By Justin Paone

Why do you do this? What sort of mental victory do you seek in stabbing your friends in the back? This wide net that you spread is aimed at your own family, friends and loved ones. What sort of victory is in this? The Family of today is comprised of a large percentage of second generation young people, the very young people that you grew up with, laughed with, played together with. How does a mind turn in the absence of old friends and love ones from love to hate? I, myself, and I know I speak for many others, do not hate you. When we think of you who have gone on to pursue other ways of life, we like to remember your good traits and qualities and the happy times that were spent in your company.

I am not a brainwashed cult member because I choose to live in the Family. My decision to live this sort of life style came as the result of taking all the options into consideration that I wished to pursue. Dictionary.com defines brainwash as:

“subjected to intensive forced indoctrination resulting in the rejection of old beliefs and acceptance of new ones.”

I have not abandoned or rejected my beliefs, it is you [the apostate] that has rejected the belief that he was given from birth. A belief that taught that love is the most important of all virtues, and that “it is better to love than to hate". You, in your words and actions, are a living definition of the word “brainwashed".

Your allegations of widespread abuse hold no water. I, in my entire 28 years of life in the Family, have not been abused. I do know if I ever was abused, my parents would have never sat by and allowed it. Abuse nowadays is like a magical word in society to where the suspected is guilty before it’s proven otherwise, and that is the reason why you use this accusation as you do. It’s such a shame that you make such a blanket statement in your accusations of abuse. I was raised by parents who loved me, you were raised by parents who love you and still love you. You shame your parents and you alienate those who know you the best and love you the most. Where does this vicious, downward cycle end? If you want to speak of widespread abuse, let’s look back to the raids of the early 1990s. Kids traumatized and being woken up at gunpoint in the middle of the night and separated from their parents. Little infants being torn out of their mother’s arms and herded into institutions. Is this what you seek again? The effects of your actions cause widespread abuse which only proves that to you abuse is not even an issue that you champion, but rather a tool that you use in your hands to destroy others.

Justin Paone is a second-generation member of the Family International.