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exFamily.org > chatboards > genX > archives > post #1506

"Forgive abusers because they were probably abused too?"

Posted by Reposter on June 14, 2002 at 13:46:49:

On Crossfire, Cancion wrote that many abusers had been abused themselves and said, "As a recovering victim of physical abuse, I wish no punishment on my abuser, but rather healing."

"Ex-member" said that was a good point, but there was more to the picture. He/she said:

Pedofiles, unless stopped by law and put behind bars, will continue to re-offend. While it is your decision to forgive those who abused you, and an admirable one, if a pedofile is still at large and abusing children, you may PERSONALLY forgive him/her, but have a duty to protect the sheep. Also PERSONALLY.

In the case of a criminal organization such as the Family who knowingly promoted incest, child abuse and other forms of sexual abuse as official policy, it is again necessary to bring the organization as an entity to justice to prevent its further harming people.

Another way they cause pain is to whitewash and deny the hundreds of charges of abuse, thus negating what the victims know to be truth, and re-victimizing them. It's like a poisonous thorn festering in a wound, with the Family doing everything in their power to make sure the thorn stays IN the wound. To expose, operate and heal would "harm God's work" so they chose to cover up like the Pharisees of old.

Jesus said He came to rip the cloak off the hypocritical coverups of the Pharisees. I suppose some people would quote HIM his own words about forgiveness and tell him to leave the oppressors alone. I picture Jesus as both forgiving and ready for righteous judgment.