I understand now. I thought it might be in reference to the world at large too. I guess it could be in that the abuses in the family occur in society at large too. But the thing with the family was that many of those abuses were doctrine and that is what is different in society at large as far as Western society goes anyway.
So many things that were legal and expected in the family are illegal and looked down upon in society at large.

You wrote:

"The buried guilt of finding we let abuse happen to ourselves and/or to our families was often overwhelming, and though it was not an excuse to shove it under some shabby rug of so called grace and "oh, well, I was just deceived", Often we found courage to find and offer healing and restitution."

I have to say that I don't look at it as having "let" abuse happen to me. I didn't even know it was abuse but felt, in the context of family membership while in it, that I was wrong if I thought outside of Family dogma which I often did.
I do feel I was not only deceived but severely abused in the Family and I may have had the good fortune to be out of it and be therefore I was not given some leadership position where i might have hurt others in the context of being in the Family in a power position.
I know that because of being in, not only me but my children were hurt. I am really glad I got out when I did. It has been important for me to acknowlege to my children that what they experienced was wrong as far as separations from them, not going to a real school for a few years of their life, not having me as a real parent. Further I apologized for what I could not give them and wish I had have been able to, like extended family. I am their only relative that has any relation with them. They have no grandparents, aunts, uncles etc.
I really wish my children had that while they were growing up and of course I DON'T mean "Family" "Aunties" or "Uncles". I am glad they were out before that became a buzzword that rings a really bad bell for youth who grew up in the Fam.
So how does a teen "let" themselves get suckered into a cult before "cult" was even a buzzword? I know when I was recruited I did not get introduced to a sex cult. If anything it was Victorian in presentation though I eventually realized there was a secretive inner circle that became the outer circle of sick doctrine. WHILE IN THE FAMILY I could not see that it was sick as any resistance on my part was interpreted in my head as being MY weakness or lack of spirituality.
The Family felt safe at first because of the absense of sex. I know it was not for some that were selected by Berg or top leaders for forays into their agenda.
I came from a family where i was sexually abused as a child and it was the last thing I ever would have wanted to be around.
It is like a double whammy to get out of the family and to realize what occurred with first the sexualization and turning out of women as prostitutes for Jesus happened and then children were being sexualized. It didn't happen overnight.
That being said, i hate like hell what Berg was about but I don't see myself as "letting" what happened to me happen.

I got out when I was finally so badly triggered by literature and realizing I was on the way to a third world country again where my children would be taken from me as well as landing funds and I got out on an impulse. The thing I clearly realize though is that when I got out I did not see that I was protecting myself or kids. I thought I was wrong for getting out. I thought I would just get away for awhile. I couldn't think straight until i got away from it for long enough.

I am glad I am not alone! Thanks for starting this board and what I am saying is purely my thoughts and not a criticism. I wanted to say that because I am not challenging what you wrote but writing what I feel.