Murder-suicide case in desert evangelical sex cult

Police in Arizona and California said they are investigating an apparent murder-suicide involving the son of Maria David, the prophet and spiritual leader of the Family, an international evangelical sex cult previously known as the Children of God.

Early Sunday morning, the body of Richard P. Rodriguez, 29, was found behind the wheel of a car in an industrial area in Blythe, a Riverside County town in the Mojave Desert on the Arizona border.

Rodriguez, known as "Davidito" when he was growing up in the Children of God, had been groomed as a child to be the heir apparent of the sect, founded in the late 1960s by the late David "Moses" Berg.

Police said Rodriguez died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after making several calls on his cell phone. By tracing those calls, police were tipped off to check a Tucson apartment, where they discovered the body of Angela M. Smith, 51, who died hours earlier from multiple stab wounds...

Timeline of the Ritual Abuse Panic

1982

"Mary Ann Barbour (a woman with a history of mental problems) believed her two young step-granddaughters were being sexually abused... eventually the children accused their father, Alvin McCuan and the girls were placed in the Barbour's care. In 1982, the girls also accused McCuan's character witness Scott Kniffen, his wife Brenda, and their mother. Relentlessly grilling her two charges, Mary Ann Barbour reported that they had been used in prostitution and pornography, tortured, made to watch snuff films, and forced to allow animals to eat pet food out of their vaginas. The McCuans and the Kniffens, were each sentenced to over 240 years' imprisonment in 1984."

1983

Dr. Roland Summit publishes an article about Child Sexual Abuse Accomodation Syndrome, which convinces many therapists and prosecutors that if a child denies that anything happened to him or her, they are hiding the truth.

August
"An alcoholic woman (later diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic) named Judy Johnson calls the Los Angeles police and accuses Ray Buckey – a 25-year-old worker at the McMartin preschool in Manhattan Beach, California – of sodomizing her two-year-old pre-verbal son."

Michael Jackson's Thriller music video features dancing zombies and graveyard scenes. Children in at least two investigations referred to this video.

1984

March
"208 counts of child abuse involving 40 children are laid against Ray Buckey, the owners of the McMartin school (Ray's mother, Peggy Buckey, and his grandmother, Virginia McMartin), and four teachers." The case draws national attention.

Spring
"Twenty-four citizens of the town of Jordan, near Minneapolis were rounded up and charged as co-conspirators in a Satanic sex ring that held intergenerational orgies, produced child pornography using their own children, and committed human sacrifice. Their children were placed in custody and rigorously prompted to "disclose" abuse.

Charges against all but three of the accused were dropped by the end of the year."

September
Gerald Amirault is arrested in Boston for multiple child molestation at his mother's daycare.

October
Bernard Baran arrested in Pittsfield, MA, and charged with molesting children in the daycare where he works

1985

January
Cheryl LeFave and Violet Amirault are charged with multiple child molestation in Boston

According to Nathan and Snedeker's Satan's Silence, "In early 1985, the state attorney general's office issued a report placing the blame for the (Jordan, Minnesota investigation) .... on the relentless, unending interviewing of children." Veterans of this case including Bob and Lois Bentz, formed an organization, Victims of Child Abuse Laws (VOCAL), that seeks to curb state intrusion into family life.

January
Bernard Baran is convicted of multiple child abuse.

Gina Miller, a mother of three, pregnant with her fourth child, was accused of being a "sex ring" participant in Kern County, California. The prosecutors offered her immunity and custody of her children if she would testifiy against her co-defendants. "Adamantly proclaiming her innocence, Miller refused the deal and in the spring of 1985, she was tried, convicted and sentenced to 405 years in prison."

September
In Carson City, children told investigators of the murders of adults, animal killings, drinking blood and other rituals in an unlicensed day care. The owner of the babysitting service and her nephew were charged.

