Bill Zeller left this earth a tormented soul. Sadly, he could find no comfort here, and he said as much in an articulate and forceful letter that he emailed to many shortly before he killed himself. You can read the news report and his letter here.
His letter should be read by every minister, priest, rabbi, and imam, not to mention every parent and legislator, as it lays out in painful detail the "darkness" that followed him throughout his life.
Zeller was a highly regarded, innovative computer scientist in graduate school at Princeton University, and his letter reveals his intelligence and analytical abilities. It also focuses a laser on what all too often happens to someone who is sexually abused as a child. With one in four girls and one in five boys sexually abused, we have a society-wide problem that is likely to land on the doorstep of many a clergyperson, parent, and lawmaker. According to the letter, he was raped repeatedly at a young age.
Read Full Article »