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Children of God / The Family International

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1 Children of God / The Family International
ELIZABETH VARGAS (ABC NEWS) (OC) This past hour, you've seen that revenge can be sweet, sort of, a kind of rough justice. But it can also be very destructive. When thoughts of vengeance fester for years, they can build to a nasty flashpoint. JOHN STOSSEL (ABC NEWS) Tonight on '20/20," February 2nd, 2007. ANNOUNCER (OC) In the next hour of "20/20," you'll see a dramatic case in point. A young man who wanted to get back at his own mother for shattering his life, raising him in a bizarre religious sect that he says condoned sex with children. That story is coming up now. SARAH MARTIN Well, hey everyone. This is Rick, and I am making this video. RICKY RODRIGUEZ I don't think he really thought he had a chance in life. That his life was already over. It had been ruined. I want there to be some record, my ideas, just who I was really. Just hope I don't (censored by network) up and do something stupid, blow my nose off instead of my (censored by network) head. He would tell me, "I just wanna die. I'm just tired of this life. I'll never be free from this pain and this past." Everything that was wrong, we were taught was right. Everything that was really evil and wicked and perverted was done in the name of Jesus. It really does (censored by network) your head up. DAVIDA KELLEY The goal is to bring down the sick (censored by network), mom and Peter, my own mother... God damn. How can you do that to kids? How can do you that to kids and sleep at night? (OC) Good evening, and welcome to the second of our two-hour special tonight on revenge. What you've just seen is real. A young man named Rick Rodriguez, tormented by his past, recording his final thoughts as he prepares to kill himself and his own mother. What would push him to take such extreme revenge? (OC) His videotape tells only part of the story. Tonight scenes from a powerful British documentary called "Cult Killer" and our own reporting will fill in the details of his life. . A boy raised in a religious group that allowed sex with children. What you're about to see is at times graphic and disturbing, but it will help you understand what pushed Rick Rodriguez over the edge. Here's Jay Schadler. JAY SCHADLER (ABC NEWS) We're here to say good-bye to a friend that we had, somebody who need not have passed the way that he did. DON IRWIN (VO) Two months after his suicide, memories of Rick Rodriguez haunt this service being held in his honor. Like Rick, many here were raised in a fringe religious sect that practiced free love. SARAH MARTIN (at memorial service) (VO) Like Rick, some of the mourners say they were abused at the hands of a group originally called the Children of God. Its radical sexual philosophy was known as the Law of Love. I wanted to show Elixcia how many people loved Ricky and how many lives that he touched. The Law of Love, they could do anything that they wanted really as long as they did it out of love, you know. So they used that a lot for a lot of things, you know? For the sharing, you know, for the swapping of couples. So basically that was the only law that they lived under. Because they certainly didn't abide by society's laws. You know, they definitely didn't abide by those laws. It just gave them an excuse to do whatever they want to anyone really or with anyone. (VO) The Law of Love was the creation of David Berg, founder of the sect, and it was promoted and encouraged through its publications. I practice what I preach. And I preach sex, boys and girls. Hallelujah. When I say, (censored by network) you know what I'm talking about, don't you? Every one of you know, except maybe some of the little children. And our kids are so smart, they even know what that means. We don't think there's anything evil about it. We don't think there's anything wrong with that. DAVID BERG The circumstances of Ricky's passing are very tragic and uncharacteristic of Ricky as a person. Ricky would want this memorial, his memorial to be a celebration of life, not a celebration of death. JUDY (VO) Don Irwin grew up in the sect and was a close friend of Rick's. His mother, Judy, had joined in the early days of the group. I actually joined in 1970 and, of course, I was 20, very vulnerable, didn't know what I was doing, you know. I had always went - since I was a kid wanted to do something for Jesus. So you kind of got drawn into the fact that it looked like they were doing something, because there were numbers coming at you. And actually, I joined - when I joined, there were 200 people. Within three years, there were 10,000 people. (VO) The Children of God were founded in 1968 in southern California by