(From Marianne Mullen, 32, second-generation member of the Family International)

My name is Marianne Mullen, and I’m a second generation member of the Family International born in California, but grew up in many countries worldwide. I’ve lived on four continents, speak five languages and have spent the better part of the last ten years as a volunteer teacher of underprivileged children in various parts of Asia. Being that The Family is presently undergoing a media smear campaign, whether intentional or not, in regards to the very sad and tragic events involving the deaths of Angela Smith and Ricky Rodriguez, I feel obligated to say something.

I was very saddened to hear of this news, and my heart goes out to the loved ones of both Angela and Ricky, whose hearts must be feeling deep grief over their loss. It’s taken me some time to digest it all. I am finding it hard to rationalize how someone who was raised in the same loving, caring and peaceful environment of The Family as I was, one where we truly believe and try to live what the Bible teaches, “The love of Christ constrains me,” could undergo such a dramatic transformation from a nice person into someone so unstable, full of hate and bitterness with revenge enough to kill. I can only conclude that regardless of our upbringing, we are each given the freedom of choice and are fully accountable for the decisions we choose to make in our lives, and Ricky’s sad fate was the result of listening to voices of bitterness and anger, and of choosing hate and revenge over the love and truth that he’d been brought up with.

Adding insult to injury, I am disgusted and appalled by the way this story is being covered by the media—but not entirely surprised, as it is to be expected from the media nowadays. It seems their true intention is not to seek after the truth, but rather to exploit its coverage in such a way that will best appeal to its viewers. In my opinion, the media has shown its callousness and little respect for the dead, only seeking to capitalize on the sensationalism of it all, twisting the facts and forgetting to remember that an innocent and loving soul was taken at the hands of brutal violence. Regardless of the “reasons” or motives, there is nothing that can justify such an act of murder.

I didn’t know Ricky or Angela personally, but as a member of the Family, I do know the life they led—it being the same as mine—and it angers me to hear the ranting and false or severely exaggerated accusations of various embittered former members, who through their personal vendettas, are trying to demoralize the life that I love and have chosen to live, and vilify all those I’ve lived and worked with over the years, friends and loved ones alike who I deeply love and respect.

I am even more angered by the one-sided picture the media is portraying. What about our voice being heard? –There are more than a thousand second-generation young people in The Family today, who feel like me, that we have a great life to talk about. And there are many other former members, some of which are part of my personal family and friends, that I remain close to and love dearly, who though they have chosen to move on and pursue other interests in life, retain positive memories of their time in The Family. These are now leading very productive lives in various sectors of society. I am proud of and have great respect for the choices they have made and wish them well. To capitalize on the stories of a vocal embittered few seems to be a very far cry from the media’s objective of giving both sides to any story. And up until this point, the media has not given our side fair coverage or attention.

The Family today is a transparent community, and in fact these accusations and claims of “abuse” are nothing new. Every single one of these issues has been thoroughly addressed and investigated in numerous court cases the Family has been involved in and for which we were repeatedly fully exonerated, and our life and beliefs have been studied extensively by numerous reputable academics and sociologists over the years. We have official documentation and releases that clearly show our transparency in every case. Of course our history has its mistakes and imperfections, no doubt, but just as the world has changed, so has our movement, and the Family communities today are a reflection of safety, love, nurture, and the best care any child could have. When I have children of my own, I wouldn’t want them to experience any less than what The Family has to give. I know, for I was a child that grew up in this environment. If you were to meet any one of us in person you would clearly see that we are well-adjusted free-thinking individuals who live real lives, albeit different from mainstream society, yet lives dedicated to a cause for good in this world.

As far as my life personally, I would like to say that in all the 32 years that I have lived and grown up in the Family, I have never witnessed or been personally subjected to abuse of any kind. To the contrary, I have been blessed, along with my seven siblings, with wonderful, loving, and caring parents who did their utmost to raise us in a wholesome environment. They gave us a privileged upbringing and education, filled not only with much happiness, love and tenderness, but also knowledge of the world, its cultures, peoples and languages through our missionary lifestyle and extensive travels. More importantly, they instilled Godly values in us and taught us how to live our lives in a meaningful way, giving to and helping those in need, and doing what we can to make the world a better place. Irrespective of our later choices in life, we have received the best possible upbringing in The Family and it’s something that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I have a heritage I am proud of, and I can only thank God for giving me such a life! Of course, it hasn’t always been perfect but, hey, what life is?! I am in the Family because I believe in it, I love Jesus and I believe that this is the best place to serve Him as a missionary, and am committed to spreading His Gospel of love and truth to a sad world, and extending a helping hand to those in need–that is what I have chosen as my calling and vocation in life. I would have to say with Martin Luther, “Here I stand… I can do no other”.

In some ways I feel sorry for those who have chosen as their life’s calling to try to destroy mine. As was proven by these recent tragic events, they have become victims of their own bitterness and hatred that in the end can only bring even more disturbance, confusion, pain and sorrow to their troubled minds. I wish they would move on and make something useful of their sad lives and let us get on with ours.

Marianne Mullen is a second-generation member of The Family International