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In Reply to: Re: TF and backsliders posted by Observer on June 06, 2006 at 22:57:20:
I may have put it too simplistic. The point is not that people can change, we see that in everyday life. We are different than we were years ago. I thought it was clear that we have all had different experiences with different people and that is why I didn't mentioned explicitly. The 2 missing ingredients are abuse and our perception of people when we don't know about what they have done.
Just because we liked some people and may even have fond memories of them doesn't mean we have to hurry and defend them unconditionally if a negative announcement comes along about them. Our defense should be to the extent of our own perceptions and experiences with them but even then, as you are pointing out, doesn't mean squat.
Likewise, accussations don't mean squat because we just don't know either way.
What we know is that there have been abuses in The Family International, and that those abuses were and still are part of their doctrines. After years of learning what abuse really is, some of them have realized that YES!!! they had witnessed and participated in abusive patterns of behavior.
Within the guidelines of these boards, both accussation and defense should be treated equally because we just simply don't know in most cases. I wouldn't liked to be accused for things I never did but neither would I like to defend somebody who did something truly abusive and bad.