a charismatic Baptist minister called David Berg. At first, Berg preached a simple back-to-basics gospel, prophesizing the second coming of Jesus. But as his popularity grew, his sermon became more disturbing. By the early '80s, as film from the time shows, Berg's band of hippie followers had mobilized into a disciplined army of converts. Changing their name to The Family, they fanned out across the globe. I kind of got sucked in, you know, and I got sucked in before I knew what it - you know, I really thought I was joining a Christian organization. I thought it was what God wanted me to do. I had no idea that, you know, it eventually would turn into dark betrayal. At the age of seven, I remember it was in Panama, and it was New Year's, and I slept on one of these trundle beds that pulls out from a bunk bed, and I remember rolling over and looking and there was the behind of a - of one of the sisters in the home. And she was having sex with my father less than a foot from me. I remember her name to this day. I remember getting up and going to the bathroom and looking in my mom's room, and my mom was having sex with the woman's husband. This wasn't an anomaly. DANIEL ROSELLE (VO) To the outside world, The Family was a missionary organization spreading their word from Mexico City to Manila. But behind the closed doors of their communes, free love was their theology. (VO) Okay, girls, but don't cover up too quick. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CLIP FROM "JAPAN EXPO VIDEO: THE FAMILY" It was part of our doctrine. It was part of our dogma. And it was not something that was restricted to adults. We were taught that as children. (VO) Armed with camcorders, far-flung communes often recorded their exploits sending David Berg messages of love. Rick was the result of a grand sexual experiment. His mother, Karen Zerby, was David Berg's favorite consort. Early on, he devised a radical method of recruiting new converts. It was called flirty fishing. So flirty fishing basically consisted of Family women more commonly and occasionally men going to places where they could meet people, bars and nightclubs and what have you, and making themselves available to these people, fairly readily available for sex. And then there was the expectation that they would lead these people to Jesus or pray with them to receive Jesus as their savior. (VO) Here we see Faithy as she witnesses... and he's asking her at this time, "Do you think I'll go to Heaven?" Very sweet, very sweet man who enjoyed their contact that night. FEMALE MEMBER I was never asked to share until the FFing thing came out and then it was kind of a pressurized thing. It was like you either do it or you're out. David Berg in his writing refers to them as God's whores. My mother when I used that terminology, my mother took exception to that. And I reminded her that it wasn't I who used the words "God's whores" it was her founder. (VO) Reportedly, Rick's mother, Karen Zerby was one of the first hookers for Jesus allegedly fishing 18 different men on a single trip to Tenerife. One of them was a local waiter, Rick's father. Because David Berg wanted an heir apparent he could mold in his own image, Berg adopted baby Rick celebrating the group's new messiah in publications and documenting his childhood in intimate family pictures. He was almost like - I don't know. What would you compare that to? I suppose - he was just very famous, you know. Probably one of the most famous, sort of like next - to his dad, you know. It's like their family was like royalty. You know, and he was like a prince and, you know, soon to be king sort of person. (VO) But the mantle of leadership came with a price. Berg would also use his son as an ideological plaything, pushing the sexual boundaries for a new generation of disciples. You know, we may not believe in God. I don't. At least certainly not the Christian (censored by network) God. He talked about suicide a lot. And I would ask him, you know, why he felt like that. Why did he wanna die? And, you know, he said, you know, because I'm already dead. When "20/20" returns - the roots of Rick's despair. Former members describe a childhood robbed of innocence by David Berg's beliefs. The women not only had sexual relationships with young boys, they were also facilitators. They also gave their children to the men. COMMERCIAL BREAK Next. 