By Liz Etheredge

I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news about Angela. I had just met her a few months before & it seemed impossible to believe that before I really got to know her, she was gone. My disbelief was outdone by the way I heard her being represented, her name dragged through the mud, & that the Family was being blamed for the murder.

I have many friends who have left the Family to pursue careers or try other lifestyles, all of them have moved on with their lives, most are still my friends & we keep in touch. I’m happy for them & I wish them every success & happiness. What I can’t understand is those who leave our fellowship on good terms, & then because of not moving on, or perhaps meeting up with those who are poisoned with hatred & bitterness, or both, they then begin attacking us as an organization, & sometimes, our members personally. Why can’t they move on with their lives? Why can’t they just let us be?

I was disgusted to hear how Ricky, in his video (made prior to the murder of Angela & his suicide) had expressed a desire to harm his mother. I lost my mother in 2000 when she passed away in a car accident, I miss her terribly, & it makes me sick to think of his intentions. I met Ricky’s mother briefly 2 years ago. I don’t think I’ve ever met a more concerned, loving, giving person in all my life. Meeting her & talking to her face to face, seeing her sincerity & love, only deepened my commitment to this Family. I pity Ricky & others like him who have allowed themselves to be eaten away by bitterness & hate to the point that they aren’t themselves anymore & lead such sad lives, all because they couldn’t bring themselves to forgive & move on. It really makes you stop to think about life & how something that once was loved & cherished by these people, could now be so hated by them. I guess in the end we all have our choices as to how we want to lead our lives, by our choices we determine what it turns out to be.

I have been in the Family all my life, I am 27 years old & I have never been abused. I know the Family is not perfect, but we have apologized various times for any hurt caused & have put stringent guidelines in place in order to keep such things from happening. I feel that I received not only an adequate education, but one far superior than many in society are afforded. Just the fact that as a child I traveled to various countries gave me unparalleled opportunities as I saw different cultures, learned Portuguese & Spanish, & experienced things that many of my peers haven’t. I know that the Family is the best place to raise children. I don’t yet have children of my own, but all my friends do, & they have told me time & again that they are so thankful for the help & support they are afforded by the communal lifestyle we have. They don’t have to drop their kids off at daycares that are dirty, overpriced, & with people they don’t know, in order to have a career & continue on with their jobs. In the Family all the children are ours, we share the collective responsibility for their welfare, care, schooling & their emotional development. When the day comes that I have children of my own I want nothing more than give them the opportunity of being raised in such a caring & supportive environment. I’m just sick of hearing the same tired lies & accusations, after the Family & many of the children in it have been extensively studied & tested for sexual & emotional hurt, & each time they have been returned to their parents without any evidence of abuse, & what’s more finding them well-adjusted, happy & in a good environment.

In conclusion, the Family International is made up of individuals who have dedicated their lives to the service of others & to “preaching the gospel” in all the World. I have found that Jesus’ love is the answer to the problems the world over in spite of race or culture. I feel proud of my of my calling and commission as a missionary & I feel that were more people striving to live as Jesus did, this world would be a better place. To those who speak against us, I ask, what are you doing to better this world?

Liz Etheredge is a second-generation Family Member in Mexico