1986

April
James Watt, 31, goes on trial charged with multiple counts of child abuse as a private daycare. 18 children testified to various acts of abuse. Defense lawyers said that children initially denied abuse but told "bizarre" stories after repeated interviews. Watt is sentenced to 165 years (sentence later reduced to 15 years)

"Five men, including Nathaniel Grady, a 47 year-old Methodist minister, were convicted of sexually abusing children in day care centers throughout the Bronx.
There were no notes or videotapes recording the hours of interviews with the boy. 26 character witnesses testified at his trial, including a bishop, a judge, and the Yonkers police commissioner. Nonetheless, he was convicted on January 20, 1986, and sentenced to 45 years in prison." (PBS Frontline: "Innocence Lost")

November
The McMartin-Buckey defendants appear on 60 Minutes

Marilynn Malcom, of Vancouver, Washington, is convicted of mass abuse of children at the Rainbow Christian Daycare. As with many cases of this sort, the prosecutor didn't tell the jury about some of the far out allegations, such as children being blown up, and presented the more straightforward abuse allegations.

1987

September
Journalist Debbie Nathan publishes "The Making of a Modern Witch Trial," in The Village Voice about a daycare case in El Paso, Texas. Nathan is the first prominent journalist to raise the national alarm about the injustices resulting from the daycare witch hunts.

November
Geraldo Rivera's special, "Satanic Cults and Children," airs on television

December
Frances Ballard, a 57-year-old grandmother, is convicted of molesting children at the day care where she worked. Investigators accused her of being part of a satanic cult. Ballard is so naive about sexual terminology that the lawyers have to explain to her what she is accused of doing.

1988

January
Journalists Tom Charlier and Shirley Downing write a series of articles for the Memphis Commercial-Appeal, documenting over 100 ritual abuse cases across the country.

April
Kelly Michaels, a preschool teacher, is convicted of 115 counts of sexual abuse and uttering terroristic threats.

October
Geraldo Rivera's special, "Devil Worship: Exploring Satan's Underground", airs on television

Paul Ingram of Washington is accused by his two daughters of satanic ritual abuse. Devoutly religious, he believes he must have been influenced by Satan and repressed the memories of what he'd done. He pleads guilty, then retracts his confession when he begins to doubt the truth of the accusations.

350,000 reports of child sexual abuse are made in 1988, compared to 6,000 in 1976 (source: Time Magazine)

1989

Debbie Nathan's article: "False Evidence: How Bad Science Fueled the Hysteria Over Child Abuse," appears in LA Weekly

1990

January
After three years of testimony and nine weeks of deliberation (the longest and most expensive criminal trial in US history, costing California taxpayers 15 million dollars) the jury in the McMartin case acquits Peggy Buckey and her son Ray. The prosecution decides to retry Ray Buckey.

District Attorney Alan Rubenstein, conducting an independent investigation of ritual abuse allegations against the staff of Breezy Point Day Care in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, concludes that "none of this ever happened," and drops all charges. "This wasn't a question of maybe it happened and we just can't prove," he said. "This was conjured up by the hysteria of the parents who bought into this. It never happened."

Ritual abuse convictions in California and Texas are overturned on appeal.

August
The second McMartin trial ends with a hung jury

1991

Bobby Fijnje, a 14-year-old boy falsely accused of sexually abusing Sunday School children in Florida, is acquitted of all charges. The primary moving force behind his prosecution was Janet Reno.

February
Tennessee state appeals court overturned the 1987 child sex-abuse conviction of Frances Ballard on the grounds of prosecutorial misconduct.

1992

March
60 Minutes segment on false abuse allegations against Bill and Kathy Swan

March
The False Memory Syndrome Foundation is formed to help families who have been torn about by therapy-induced incest accusations.

April
Police patrol the streets of Martensville, Saskatchewan, Canada, with assault rifles because of rumors that Satanists are coming to attack the town.

April
Bob Kelly convicted on 99 of 100 counts of child abuse in the North Carolina "Little Rascals" Daycare case. He is sentenced to 12 consecutive life sentences.

Frances and Daniel Keller, operators of Fran's Day Care Center, convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a 3-year-old girl. The Kellers were sentenced to 48 years in prison.

Three children made allegations of abuse that included references to being buried alive with animals, painting pictures with bones dipped in blood, being shot and resurrected, digging up a body in a cemetary and nailing it together, having giant germs implanted in their bodies, and making pornographic movies at gunpoint.