'Revenge" continues on "20/20" with Jay Schadler. Okay. We're back. So anyway, duct tape. Can fix anything or (censored by network) stuff. And I want to fix some people with this. Anyway, okay. I'm sorry. I'm getting off track here. Where the (censored by network) was I? Suicide, yes, suicide. (VO) 24 hours after Rick recorded his suicide video, he left his Tucson apartment and hit the freeway. Driving west through the Arizona desert, he made his last phone call to his estranged wife, Elixcia. He said he was afraid of dying. I told him that I believed in angels. And I told him that when he died that he would feel love that he never got to experience in this world. And he told me, keep telling me nice stories. Different parts of the conversation, he's like, 'Oh, I think I'm gonna pull it here and kill myself." And I'm just freaking out. I was like, 'What are you gonna do?" By this time he was really tired, I think he had been awake for, like, two days. And he just started mumbling words. He was, like, 'I have to go now." He goes, 'I'm so tired." He said, 'I'm so tired of thinking. You know, he just, a lot - he was just expressing thoughts, everything that was going through his mind. And then he, he's, like, 'I have to go now." ELIXCIA MUNUMEL (VO) Rick was reaching out to friends and family. I got in contact with my sister, who I consider my sister, because to me she is. She's not flesh and blood, but I'm talking about Davida. She calls me sometimes and we talk, and tells me the stuff she's going through. And it just breaks my heart, you know, because I wanna help her, but there's nothing I can do because it's all up here, you know? The damage has been done. (VO) David Berg frowned upon conventional families, and Rick was raised by a coterie of female acolytes along with a baby girl called Davida. The pair grew up almost as brother and sister. As The Family's patriarch continued to break sexual and religious taboos, Rick and Davida became his latest playthings. Growing up as a kid, I remember everything revolved in our lives around religion and sex. They expected us to have some interaction between ourselves with the intent that we would marry, get married, and become the future heirs to the throne, so to speak, meaning that we would be the next future leaders, with - the next gurus, the next David Berg or the next Karen Zerby of our time. (VO) Not only were Rick and Davida encouraged to have sexual interaction, but they also shared David Berg's bed. I remember actually, I, I used to look forward to going and spending time with my - with him in the evenings, me and Rick, because it was the only time that he would actually let us watch cartoons. We were absolutely not allowed to watch any TV whatsoever. And it was the only time that we watched cartoons. He'd always let us watched 'Scooby-Doo." Well, we don't look forward to lover time but that was, that was part of the package. You get to watch 'Scooby-Doo" and eat chocolate and have, you know, loving interaction with Grandpa. There was never penetration, but up until about 12 years old. It was never penetration... It was just really all the other forms of molestation, touching and oral and mostly just that. Except it was different with Rick. He always had intercourse with the adult women because as a little boy, I suppose it's a little different, you know. It was actually very common in The Family for the adult women to have sexual relations with young boys. The women not only had sexual relations with the young boys, they were also facilitators. They also gave their children to the men. It wasn't just the case of sort of, you know, sticking up for your mate or, for your partner, the woman defending the man and being in denial because of it. No, they were active enablers and active participants in our abuse. GRAPHICS: THE STORY OF DAVIDITO (VO) Rick and Davida even starred in their own bedtime story, printed by The Family as an example for all their children to follow. Chapters dealt with potty training, discipline, and sex. The book was just written by my mother because my mother was the one that raised, like I said, had raised Rick and myself, so she had just written these chronicles explaining on a day-to-day basis on how we interacted and what she was teaching us and what we were learning, and that included sexual encounters that she had had with him and how she used to masturbate him to sleep and how she'd make sure that – he would have his love up time before bedtime. It was just so – it was really - you have to read the book. It's really - so that's what the 'Davidito" book was. It was just - a book written about our lives and how we were raised and how other people should imitate the way we were raised to try to do the best to raise their children accordingly. CELESTE JONES (VO) By the early '80s, David Berg was on the run from Interpol on suspicion of pimping, moving with Rick and Davida from one secret compound to the next. Now he commanded his female acolytes to send him strip videos. Two young English girls, Celeste and Kristina, were among those he ordered to perform before his cameras. And we were told we're dancing for God as well as Berg, didn't we? And in fact, we... KRISTINA JONES That's to