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from Samuel Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 17:18 (Agree/Disagree?) Please search here, rather than on our site. http://www.exfamily.org/chatbbs/cq/index.html (reply to this comment)

from afflick Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 11:22 (Agree/Disagree?) I would like to say something to those who joined The Family/The Children of God of their own volition and then come on this site to find friends: 1) I understand that you may have joined TF/COG when you were quite young and inexperienced. 2) I understand that the social climate in the era you joined ('60s/'70s) may have been uninhibited, liberal and you were "searching." I would like you to, in turn, understand something about me: 1) I do not appreciate your posting on our site looking for old friends. 2) I resent the fact that you believe you are innocent of any child abuse we suffered because: a) you left before "it" began or (more likely) b) you didn't realize it was bad at the time to: spank, sexually touch, expose children to sexual situations, expose children to sexually explicit material. 3) to me, you are NOT innocent. If you left before the abuse began (and that would have to be the REAL early days of The COG) and feel like its just dandy to post on our space, it's not. You may not be an abuser but you use this space to find those that could have been. Not ok. 4) If you were an abuser but just don't feel like what you did was that bad and you should still post your "desperately seeking susan" missives here, think again. What I have expected to see, and have not, since joining this site in 2002 is our parents/adults in TF coming onto this site in droves and posting articles about how ashamed they are/sorry for their mistakes. Why haven't I seen more of this? Why is it for every one appologetic post by someone from the older generation, there are five "I'm looking for Judah HappyChild who I knew in Hawaii in 1974"? I think the reason why is because people are NOT SORRY. They do not internalize their children's plight. That is certainly the case with my own parents. That is the case with parents of my friends who were in TF/COG. You are all just so friggin' innocent. Yet, the number of people posting stories of their abuse tell a different story. So, while those of you who joined TF/COG that we're all just buddies here, I would like to tell you that you are not my buddy. I don't have a high opinion of you and I don't want to read your crappy postings concerning your search for old croonies. Thanks for reading. (reply to this comment)

From Rozzer Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 03:26 (Agree/Disagree?) Please read this. I am sorry. I have never been a member of the COG.I had close contact with them though when I was down and vulnerable. Someone in the group was very kind and I wanted to know if that person was still alive. I had no wish to cause offence and i need to explain the circumstances in which i met the COG. I am not trying to pick up 'old buddies' cronies or defend the nature of the COG in the 70's. I can try to understand your anger and frustration as I had very close contact with the COG and found out gradually about the core beleifs of the group. I still feel a sense of horror as the damage seems to roll on.I have no wish to cause pain or anger by my posting.but perhaps I need to explain a little more about myself and why I contacted your site. i was befriended by the organisation but never became a member although half hearted attmpts were made to recruit me-I was just not interested. I was living abroad and was very young and lonely with a baby. The COG approached me as 'friends' and i became close to a couple of women in Bahrain one of whom i have thought about for 20 years or more. The woman i came to care about a great deal seemed trapped within the movement and we talked many times about beliefs and what seemed to me a highly abusive and anti-female philosophy. i had no idea that any of the children i was meeting were being abused and i thought at the time that the female members seemed to be the victims-how wrong i was. There was great secrecy about many practices and because ai was spending time as a friend rather than a recruit i learned many things gradually. i was worried and concerned about the fate of my friend and her boy and your website seemed the only way to make contact even if she only said that she was alive. The memories of the group still stay with me even as an outsider.(reply to this comment)

From looking for first gen? Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 08:49 (Agree/Disagree?) try here http://www.exfamily.org/index.htm http://www.newdaynews.com/ (reply to this comment)

from Jiliza Rose Monday, February 11, 2008 - 02:24 (Agree/Disagree?) Ma names Jiliza Rose! (reply to this comment)

From Rozzer Monday, February 11, 2008, 11:10 (Agree/Disagree?) Hi Jiliza-are you Leah Reynolds or do you know her? (reply to this comment)

From Jiliza Rose Tuesday, February 12, 2008, 07:30 (Agree/Disagree?) I heard she was stung to death by bees while living in tideland.(reply to this comment)

From Rozzer Monday, February 11, 2008, 11:02 (Agree/Disagree?) Hi Jiliza-are you Leah Reynolds or do you know her?(reply to this comment)