“Can the Local Church Leadership Say, ‘We Were Wrong’?” (An Open Letter)

[Thankful Jane]

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

Do you think that Ray may have felt you had responsibility for Ben breaking down in front of others?

Yes.

Around 1990, a brother asked me this question, "Jane, will you tell me what you did to cause the shameful downfall of Ben M."

I had only heard this kind of comment one time before and that was Memorial Day weekend 1977 when Benson said to me, "... and the shameful downfall that you caused to one of us." So, I asked the brother, "Where did you hear this?" He told me that Benson had said this to him and a group of other brothers who were together not long after I got in trouble in Houston. He had always wondered what I had done to Ben.

I answered him, "I would also like to know what I did." I then quoted what Benson had said to me in 1977 and told him how at the time I didn't know who or what Benson was talking about, but had surmised that Benson was probably referring to Ben M.'s breaking down and weeping. (Interestingly, the brother's question had just confirmed for me for the first time that Benson's reference to "one of us" did indeed refer to Ben M.) This brother was incredulous that Benson could have been referring to something like that. I told him there was not anything else I was aware of that it could have been.

So, I do believe that when Ray called Benson after that meeting, he must have told Benson that I was the one talking when Ben lost it. Hence, I got the blame for his "downfall." I don't have an independent memory that I was the one talking, but it is very possible that I was.

Thankful Jane