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In Reply to: Re: Biblical take posted by Farmer on November 12, 2009 at 15:08:50:
To even consider a dialogue one must have a hint of willingness to accept and take responsibility of the mistakes made. They are smart people, smart enough to realize we know their speech and double talk style, and that we know they haven't taken full responsibility. All they have done is play a role for outsiders who don't know much about how they communicate.
I am not saying I am convinced that their objective is to have a dialogue but this new rhetoric has a different tone. I don't think they "want to make a U-turn" just yet but their tone is less dismissive and arrogant.
However, they have made distinctions between leave-takers and detractors. These two are different classes of people, and because they don't include clear definitions we can only assume that they have defined them in other more confidential publications.
So when they say that there are no more backsliders or defectors, we know that they have only changed the definitions of those words to mean something else. The current use seems to be detractors, completely missing the actual meaning of that word. The "leave-takers" are the children that are leaving in hordes but detractors are to be kept away and still considered enemies.
If this interpretation is right, things haven't changed much.
In my wishful thinking I want to believe that Maria and Peter are interested in uniting families, even those of the first generation. I hope that in thinking that they want to bring closure and healing to hundreds of people, and that they might be inclined to consider a dialogue, maybe I am innocent.
I have made my peace with those around me. I have also offered it to some who are afar. Some have accepted it and others have slapped me over and over again until I had to put distance between us. In all cases, I am at peace now.
I would like to extend that same opportunity to those in The Family who have similarly done me wrong. I want to give them the chance to apologize to me if they can. After all, by their words they shall be judged, and I want to give them the opportunity to come out clean.
I hope Maria and Peter are moving in this direction but words are empty without deeds. And so we'll see. As I have heard, without justice there cannot be peace.
