The Family
The Family(formerly known as the Children of God and the Family of Love) is a high demand faith group that requires great personal sacrifice on the part of its members. They stress Jesus emphasis against loyalities to one's family of origin and his preaching in favor of [pverty and a simple life. The group merges traditional Evangelical Christian beliefs and practices with the belief in Universal Salvation, contacts with spirits, communal living, and free love among adults within the group. The movement was founded by David Berg as the Children of God in 1969 when he led a group called Lightclubbers out of Huntington Beach, CA after claiming to have received a revelation from God in 1969 that a disastrous earthquake was about to drive part of the state into the ocean. The earthquake never materialized. The group gained media attention during this time for dressing in sackcloths and crrying staffs around declaring that American society was doomed for turning its back on God. In 1969, the movement adopted a belief in polygamy as Berg married a second wife. he backed this idea up with the Hebrew Bible/Old testament. He claimed that God called him out as the "End Time Prophet who would play a major role in the Second Coming. In the 1970's, Berg and his group settled in three communities in Los Angeles, CA, Coachella, CA, and Thurer, TX. Members of the group were then encoruaged to sever all contact with their families, to donate all their possessions to the group and become full time evangelists. Berg, now called Moses David, first attempted to disperse the group across the among colonies throughout the US. He later prophesied that a comet would hit the Us and destroy all life. This motivated the group to organize the "Great Escape," an exodus in which most members fled to Europe, South America, India, and Australia. Berg claims to have made contact with Abrahim, a spirit guide who he had acquired in a Gypsy vamp. Later he revealed other contacts the dead. In 1973, Berg intorduced litnessing which is the distribution of literature in exchnage for donations. In 1976, Berg encouraged women to embrak on tasks of "flirty fishing" in which they were urged to seduce potential male converts in order to encourage them towards membership with the group. The group was reorganized as the Family of Love in 1977 as the autocratcic leadership was replaced by a group democracy. Each commune became an autonomous structure. At this time, the group began practicing "sexual sharing' which is free consensual sexual activity among the group in forms of lesbianism, fornication, and adultery. In 1985, Berg intorduced a central office called World Services and reverted to a more autocratic model. Flirty fishing was terminated in 1987 and a rule was established that any adult having sex with anyone under age 21 would be cut off from the group.The group holds to the traditional Christian view that the only way to be saved is through accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Berg is regarded as the end time prophet sent by God. The family believes they are representative of the roots of the true Christian church. They condemn all governments. Berg original;ly prophesied the "End of the time of the Gentiles" in 1968 and that Armageddon would occur in the mid 1980's when Israel and the US would be defeated by the USSR. He predicted a great socialist leader who would be the Antichrist would rise out of Egypt and force the people to worship him until Jesus would return in 1993 as Satan would be overcome and Christ would set up his millenial reign. The group bases their religion on their interpretation of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. A secondary source are the writings of their founder. Two sources state Berg's writings override scripture, while another statement says otherwise. Sexual enjoyment from masturbation to intercourse is considered as gift of God and is viewed as an activity to be thoroughly enjoyed as a major focus of one's life. The group teaches that Jesus had sex with Martha and Mary Magdalene. Some members believe Gabriel is Jesus's father. The Holy Spirit is viewed as a feminie charactar named "The Holy Queen of Love." Berg, a former Assemblies of God minister and Teen Challenge Coordinator, communicated to membership through Mo letters, which are pamphlets he wrote. He strictly controlled the group in the early years. After his death in 1994, the leaders prepared The Love Charter which defines group procedures and responsibilities. All adults are expected to be full time evangelists. All adults in a commune are expected to rear children. Communes consist of 8-10 adults and 25 children. Birth control is discouraged and alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, are forbidden. Young teens are sent through a teen training camp for six months and afterwards are considered to be fully adults.
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