1993

March
New Jersey Supreme Court overturns Kelly Michaels conviction, rules the way the children were questioned has tainted the evidence in the case.

May
48 Hours program about Kelly Michaels case

May-June
Lawrence Wright New Yorker article about Paul Ingram case.

July
PBS Frontline program by journalist Ofra Bikel about Little Rascals case in Edenton, North Carolina

August
Robert Halsey is convicted of molesting children on his bus route, sent to prison for life.

October
20/20 show on suggestibility of children in accepting and believing stories

November
Time magazine story on "Lies of the Mind"

November
Dale Akiki is acquitted in California of charges he molested children at a Sunday School

November
Nancy Smith and Joseph Allen are arrested and charged with molesting children who attend the Head Start school in Lorain, Ohio

1994

April
60 Minutes looks at false/recovered memories

May
A jury awards damages to Gary Ramona, who sued his daughter's therapists, accusing them of implanting false memories of sexual abuse in her when she went to them for counselling for her eating disorder.

June
San Diego grand jury reports on prosecutorial error in Dale Akiki case

June
Redbook article on ritual abuse cases

August
Nancy Smith and Joseph Allen are convicted of multiple child abuse and sentenced to lengthy prison terms

1995

PBS Frontline "Divided Memories" program, showing how families are torn apart over false memories invented in therapy

May
"Indictment," a movie about the McMartin case which is sympathetic to the defendants, airs on HBO.

Debbie Nathan and Michael Snedeker's book, Satan's Silence, is published.

December
Geraldo Rivera apologizes for promoting the satanic ritual abuse and recovered memory panics.

1996

Drs. Stephen Ceci and Maggie Bruck publish Jeopardy in the Courtroom, presenting their findings on the suggestibility of children as witnesses.

McCuan and Kniffen convictions are overturned. The Kniffen's two sons, now grown, tell a judge that when they were children they were coerced by a prosecutor to accuse their parents. The justice system that supposedly "saved" them from their parents then sent them to over a dozen foster homes.

Methodist minister Nathaniel Grady and four other men imprisoned in 1984 for abusing children in day care centers in the Bronx, are released from prison after successful appeals.

George Franklin, convicted on the basis of his daughter Eileen's recovered memories of witnessing him murder an eight year old girl, is released on appeal after serving six years in prison.

1997

January
Advocates for the victims of the ritual abuse witch hunts, including some of those released from prison, gather at Salem, Massachusetts, on the 300th anniversary of the day the Governor of Massachusetts apologized for the Salem Witch Trials.

May
Prosecutors drop charges against Robert Kelly and Dawn Wilson in the Little Rascals case.

A long-buried tape recording of a child's interview with social worker Velda Murillo, in which Murillo pressures the little girl to accuse her relatives of molesting her, is turned over to the defense team for Jeff Modahl, in Bakersfield, California. The tape establishes what the defense said all along -- that children had been coerced into making accusations.

1998

March
A federal court frees Grant Snowden (another Janet Reno case) after 12 years in prison. The court finds that the children's testimony is not trustworthy because of the leading and suggestive questioning they were subjected to.

December
Marilynn Malcom's appeal from her 1986 conviction is denied. The Washington appeals court judges rule that too much time had elapsed since her conviction for her to introduce new legal arguments.

1999

Californian Jeff Modahl is freed after spending 15 years in prison.

November
Dr Bennett Braun, once considered a foremost authority on satanic ritual abuse, is sued by a former patient, who believed that she was a satanic high priestess and regularly ate human flesh. He also surrenders his medical license for a period of two years.

2000

September
In Ohio, a judge rules that Jenny Wilcox and Robert Aldridge cannot sue for wrongful imprisonment for the 11 years they spent behind bars on multiple assault charges before their conviction was overturned in 1996.

November
Harvard Law School sponsors a conference on the "The Day Care Child Sex Abuse Phenomenon."

2001

March
Parents of a woman who had acccused them of physical and sexual abuse sued her therapists. The jury awarded them over five million dollars.

My first wife was a member from 1972 to 1976. She lived in Italy taking care of the children number two woman in the group.

A "Mo Letter" from the COG's early days

Could you give us a bit of information about yourself, your theological and biographical background?

