THE FAMILY INTERNATIONAL formerly Children of God & The Family & The Family of Love: Cult Killer TV - Children of God: Lost and Found TV - Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekends: Born Again Christians TV - Cults and Extreme Belief TV - UK Cults, Taboos & Twisted Faith TV - People Magazine Investigates TV - Too Young to Die TV -
13,412. Like Rick, many of them were raised in a bizarre Christian sect who practised free love. Like Rick, many of the mourners say they were abused in the cult. Originally called the Children of God, it followed a radical religious and sexual philosophy they named the Law of Love. Cult Killer
13,413. The Law of Love was the creation of David Berg the founder of the cult and promoted and encouraged through its publications. ibid.
13,414. The Children of God were founded in 1968 in Southern California by a charismatic Baptist minister David Berg. ibid.
13,415. Changing their name to The Family. ibid.
13,416. Rick was the result of a grand sexual experiment. ibid.
13,417. Incest was virtuous. ibid.
13,418. In 1986 he banned sex with children. ibid.
13,419. Wife-swapping remained the norm. ibid.
13,420. The Children of God believe they are living in the time period known in scripture as the Last Days. Noah Thomson, Children of God: Lost and Found, HBO
13,421. In 1990 10 members of the Children of God are arrested in Spain under charges of child abuse. (Cults: Family International & Children & Abuse & Paedophilia) ibid.
13,422. In 1992 120 children are taken into protective custody in Australia. (Cults: Family International & Children & Abuse & Paedophilia) ibid.
13,423. In 1994 the group’s founder David Berg dies. His wife, Karen Zerby, assumes leadership. ibid.
13,424. In 1997 Karen Zerby’s son and David Berg’s heir apparent, Ricky, leaves the Children of God. ibid.
13,425. In 1968 the Children of God, later known as the Family, was founded in California by David Berg. ibid.
13,426. By 1977 the Children of God had grown to over 130 communes around the world. ibid.
13,427. Berg communicated with his followers through more than 3,000 published writings known as the Mo Letters. ibid.
13,428. In 1979 Flirty Fishing, a practice introduced by Berg, is widely adopted by his membership. ibid.
13,429. By 1981 hundreds of Jesus Babies had been born as a result of Flirty Fishing. ibid.
13,430. The goal is to bring down those sick fuckers, Mum and Peter. My own mother – what an evil little cunt. Goddamn. How can you do that to kids? How can you do that to kids and sleep at night? (Cults: Family International & Suicide) Rick’s video suicide note, viz: Cults: Family International
13,431. It’s a need for revenge. It’s a need for justice. Because I can’t go on like this. (Cults: Family International & Suicide) ibid.
110,135. I heard about a band of hardcore Christians called The Family founded 30 years ago as The Children of God. The Family live a Christian lifestyle so intensively they’ve often been accused of being a cult. (Evangelical & Cults: Family International) Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekends s1e1: Born Again Christians, BBC 1998
122,477. ‘We were being groomed by a master paedophile David Berg.’ Cults & Extreme Belief s1e3: Children of God, Amy
122,478. Murder and Suicide Reviving Claims of Child Abuse in Cult. ibid. The New York Times 15 January 2005
122,479. David Berg’s teachings soon give rise to 130 communes around the world. ibid. caption
122,542. The Children of God were formed in 1968 by a former evangelical pastor called David Berg … ‘I can’t say I remember many moments when I was happy.’ (Cult & Cults: Family International) UK Cults, Taboos & Twisted Faith, CI 2018, victim
122,543. ‘The Children of God have been known for the abuse of people from very early days.’ (Cult & Cults: Family International) ibid. Ian Haworth, Cult Information Centre
129,229. ‘In our family we are one body all the way.’ People Magazine Investigates: Children of God Cult, ID 2019, David Berg
129,230. ‘Oh my God: now he’s going to advocate childhood sex?’ Yes. ibid. Berg
129,231. ‘All of us were victims of Father David.’ ibid. survivor
129,232. In the late 1960s David Berg emerges as a visionary, offering salvation for the impending end of the world. David Berg was born into an evangelical home in 1919. He travelled with his mother, a devout preacher. ibid.
129,233. He developed his own religious ideology. ibid.
129,234. By the mid-1970s Children of God had nearly 3,000 followers working together to support the individual communes and Father David. ibid.
129,235. ‘Become swingers. You should do this for God.’ ibid. victim
129,236. By 1986 Children of God has expanded to roughly 10,000 members. ibid.
129,237. Despite the fact that followers never see Father David, he still controls his vast network through his recordings, writings and local leadership. ibid.
129,238. David Berg is dead at the age of 75. ibid.
134,828. Who was River Phoenix? … the reluctant star. River grew up with four siblings … David Berg was the founder of a Christian sect known as the Children of God. John and Arlyn were sent by the sect to Venezuela. (Young & Celebrity & Death & Star & Biography & Actor & Cults: Children of God) Too Young to Die s1e6: River Phoenix