Posted by ">Remembrance on September 08, 2004 at 20:50:17
To James Penn, Ed Priebe an others. Hi!! I am an assiduous reader of whatever is posted on MovingOn, NDN, ExFamily.org, magicgreenshirt, Hamelin, etc.
I must admit that I really admire you for your courage! You know, the simple fact of recognizing that Zerby and Smith paid you a sort of severance gratuity as if you were the COD or a high executive of a very large private enterprise, is really worthy of my respect and that of a lot of people, whether in or out of TF. Also, your apology for labelling a lot of the SGA’s as a “lunatic fringe” is very welcome; it was about time for you to apologize! If I don’t remember wrongly, you had been asked several times for an explanation of your words, but you have never replied with sound arguments or with an apology. Not that your sorrow as exposed in your article was clearly explained, it was not, but … well! An apology is an apology and this one is accepted for what it’s worth.
I don’t doubt that Zerby and Smith must feel rather uneasy with your comments, as these – their payments to you – might have the potential to start a big wave of desertions and put their finances at great peril, as you very well put it.
Having said that, I must admit that still, something itches at the back of my mind! Possible you might be asking yourself what is it, well … it happens that what makes me feel uneasy about you and others like you to whom I also address this letter (Ed Priebe and the like), is this kind of double game you are playing. Let me explain myself: you asked for and received, quite a lot of “severance” money; the payments made to you had been authorized by Zerby and Smith in exchange for your services as an outsider editor/writer. Peculiar arrangement! Isn’t it? Either you serve those who paid, allowing you to live in comfort while other SGA’s are forced to beg for their food and survival, or you serve your brothers in Christ. Do you remember what Matthew and Luke had to say on the subject? “No servant can be the slave of two masters; for either he will hate the first and love the second, or he will be devoted for the first and think nothing of the second. You cannot serve God and Money” (Matthew 6:24 and Luke. 16:13).
Wouldn’t Ricky expose his own experience with regards to “severance money”, “salary”, “distracted money” or whatever you may call it, you would have never mention your own arrangements in public, would you?
The fact of being guilty of participating on the construction and maintenance of an evil system and also guilty of a lot more – with the aggravating circumstances of having been a direct participant in many wickedness’s – does not confer upon you the right of receiving any a compensation, whether in money or in kind.
The right thing for you to do, would be to compensate your brother eXer’s and SGA’s by means of an open and sincere attitude, an open and sincere confession of your past as a top rank member of WS. A confession exempted of duplicity or dubious explanations. I don’t refer here to monetary compensation of any kind, as this might tempt you to buy the SGAs’ silence as Zerby and Smith bought yours. It would be enough to expose reality as it was; yes, just the plain and crystal clear truth and not expecting any kind of credit for your attitude.
Please, put an end to the hypocrisy of doing whatever is needed to make others believe that only you and your friends are the “good boys”, that guilt and responsibility are other’s, never yours who, as leaders of the cult, were participants in the creation and maintenance of that evil system which was called “The Children of God” and today is known as The Family or The Family of Love.
You committed, and still commit, the crime of accepting TF’s money in exchange for your silence and helping them with their lies. If I may, I would like to put forward a public appeal to you, Edward Priebe and others like you: Please, come into the open with the real truth as this is the only way for you to find the sort of spiritual peace that you seem to be looking for; of course, if this is really your goal.
