My name is Daniel Meacham. I’m a second generation member. I was born/raised in the Family, left for a few years, and returned whole heartedly.

Age: 26 .
Location: Europe.
Status: Married, with one daughter and the other arriving anytime.

“It is an old and ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way“– Rollo May

I’ve been reading article after article, email after email where former members, some of which my friends, or people I grew up with, along with the mass media try to justify the murder of a woman while canonizing a murderer!?

I would prefer rather to leave the subject alone as I have better stuff to waste my time on, such as helping people that are in need, instead of trying to defend the lifestyle I chose in which I can best help others who need me. But certain extremely vocal persons have left me no choice.

I knew Ricky, didn’t know Angela. Nice guy, very open. We had a lot in common. Talked a lot, and he never did mention anything negative of his mother, grandfather or his upbringing to me until two years ago. I will hold off speculation on how I feel this happened in respect for both the families involved. I personally believe this situation very complex and highly-emotional. I don’t believe that this should be exploited by ‘yellow journalism’. I also feel that this situation shouldn’t be exploited by persons wishing to use it to their own ends.

As for myself, I’ve spent years in and out of the Family. I worked for years in one of the largest IT software houses in Italy as a software engineer. I had a ‘Picture perfect’ life most people can envy, and I was sad. If it wasn’t for my extremely demanding job I too might have been tempted to blame my discontentment on my past and/or upbringing. I didn’t however find this necessary as I found myself well prepared for being successful and productive.

I believe that an ex-member’s view on the Family is relatively viewed with the perception of ones current situation in relation to the ecosystem. In other words, ones view on the past experiences in the Family is directly linked to how they feel they are fairing in ‘outside’ life. I believe that much of the issues at stake stem from the commodity that ex-members have to say they were raised in a ‘cult’. It’s too easy. If only everyone could have as good an excuse.

I venture to say that out of the billions of human beings raised by other imperfect human beings, there are few that couldn’t lament, complain, blame personality defects, dissatisfactions of life or general not feeling fulfilled in their current physical or social status, if given the possibility to escape personal responsibility or initiative by blaming it all on the past.

The majority of my friends and siblings left the Family as I did. Most have done very well for themselves as I had done. I look at the people I grew up with, and where they are doing well, they have a positive outlook on their time in the family and being raised in the family environment. With all respect to my friends and people I grew up with who are not doing so well, and God knows I wish them well in their endeavors, I find that they seem to want to blame their past for things not working out ‘picture perfect’.

It’s not that I didn’t play with these kinds of thoughts during my time away from the family. Especially when you are contacted by people you don’t know telling you their horror stories and telling you that ‘you’ yourself were abused.

With that said, I believe it is impossible to blame a particular incident of child abuse or molestation on an organization where each individual community is autonomous. The difference in standards of each of our communities from one end of the globe to the other further reinforces the fact that although counsel may be offered by our leaders, it is, and has been, ultimately up to the individual or community to follow it.

As for me, the instant I decided to rededicate my life to God I was happy again. God told me he would like to use me in the Family more than the other options/organizations I had proposed. You see folks it’s not about the Family International, not about its leaders, nor any individual. It’s about having a platform to work from to reach out and help people, to show them God.

So here I am, a happy man in the Family International. Wow! That’s a thought. Would have never believed it if you told me when I decided to leave. Just move on with your lives guys. Live and let live.

Oh yeah, just in case anyone is wondering, NO ONE is going to touch a hair on either of my daughters, not any sick child molester/abuser and not someone that wants blame his current issues on the group that is doing a great job giving me a good environment to raise my kids and help others.

You say you were abused… sue the person that abused you. Most likely he isn’t in our fellowship anymore anyway. But leave my immediate and my extended family alone!

Best regards, Daniel Meacham (aka: Mike Anchor)

PS (To my friends and family): thanks for sticking with me and my decisions regarding the Family International, even when you didn’t necessarily agree.