me disturbing because it - this is just, was just the start of much more. Yeah. Glorify God in the dance. Yeah, it's just, it's just sad. It's just... David Berg wrote a letter called 'Glorify God in the Dance" where he gave us specific instructions about what he wanted to see on these dance videos. So it came right from David Berg. It was his idea. And it was for him. (VO) Celeste says her strip video was filmed at family commune in Greece and directed by Berg's lieutenant Paul Peloquin, who she says enthusiastically followed the examples set by Berg. I hold Paul Peloquin responsible because he ran the communes. His word was go. And he was the one that did those dance videos when I was in Greece. I remember him yelling and being quite physically violent with me on many occasions throughout my childhood. I remember particular sexual abuse when I was 9 years old. It was on the floor in the studio, and I had to perform - masturbate him, and he masturbated me, and then he masturbated himself in front of me. I remember that particularly. But I don't, I don't remember every incidence because, I mean, it happened so often. CLIP FROM "MUSIC WITH MEANING: THE FAMILY" And Joan came to me and she said, "well, since Dad suggested that I make love to him in the latest comment tape, do you think I should masturbate?" And, said, I said "of course. That sounds beautiful." PAUL PELOQUIN He was the one that would use David Berg's writings to support his position and also help to set up the schedules that I would be put on for sexually servicing all the men in the home. They never report to anyone else except for Berg. What happened in that location is they began to institute and institutionalize the pedophilia that Berg was already practicing in his personal household. And sadly, what happened with that inner circle, as far as some of the guys were, is it essentially became a pedophile ring. They viciously abused Amy, as well as Celeste in a very systematic way over a very, very long period of time. Now, the pernicious thing about all of this is that the children were inculturated to believe that this was normal. It was really a beautiful experience. It really... (VO) Despite the allegations against Paul Peloquin, he has never been charged with any child abuse. What about these, you know, (censored by network) pervert? You know, aren't they the real terrorists, terrorizing little kids, and driving them to suicide? Isn't that like murdering them basically? (Censored by network) their minds so much that they can't go on? They really can't go on. Isn't that like killing them? When "20/20" returns, The Family comes forward to defend its past, captured in a how-to guidebook. (OC) You've got pictures of kids in sexually compromised positions. 'Revenge" continues on '20/20." Here's Elizabeth Vargas. (OC) Former members of the fringe group then called The Children of God say that part of their religious upbringing involved the worst kind of child abuse, incest and pedophilia that would haunt Rick Rodriguez until the end of his life. Goddamn. I can only imagine what my sister goes through. She has nightmares about, you know, being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night to go have sex with Berg. Goddamn. It was very strange because during a lot of these sexual interactions, David Berg would be getting prophecies, and he'd lift his hands in the air and get a prophecy and say that was about, you know, saying that that was amazing sex that you just had with the ghost gypsy. The gypsy ghost would say 'Thanks." That was, it was.. he would get whole prophecies... it was really disturbing. (VO) By age 12, Rick was reportedly sequestered at The Family's secret headquarters where his abuse may have reached new extremes. In the mind of his father, incest was virtuous. And according to Davida, Berg encouraged Rick's mother, Karen Zerby to join in their sexual games. I specifically remember a couple of accounts where we were all in the same bed. I was required to be having sexual interaction with the guru at the time, David Berg, and I would be on his right side masturbating him while Rick would be having full sexual intercourse with his mother on the same – on other side of the bed, but it would be like a big happy family time in bed between the four of us. There are a lot of things that I've sort of come to terms with and I understand that - the issues of control in The Family. But what I haven't come to understand yet is how such a large group of people of diverse backgrounds, of diverse ethnicities, of income levels, can so readily turn to wholesale pedophilia. Not everybody engaged in it, but if you were in The Family, you knew about it. (VO) In the case of Ricky Rodriguez and Davida Kelley, evidence that they grew up in a sexually charged atmosphere