Re: List of known members of The Family International child-abuse cult

Posted by Irene Martin on February 12, 2014 at 16:47:07

In Reply to: Re: List of known members of The Family International child-abuse cult posted by Call to arms on January 28, 2014 at 03:04:02:

Name: Irene Martin
Subject: Offer of safe place for person(s) whom want to escape.
Body of Message:

I've never offered to take in a total stranger in my life. I've heard of the COG...TFI...over the years. But, last week something I was reading online (can't remember what), steered me to the writings of this "religious group." Then, the online writings that have been posted by exfamily.org.
I've read tons of it. Yet, still have barely scratched the surface.
I came across the full length video Rick Rodriguez made before his death. It was very painful to watch. I also watched documentary that Rick's sister participated in, read much more.
I don't want to waste time and be unproductive expressing my condemnation of Berg, Zerby, or their thousands of complicit followers. Suffice it to say, I believe every word of victim account.
I am a 41 year old married woman with two children. I cannot do one thing to change what has been done to these victims. I think THAT is what bothers me the most.
I was sexually abused as a child by a parent. My first memories are of the abuse. I found out a few years back that it was going on when I was still in a crib. The sick mental games just about pushed me over the edge as an adolescent. I was so embarrassed. I even told the police once when I was picked up for running away. They took me "home" and left me there. Oh, they did confront my parent with my allegations. The police were told that I was a terrible burden on the family, a behavior problem....a liar. They left me there. I endured 72 hours of torture afterwards. I stress that my abuse was NOT related to any religious sect or cult. But, the pain and damage done to the victims of TFI, rings a familiar sense of pain and damage. I DID grow up in a family that was a Christian fanatical situation. So, to some (very mild) extent, I understand the disillusionment with God/religion that many of TFI victims suffer.
I am not posting my real name here, so that I can be open without fear or embarrassment.
The only reason I am sharing a small part of my own experience with sexual abuse, is to make clear my motivation for this post.
My family is willing to take in a young woman, sisters, mother with children, or some similar combination.....To enable their escape from this cult. I hesitate to take in a young man only because we have a child under 10. I have a certain amount of concern over that. It's not that I think a young man would hurt our son. I'm just aware of the level of internal anger associated with sexual abuse. We are willing to consider taking in a family.
I'm trying to be careful how specific I am in what I share, to ensure the safety of my own family.
We have one spare bedroom in our home that has a full size bed. There is a full bathroom across the hall that would have to be shared with my child. There is a tv in the room. Clothing, food, toiletries, cable TV, and Internet access will be provided. I just want to help. My husband is a kind and gentle man. He detests pedophiles. I always tell him that he's the only person on the planet that I'm sure is not a child mollester.
I feel that this offer is the only way I can do anything to help. I do not make this offer lightly. I think to myself that somewhere, right now, there is a young woman, or mother....somebody who feels trapped, helpless, broken...because they are still being victimized. I honestly believe that NOT doing anything to help is a crime in and of itself. Maybe I'm trying to erase the anger that lives in me, over so many adults letting my abuse go on for so long. I don't know to be honest. What I do know, is that feel compelled to make this offer, because if I can help one girl, one mother, one life....get away, then maybe I'm not so helpless after all.
I'm not sure how to go about giving my real name, contact info, etc..... Please feel free to comment on that issue. I'm happy to be contacted by a site moderator, something like that. I may just set up an email account specifically for this purpose.
But, please feel free to recopy and post this in other places so that many former TFI members and those looking for a way out.... Will see this.

Here is an email address that I set up for this purpose. I will check it every single day and respond to ALL.

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