146.129.125.5

I debated whether or not to respond to the last letter. I'm not which one of me lost that debate, but I have just mailed off a brief reply. I thought I would share it with my friends here on the board.

October 2, 2003

Dear Don,

I want to reassure you that I hold no ill will towards you. I would also have no problem giving you a hug if we were to meet. I do understand that you care about me, and I have considered some of your advice to be fatherly in nature.

I am not writing this letter with the intention of rebutting anything you wrote. I do not want this to become a back and forth exchange that may end up causing more harm than good. There are only a couple of issues that I wish to briefly address.

Don, three members of my family attend your church, my husband Ron, and two of my children, Luke and Charissa. By this reason alone it is my business what goes on at your church, because I watch the affects of the teachings and practices of COA upon my family and marriage. What goes on at your church affects me greatly, more so than you may even know, and it affects my relationship in spiritual matters with my husband and children.

I do not expect this statement to have any affect upon your acceptance of my role in the entire Church of Agape' issue. Neither do I expect that you will accept the fact that I have a right to speak about these issues to people with whom I find support. I could not find support or help within your church for these issues. I have found support outside your church, and I will not be chided into silence. I am very careful about what I say and I do not participate in ad homonym attacks against you or anyone else who attends COA.

Secondly, the entire issue of "15 years ago" is not a valid argument. What has happened to me, and to others who have left your church are not things that happened "15 years ago". They are things that have happened during recent times and are still happening to one degree or the other. You still have people leaving your church. People who leave because the hurts become far too heavy to bear. Yet you continue to turn a blind eye as to why so many continue to leave. One would think that if one continues to have parts of their body fall off that they would begin to investigate what illness has taken over that would be causing such grievous damage. But instead the finger of blame gets pointed at the broken parts of the body lying on the ground.

No, it has not been "15 years ago" for me, or for others who have left your church in a spiritually battered state. For me it was five years ago, or last year, or earlier this year, or even last month. It IS my business what goes on at COA due to its on-going effects upon my life and family.

Respectfully,

Robbin Taylor