is hard to refute and even harder to look at in photos from the family's own publications. Claire Borowik is the spokeswoman for The Family International. When we spoke with her in 2005, she said she was deeply saddened by what has happened but doesn't believe her organization is responsible and denies Rick was a victim of sexual abuse. It wasn't really an issue of sex. There was a – liberal, liberality that existed in our homes. That degree of liberality existed in some homes. Not in most homes. CLAIRE BOROWIK (OC) Well, how about, how about David Berg's own home? How about, for example, in the book of 'Davidito," there's a picture of Ricky in front of a 'Playboy" playmate. On the next page is a picture of Ricky at the breast of one of your elders. Mm-hmm. Well, you're giving a sexual context to that. He's 2 years old. But... (OC) You wouldn't give a sexual context to, to Ricky standing in front of a 'Playboy" playmate? Yes, I understand. (OC) Why are the faces blanked out? Well, because back then Father David had received some threats. (VO) You don't think that they were scratched out to protect their identities? No, no. (OC) You don't? I mean I don't mean to be obtuse, but it seems to me as if one of the reasons that you'd cover it up is because you don't, you've got pictures of kids in sexually compromised positions. You don't want their identities. I can understand you'd look at it that way. But I'd have to show you our other books so you can see that in our normal publications it had absolutely nothing sexual in it. (VO) But other ex-members that we've met before like Celeste Jones and Don Irwin still insist that an intense atmosphere of sexuality pervaded the groups they lived in. I was also the subject of sexual abuse, adults teaching me mainly to fondle them and also... (OC) At what age? 5, 5 and 6 years old. (OC) 5 and 6 years old? Yeah. (VO) Scandalized by all these accusations and the subject of a number of police raids worldwide, the group renounced adult child sex in Just this week, it issued a statement to "20/20" that included official apologies to several unnamed former and current members and a letter from Rick's biological sister stating that he had, quote, 'become severely disturbed. When I knew him he never felt any of the things he stated in his video." In our interview with Claire Borowik, she also stressed that no court has ever convicted anyone in The Family of sexual abuse. (OC) The Family turned over a new leaf in 1986, right? That's right. Now we did not have any policies in place that would protect our minors. It became very clear in 1986 that that was very necessary and important. (VO) But more and more, those who spent their childhoods in the family have spoken out and remember a far different reality including this former sect member known as Francisco. The Family maintains even today that in 1986 the line was drawn. After that, no more sexual contact between adults and children. Is that true or is that false? Nobody came to us and told us this was changing. We didn't see a change. FRANCISCO If it was categorical, if it was widespread, how come I never suffered abuse? How come I who have over 100 personal friends in The Family International all over the world, how come none of them ever told me they witnessed abuse or experienced abuse? ANNA (VO) Despite that claim, other members of The Family, including these young people who we met two years ago, insist they've never experienced any abuse in the group, which they say engaged in fundraising and charitable activities around the world. (VO) The Family has as denied that Karen Zerby, Rick's mother, ever had sex with him and say he himself never made this allegation to them. In 1994, David Berg died and Karen Zerby became the new leader of the sect, living a life mostly in hiding ever since. Whatever actually happened in David Berg's bedroom had a profound effect on Rick and his sister. In recent years, Davida has struggled with drug abuse and today earns her living as an exotic dancer. As for Rick... Jesus Christ, you know, anger does not begin, does not begin to describe how I feel about these people and what they've done. You know, I mean, rage. I think I'm just really (censored by network) in the head. I tried so many things, trying to somehow fit in, somehow to find, you know, a normal life. (VO) But was normal ever an option for this young man, now on a violent collision course with his past, as he hunts for his mother, The Family's current leader, Karen Zerby? And I wanna keep going until somebody gets her, I get her, justice will be done, believe me. It's only a matter of time. BEN JIMENZ (Detective, Tucson Homicide Unit) When "20/20" returns, the destructive path of revenge. A female victim was laying on the carpet. It appeared that her throat had been slashed. ROSEMARY KANSPEDOS The legacy of Rick Rodriguez, describing a childhood of sexual abuse that he says drove him to violence. I had known that it was coming. It wasn't a matter of maybe it will come. It was a matter of when is it going to happen? When '20/20" continues after this from our ABC stations. 