Name: Chris. S
Age: 22
Location: India
Time spent in The Family International: All my life (and I’m proud of it)!

At a time like this when everyone is having a go at our organization, what we believe and what we do, I feel it is my right – no, my responsibility – to explain why I, as well as another 1800 young people, continue to remain in the Family. Yes we have a voice too, like you have seen on this website, and yes we will be heard.

I’m addressing now those who have left, not all, for there are many who are longer in The Family who continue to love and support us and who are in no way hurt or upset about their time in our organization. They are our brothers and sisters, some our ex boyfriends or girlfriends, others our close or best friends and we love them dearly. I’m talking now to those who have left and have made it their goal to slander us and destroy our reputation. I personally know many young people who have left the fulltime membership of our organization, they are still friendly with me, they are still respectful of what we are doing with our lives and they still love and support us and are in no way negative about their time in the Family. They, in a lot of cases, left behind their personal families, their brothers and sisters, their parents and they know in their hearts that the Family is the best place for them to be. Yes they wanted to try something different with their life but they in no way look down or worse yet think wrong about The Family’s lifestyle and goals.

I’m saying all this because it should be clear in this entire hurrah about our ex members that the majority are still friendly and supportive, not apostate. They know the truth they know that the Family is unique and worth giving your life for. Maybe they are not personally motivated to do so themselves but they respect and admire the ones like myself and 1800 more who continue to do so. So what about the rest? Well that’s what I’m wondering myself, if there are so many of us who are happy in The Family, who are fulfilled in The Family, who are challenged in The Family, who feel safe and secure enough to start our own families in The Family then what is your problem. Are we stupid? Are we brainless, consciousless morons who would continue to be in an organization that is abusive and evil?

Forgive me if I sound upset but I am. We are giving our lives to a cause that we feel and know in our hearts to be important to us. We are and will continue to be in The Family because we know that it is the best place in the world to serve Jesus and do your best for him and we will not stand back and let it be said that what we are doing with our lives is wrong. You have heard what we think; you have heard what we believe. Throughout this site you will read story after story, testimony after testimony of young people in the Family who are happy, who are at peace and who most importantly are doing something worthwhile with their lives. Please respect our choice, we respect yours. We respect you when you leave and start doing something different in your life; we even keep you in our prayers. I have personally prayed for my friends and all young people who have left every day for the past year. I prayed, and to use our beloved Mama’s words, for your happiness, for your fulfillment in what you do and that you would feel the love of Jesus in your life. This is what she asked us to pray for you and we have done so.

That’s how we feel about you, that’s how much we, our leadership and each one of us feel about all our members who leave. Why don’t you have the same love and respect for us? Again I’m not talking to the majority of those who left, I know that they love and pray for us. They’ve moved on with their lives, they are doing something concrete and important, they continue to love us and keep us in their prayers. I’m talking about those who say they’ve moved on but to what?

That’s what I hope you who are trying to bring us down, who are trying to use very opportunity (including the recent tragic events) will think about. Stop and ask yourself what have I moved on to? Am I doing something constructive and positive in my life or is my life now based on negative goals and destructive mindsets. That’s not moving on, that’s not what you left The Family to do. That’s something you never intended to do when you left, be honest with yourself. That’s not going to get you anywhere, that’s not going to make you a better person, that’s not going to improve your life.

We still love you guys, but please get on with your lives. Please go and do what you want to do. Have fun, study, get good jobs and do what you always wanted to. We pray that you make it and succeed in whatever you set out to do. But leave us alone, respect our choice like we respect yours. Think about those of us who are still here and what consequences your actions could have on each and every Family member, each and every Family child, each baby in The Family. Is it these that you are trying to cause problems for?

I’m sorry to put it like that but it’s the truth by attacking The Family you attack each person in The Family, each adult, each teen, each child. Think about the ones you love, the ones you grew up with, the ones who loved and cared for you. Step back for a moment and see what it is that you are trying to do and by God’s grace hopefully you will walk away and do what you are doing no more.

Move on please, to something concrete and positive, don’t base your life on hate base it on love. We love you and will always keep you in our thoughts & prayers. Will you please do the same for us?

Chris. S is a second-generation member of The Family International