From James Olinger, Age 19

“Father forgive them for they know not what they do,”

Those words are perhaps the most defining statement of ultimate Christianity and sacrifice. But sadly my Christian morals were not there when I heard this tragic news. Sure I could use the excuse that it’s only perfectly human to feel those emotions of anger and desire for retribution when you hear a member of your family was murdered brutally. Then seeing her name slandered across the national media as being the cause of the crime. Or when blatant lies from embittered individuals fill the national media regarding the nature of the crime, but enough that is not why I write.

I’m not writing this out of a nature to promote how excellent my Christian values are that I can forgive, or how I overcame the hate, yes hate, at how biased and depraved this world has become. No, to give in to such anger and hate would make me party to the same spirit that permeates the air whenever a crime such as this is committed. But I cannot be silent, true I never met Angela nor knew her but she was still a member of my family, our family. A family that is a haven of peace and love that is being so brutally attacked and maligned. True it is made of humans that are not beings of perfection but the very notion that this loving family is being compared to the scum of all beliefs that we humans hold dear defies reason itself.

Our Family has been subjected to the brutality of the so-called “just laws” of the land in ways that reminisce of the Gestapo in Hitler’s Germany, or the secret police in the East bloc nations. Adding insult to injury is the fact that it was done in lands that pride themselves in being democratic nations, nations that have declared with pride that they overcame their brutal past.

Yet out of the hundreds of children and teens subjected to examinations not one was found to be abused physically or sexually as is the charge now brought up again. We have not lost ONE court case regarding such matters even though the deck was seemingly stacked with vicious slander attacks by anti-cult networks and other detractors. Even after such odds we still won.

Why? Because The Family IS a safe place to raise a child as the courts concluded. No I’ll go further, it is far more than safe, I can scarcely think of other mainstream societies that lavish such loving care on their children, and even children of other families.

How many families in mainstream society can claim that both parents spend large amounts of quality time with their kids?

How many children can brag that they’ve traveled and lived in many countries, thus giving them the opportunity to learn first hand of the cultures of the land they live in?

How many children or teens can say with confidence that wherever they may go, they will find people who love them and have their best interest at heart?

How many children and teens can say that they need not fear being beat up, insulted by their peers because they are of another class?

So why now do these self-appointed crusaders for justice bring up their charges of alleged abuse after such a brutal murder? How can any self-respecting person use such a tragic case to forward their cause, a cause not of justice but of revenge? Were they to use their zeal and valor to fight against child abuse in cases that did in indeed actually happen I would not hesitate to applause the merit of their cause. Maybe instead of directing their ardor at bringing down this so-called “extremist cult” they might look towards mainstream society and see the horrors committed daily.

Horrors committed not only by abusive parents but in the so-called hallowed halls of public education where crime is rampant. How many children and teens commit suicide because they feel there is no where to turn and they’re sick and tired of living a mockery of life? How many people are subjected to cruel mockery, and beatings daily, or worse fear murder or rape? Yet where is the hype, where are these champions of humane treatment who brag to the world that they are on mission to rid us from an abusive sex-cult? If they cared so much the well being of children they should do better and look in their own backyards and schools of their neighborhoods.

To the small group of you who now yell from the rooftops and radio waves of how evil we are, and how awful your treatment in our group was I ask you a question. How many of the thousands of former members who are now content with living their lives did you consult? How many of them share your misplaced desire for revenge?

Somehow these verses come to mind:

23:27 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous,” (Matt. 23:27-29)

Perhaps you should take the advice of your own site and move on…