'Revenge" continues on '20/20." Here's John Stossel. (OC) We continue now with the story of Rick Rodriguez. Seven years ago, he and his girlfriend were determined to break with The Family and start a new life. They moved to the Northwest. They got married. Rick got a new job, and things seemed to be looking up. But three years into his new life, his past closed in. (VO) At Rick and Elixcia's home in Tacoma, Washington, former members of The Family began contacting them urging Rick to take a stand against their abusers. Raised to be a leader, it was a role he found difficult to refuse. People would ask him, "Why aren't you doing something about it? If you know the truth, you more than anybody else will be believed because of where you were." They're, like, "You owe it to us." You know? And here he is, he's got a good job. He's got a happy life. In his heart, he didn't think it was fair for him to have been given that second chance when there were kids out there that were hurting. (VO) Rick's thoughts turned to revenge against his mother, Karen Zerby, and he began forming a plan. In the summer of 2004, now aged 29, he left Elixcia in Tacoma and drove south to Arizona. My mom's gonna pay for that. She's gonna pay dearly. One way or another. If I don't get to her, man, if I don't get to her and life goes on, I'm gonna keep hunting her in the next life, let me tell you. (VO) As official leader of The Family, Karen Zerby's whereabouts were a closely guarded secret. Even Rick, who had severed all ties with the group, had lost track of his mother. So in seeking his revenge for all those years of alleged sexual abuse, his first step was to find her. I knew that he had a plan to find his mother. I knew that that's all he was - really wanted to do. He really wanted to confront her face to face and ask her, you know, and get some answers. He was searching for his meaning in life. He really was. And I think he finally came up with a conclusion that his, his reason for living was to make right his mother's wrongs. (VO) In the summer of 2004, word reached Rick that his mother had recently visited his grandparents in a Tucson retirement home. By September, he had moved to the city. Like an urban hunter, he waited for his mother to reappear. In the meantime, he made contact with his aunt, Zerby's sister, who lives in the city and shuns the cult. He was my nephew. He needed help. He was the one that was going to be helped. And any anger he had, he had a right to it. His mother didn't take care of him. He didn't have a mother. I had known that it was coming. It wasn't a matter of "maybe it'll come." It was a matter of "when is it going to happen?" (VO) Rick rented a room in a rough part of town and found a job as an electrician. He practiced martial arts at a local gym and joined a gun club. And he waited for his mother. Four months after arriving in Tucson, Rick set up his new video camera and pressed record. I'm not trained in torture methods, which is why I'm gonna have to make do. I got my drill here. The reason why it's got this (censored by network) padding on it is just to try to silence it a bit because I'm in an apartment. I got a soldering iron, heat, rather crude implements. I think it'll work wonders, especially if it's used in the right way. But I'm not trained. I don't know how to (censored by network) do. I don't even want to (censored by network) do this. Goddamn it. The Blythe, California Police Department contacted us on the morning of January 9th. We walked in. The apartment was relatively clean and well kept and a female victim was laying, elderly female, she was laying on the carpet. It appeared that her throat had been slashed. There were some defensive wounds to her arms, some cuts on her arms as well. BEN JIMENZ (VO) True to his threats, Rick had committed murder, but the victim was not his mother. It was her close confidante, Angela Smith. Smith had helped raise Rick. And in the story of 'Davidito," she reportedly appears under the pseudonym of Sue. Rick may have arranged a meeting with her early on the evening of January 8th, planning to force her to reveal his mother's whereabouts. While there were no signs of torture here, the savagery of the murder testifies to Rick's desperation. This need that I have, this need, it's not a want, it's a (censored by network) need, and I wish it wasn't, but it is, it's a need for revenge. It's a need for justice, because I can't go on like this. (VO) It will never be known if Rick managed to learn where his mother was hiding. Perhaps, he was still hunting for her as he left the murder scene and headed into the Arizona desert. What is known is that his final act of violence was against himself. Police say some time after midnight, he drove into this empty lot... I'm sort of quitting right now, but in a way, I'm not because I'm not doing it the way I wanna do it. I didn't just turn tail and run and let those (censored by network) win. (VO) and fired a single round ending his life. I would have a peaceful happy life. I tried. I did. Maybe I didn't try hard enough. Gave it what I could, you know? I did. (VO) Rick Rodriguez is dead. His mother, Karen Zerby, is still alive. But where is she? 