From Sara Appleton

My name is Sara Appleton, Swedish by nationality, 29 years old. I too have grown up in the missionary group called the Family. My husband and I have 3 children: Our oldest son, who is 8, is in 3rd grade, our 6 year old in first grade, and the youngest, just 3, is a bright and intelligent preschooler. Being that I feel our childhood, upbringing and now consequently my children’s wellbeing is being misconstrued and misrepresented, I can’t help but have a few words of my own on the topic.

I’m so sorry for those of you who feel in retrospect you had an inferior or ‘bad’ upbringing. Get this … I was raised in the same Family as you, and whattaya know, it was great. Different yes, but different doesn’t make something immoral, wrong or evil. Sure mistakes were made. Shall we get a little realistic about life? Maybe you’ve watched too many cartoons and fairy tales. So why should you ask everyone to take on your point of view as opposed to mine?

If you have such an urge to work with the under-privileged, abused and uneducated, turn around and look at the society which you are now glorifying as perfect. Such ‘concern’ could be going to constructive causes, such as the truly needy of the world, not those you seek to use to justify your choices. For goodness sake, grow some balls, stand on your own two feet, and learn to walk the path of life you’ve chosen to walk. Who the hell do you think you are to be the judge of my life, and to be a self-proclaimed what have you? There’s enough genuine abuse and gory horror stories of disturbed individuals in society at large to keep you busy till the end of time. Oh sorry, I forgot, you don’t believe that kind of stuff anymore. You live in the eternal now, with the exception of dissecting select distorted memories of the past to excuse the present.

Does anyone in the Family claim perfection? No. But there is love, concern, sincerity and genuine trust and faith. Match that against many in mainstream society who may claim perfection or an ‘ideal’ life, but who are sorely lacking in some of these almost-forgotten qualities and virtues. Find me a parent who claims to be a perfect parent, have perfect children, and lead perfect lives. The first thing I’ll tell them is that they don’t know their children.

One of my friends who is no longer in the Family told me once, in his opinion, those who spend their time complaining or actively working against the Family are just losers in life who are trying to find something or someone to blame their sorry lives on. Of course, like mine, that’s just his opinion or perspective. Remember then, so is yours. Some of what I have heard smacks of a Ku Klux Klan mentality. Is that the result of our progressive free-thinking society?

What if we don’t want to be like you? What if we don’t want to conform to the status quo, and be ‘normal’? It’s an interesting word, normal, because it all depends on what the basis of judgment is – basically; opinion. What if I don’t want my kids growing up in a world that is increasingly hailing attitudes, outlooks and values that are diametrically opposed to the Bible? And do you know why we are straying more and more from the mainstream? Because Bible prophecy is being fulfilled ; “turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables; …there come a falling away first; in the latter time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to doctrines of devils; in the last days perilous days shall come.” Of course, that’s not you … but think about it. Even ‘Christianity’ these days doesn’t give a decent or accurate representation of what Jesus was or is all about. Christianity as a world religion is a business, a superpower, not at all concerned about staying true to the heart of why anyone ever started following Jesus in the first place.

Oh, by the way, I didn’t write this…my mommy did, cause I don’t no how to spel nothing, or wat to say. Uh-duh! Come on people, do wake up and smell the coffee.

Sara Appleton is a second-generation member of The Family International