused though in my entire 20 years as a living, earth-walking human being?? Judge for yourself! I have experienced life both in the Family community as well as a short life outside of the Family. Before anyone starts accusing and even just adopting the mentality that all children born, raised and living in the Family are abused, both psychologically and physically, read on and judge for yourself instead of just listening to what someone else has told you, or what you read about.

Was I abused in……..

Schooling? I was homeschooled and raised in the same way as all my brothers and sisters in the Family, with loving, caring, sweet, thoughtful and understanding teachers. I was not only taught book work, but was given the priceless privilege to be able to have experience what so many my age have yet to even hear of. Field trips, practical knowledge and fun to accompany what most 7 – 11 year olds would call ‘boring’ bookwork. Think in comparison of my grades of when I was homeschooled and that of when I went to a ‘normal’, public schooling system. I failed basically every math exam that was handed to me, and could never understand fully what I was learning as the teacher just never had the time to explain and help me in my weak areas with a class of about 45 kids! As I result, I hated having to go to school or just anything that would even relate to school. Compared to when I was homeschooled and literally fell in love with math and thus excelled in it so much that I was always a grade higher in math than anything else. The difference… having a teacher who is able to help you at any time of the day, and is always more than willing to show you and take the extra time with you, not because they are paid to do it, but rather because they have a special love for you. So, was I abused in the area of my schooling just because I was homeschooled and was given more attention and help in my weaker scholastic areas??

Social life? I have had the privilege and the blessing to be able to have lived, stayed, or even just visited 7 different countries in my short lived life on this planet. I have also been able to interact and have friends in all those places, so for some to say that we in the Family don’t interact, or don’t know how to interact, or not even allowed to interact with others outside our community, I have to just laugh, as I don’t really know of anyone who has been banned from making friends outside our community, nor do I know of any that have never had a friend in all the places that they have lived in. So, have I been abused and neglected in this area of my life just because I have been able to travel around and make friends from different countries and from different walks of life??

I think to say and even excuse someone for violently murdering someone and just blame it on, “oh they were abused” is wrong! No matter what happened in a person’s life, does that excuse them to take another? If that is the case then why not just excuse all the murders that happen around the globe on a daily basis, with the argument that ‘they are abused”!!! So those who condone his actions by trying to blame the fact that he was a victim of ‘abuse’ from the Family, God help you! Although I do not know him personally, I do however, know many Family young people and none of us have ever been abused, nor do I know of any adult member who has abused any child. So why not ask one of us in the Family if we have been abused, rather than just listening to what someone else says and take it for granted as a fact.

It’s quite an outrage when someone tries to excuse a murder on a person’s past and even create a demented past that wasn’t even there but rather just a figment of someone’s imagination! Why would someone do such a thing?? I don’t know, sure beats me! But what I’m wondering is why can’t people just accept the decision that we, in the Family, have made to stay in the Family instead of attacking at our decision. Where is the freedom of choice then, if we as adults cannot even be free to make our own decisions on what to do with our lives? To say that I am a complete weirdo and that I’m a victim of abuse and brainwashed just because I decide to live my life in the Family, to me is completely absurd! I may not choose to sit in front of a computer for hours upon hours playing a game or even just surfing the internet instead of helping teach a child, or helping with relief work or even just visiting an orphanage to cheer up the kids, but does that make me strange and not normal?? I respect many of my friends’ decision with whatever they wish to do with their lives and that’s totally fine with me, as that’s their life, why should I interfere with it and say what they should do or do not do or even that they are brainwashed and strange? It doesn’t make sense. It’s just the same as a person walking in a building and verbally attacking the secretary for her choice to work as a secretary in that particular company just because he or she doesn’t like it for some strange reason or whatever! Don’t you have something better to do with your life than to attack someone for actually making the decision and choice of what they have chosen to do in their life?? If not, then I feel sorry for you, whoever you are.

I am a certified teacher and have been teaching for some time now, and have had the pleasure to work with many different kids with ages varied from 0 – 9 years of age. I am 20, going on 21 and definitely capable of making my own decisions, so what is the matter with what I have chosen to do?? Am I considered an alien from outer space just because I chose to live my life working to help others instead of only thinking of myself? I have chosen this way of life and I enjoy it to the bone and I don’t have any intention to change, just because it doesn’t suit another person. What they do with their life is theirs and I wish them well in whatever they chose to do, but please stay out of mine!

I have had the privilege (and I mean it!) to be born in this Family community and its lifestyle. It’s different and unique and not for everyone, but if that’s our crime then I guess I’m guilty of being a weirdo, as some would call me, but I’m proud of it. The only abuse that I have ever felt in my life was the verbal abuse from those who don’t agree with our way of life. Sure, the Family has had problems; it has made mistakes, but who doesn’t? What company or organization has never had any problems since their beginnings? What person’s life is completely free from mistakes and problems? I think what matters most is what we as an individual decide to do and how we decide to face those problems.

So the question is are we, members of The Family, the abusers or are we actually just another victim in a verbal abusive war that is waged against us for choosing a different lifestyle from most??? Judge for yourself!!!!!!!!

Kerenina Ong is a second generation member of the Family International.