'Revenge" continues on "20/20." Once again, Jay Schadler. (VO) Those who knew him best say Rick Rodriguez was seeking revenge against his mother, Karen Zerby, when he finally committed suicide in the Arizona Desert. He never found her. And former members of the sect say the FBI had been investigating her whereabouts as well. We took the mystery to Claire Borowik, current spokeswoman for The Family International. We spoke with her in 2005. (OC) Why do you think at this crucial moment in the history of The Family and in this crucial moment for Ricky and all of these other second-generation kids, your spiritual leader, Karen Zerby, is nowhere to be found? Don't you think it's stark? We don't look at it as nowhere to be found. She's very present in her writings. (OC) Do you know where she is? Do I know where? No. Not necessarily. (OC) You don't? No. (OC) Claire, the Pope is a spiritual leader. We know where he is. Karen is a spiritual leader, and we don't know where she is. And her son just committed suicide and murder. And I'm aware of that. (VO) So why don't we know where she is? That's her policy. That's all I can tell you. We want to release doves for Ricky. And I'm also going to read off the names of people that we've heard of, people who passed away who were not remembered. That - this first dove is for Ricky. Abe, Amos… AMY (VO) Rick Rodriguez is not the only second-generation member of The Family to commit suicide or fatally overdose on drugs. Exact numbers are not known. But some here say as many as 30 have died in the past 10 years. But on this day, this memorial service is for just one, Rick. He wanted to understand, he wanted to care, and he wanted to do something about the pain that I had suffered and others had suffered, like himself. Well, Rick and I grew up together. We were born in the same country, same hospital. My mother raised us both. And I, I just wanted to say that if it wasn't for my family and friends who had been there for me, I can't say that I wouldn't have killed myself a long time ago. (OC) That's our program for tonight. 'Nightline" is coming up after your local news. I'm Elizabeth Vargas. (OC) And I'm John Stossel. For all of us at '20/20," we're in touch, so you'll be in touch. Good night. RELS 225 Cults and New Religious Movements

2 History 1968 The Children of God David Brandt Berg, (1919-1994)
Founded communes Proselytizing Wrote 3000 “Mo Letters”, indicating he was God’s prophet (1972) : Flirty Fishing “for those who were in dire need of physical love and affection, even sex could be used as evidence to them of the Lord's love”

3 History 1978-1986: The Family of Love Reorganized
1/3 of the members left Beliefs remained the same Childcare manual published January 1982: Davidito (Ricky Rodriguez) 1985: “any such activities [adult-child sexual contact] are strictly forbidden within our group."

4 History Prosecution for child abuse. “from 1978 until 1986, there were cases when some minors were subject to sexually inappropriate advances” Consider The Poor ministry, providing material aid to the poor and disadvantaged. 1994: Berg dies; Karen Zerby takes over, remains secluded Zerby, 1995: “Anyone who attempted to use the Law of Love to justify any unloving, selfish or hurtful behavior is responsible before God for it.“

5 History 1995 2004: “The Family International”
British legal case: sexual abuse had occurred, but the movement was now safe. “Loving Jesus Revelation” 2004: “The Family International” Less dedicated lifestyle Renewal of proselytization 5 levels of membership: Family Disciples (FD) live communally, Missionary Members (MM), Fellow Members (FM), Active Members (AM), and General Members (GM).

6 Beliefs: Revelation Basically fundamentalist Christianity
Bible is the inspired Word of God David Berg is the most important prophet of the end times passed to his wife, Karen Zerby published writings of Berg and Zerby are part of the "Word of God" with the same weight as the Bible. Great Commission of evangelizing for every Christian lives should be dedicated to the service of God and others.

7 Beliefs: Love "Law of Love" supersedes all other Biblical laws (except male homosexuality) encourage procreation (birth control originally discouraged) actions motivated by unselfish sacrificial love (not intentionally hurtful to others) are in accordance with Scripture and are permissible in the eyes of God God created human sexuality as a natural, emotional, and physical need, a pure and natural wonder of God's creation. “Sacrifical sex”/”sharing”: Adults may have sex with any other adult member of the opposite sex, to promote unity and prevent loneliness. Since 1986, teenagers must be 16 and only may have sex with other members under age 21.

8 Beliefs: Eschatology now is the biblical "Last Days" / "Time of the End," just before Jesus returns. First, the Antichrist will rule with a one-world government for 7 years. After 3.5 years, the “Great Tribulation” will begin, persecuting Christians as bringing natural disasters. Then Christians will be raptured to heaven and in the "Battle of Armageddon", Jesus will defeat the Antichrist. Then Jesus Christ will reign on Earth for “the Millennium.”

9 Theologians have placed TFI's basic theology within the historical Christian tradition, although they have numerous unorthodox beliefs. To some extent, they identify with fundamentalist Christianity, though their more radical beliefs and practices are generally regarded as non-traditional, even heretical, by many conservative and liberal Christians.[citation needed] TFI teaches that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and sacred revelation. Group founder David Berg is regarded within the group[citation needed] as the most important prophet of the end times. He is regarded as a prophet in that he passed on the message of God—not because he could predict the future. Though he frequently attempted to predict future events, he was for the most part inaccurate. The group believes Berg's spiritual "mantle" passed to his wife, Karen Zerby, at his death. The officially published writings of both David Berg and Karen Zerby[4] are regarded as part of the "Word of God" which carries the same weight as the Bible since they are considered divine revelations. They believe that the Great Commission of evangelizing the world is the duty of every Christian, and that their lives should be dedicated to the service of God and others. They have several levels of membership, and the most committed, called "Family Disciples," live communally. They also encourage having children. While birth control was initially highly discouraged, the choice is currently left to the individual and is not uncommon in practice, though it is still officially regarded as indicative of a lack of trust in God's plan. A central tenet to their theology is the "Law of Love," which, stated simply, claims that if a person's actions are motivated by unselfish, sacrificial love and are not intentionally hurtful to others, such actions are in accordance with Scripture and are, thus, lawful in the eyes of God. They believe that this tenet supersedes all other Biblical laws, except those forbidding male homosexuality, which they believe is sin. Female bisexuality is sanctioned, though female homosexuality at the complete exclusion of men is not permitted. They believe that God created human sexuality, that it is a natural, emotional, and physical need, and that heterosexual relations between consenting adults is a pure and natural wonder of God's creation,[17] and permissible according to Scripture. Teenagers from the age of 16 are allowed to have sex with other members under age 21. Since 1986,[18] sex between minors and adults has been forbidden. Adult members may have sex with any other adult member of the opposite sex, and are encouraged to do so, regardless of marital status, as a way to foster unity and combat loneliness of those "in need". This is commonly called "sharing" or "sacrificial sex". While TFI policy states that members should not be pressured to have sex against their will, numerous former members have alleged being coerced to "share" and subsequently cast as selfish or unloving when they did not. They believe that they are now living in the time period known in the Bible as the "Last Days" or the "Time of the End," which is the era immediately preceding the return of Jesus Christ. Before that event, they believe that the world will be ruled for seven years by the Antichrist, who will create a one-world government. At the half-way point in his rule he will become completely possessed by Satan, precipitating a time of troubles known as the Great Tribulation which will bring intense persecution of Christians as well as stupendous natural and unnatural disasters. At the end of this period, faithful Christians will be taken to heaven in an event known as the Rapture that is shortly followed by a battle between Jesus and the Antichrist commonly known as the "Battle of Armageddon", in which the Antichrist is defeated. Then, they say, Jesus Christ will reign on Earth for 1000 years, a period they call the Millennium.

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