I am the W. O. Carver Professor of Christian Missions and World Religions at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. I have been here since 1992. I also have a joint appointment as professor of religion at The Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary in Baguio City, and teach there on a regular basis. I previously served as professor of history and religion and Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Colorado Christian University. I have taught and lectured at institutions in Trinidad, Malaysia, The Philippines, Nigeria, Australia, Korea, Canada, Ecuador, and Singapore. I have an MA from the University of Nebraska in American Social History; an M. Div. from Southern Seminary, and Ph. D. in History of Religion from Duke University.

I became a Christian as a young man serving in the U. S. military in the Philippines. I joined a Baptist Church and studied for some time in the Navigator program. I have been a Baptist ever since, much of that time in the Baptist General Conference. I came to Southern Seminary as part of the first wave of “conservative evangelicals” in the process of redirecting the seminary. I am comfortable with that label.

How did you become interested and/or involved in researching the Children of God? And how did it end up a book?

I encountered the Family by chance. In 1993 a fellow faculty member received a general mail-out to scholars who might be interested in the Family, and he passed it on to me. I was curious, having just taken over teaching a course in Minority Religious Movements. I was to attend the AAR convention that fall in Washington D.C., and contacted the Family there for a meeting. The meeting went very well, and the next night I was taken to a secret location to meet with Peter Amsterdam. He is now co-leader of the Family and was at that time the administrative director. We had a very open, honest, and productive exchange and seemed to “hit if off” personally. He was hopeful of establishing better relationships with the Evangelical community, and I informed him that there was little or no chance of that happening. It was a very interesting evening, and my interest was peaked.

I began to read Family literature as well as popular and scholarly work on the movement. In time I saw a gap – much had been written about the Family as a movement and about the leadership – but the members themselves had not “told their story”. I approached the Family with my idea of an oral history and they were quite positive. I set some guidelines, several of which allowed me unprecedented access as an outsider. I was allowed to visit any home and speak with any disciple, and all interviews were private – to my knowledge this is the first time Family leadership encouraged and facilitated private contact between disciples and an outsider. This was a very big step for a closed community like The Family, and I appreciated the trust they invested in me. I researched the Family for five years and took another year to write the book.

Could you give us a thumbnail sketch of the COG's history?

The Children of God (COG) begins with David Bradt Berg, a traveling evangelist with roots in the Christian and Missionary Alliance. He began a mobile ministry with his four children and settled into Huntington Beach, California in 1968. There he received a vision to become a prophet and evangelist to the rebellious youth of the day. He called these young people to faith in Jesus, and a rejection of the “system” that was contemporary establishment America.. The youth were required to ‘forsake all’ by rejecting every tie to the evil ‘system’ and commit full time as disciple of Jesus on the model of the early Church. In time his “family” number 50 and he took the group on the road. At some point in 1969, Karen Zerby joined the movement. She became David Berg’s secretary, consort, “New Wife”, and eventually the leader of the Family on Berg’s death.

In 1970 the community settled into a Christian ministry ranch in Texas, and soon grew to 200 strong. A second colony was started in California. The owner of the ranch evicted them in a power struggle, and the group fanned out across North America, forming numerous colonies. FREECOG (the first modern anti-cult organization) formed in 1971. The hostility from parents, conventional society, and the established Church drove the communities further underground. In the early 1970’s Father David (Berg) received two revelations that had considerable impact on the trajectory of the COG. In “I Gotta Split” he broke off physical contact with most disciples and established his authority through a highly structured chain of command, and through his writing, known as MO Letters. In the “Great Escape” he urged the disciples to flee North America before the coming destruction and begin a worldwide evangelistic mission. Soon colonies were spread across the globe, from Australia to Austria to Argentina

Sexual liberty began in the Prophet’s household in the earliest years of the COG. A major shift in that direction developed in 1974 with the introduction of “Flirty Fishing” (Ffing). Ffing involved the use of sexual allure, up to and including intercourse, as a mean of bearing witness to a lost world. It sprang from Father David’s conception of the “Law of Love” whereby all things done in love are permissible. This also included sexual sharing between consenting adults and, in some places, sexual contact with minors. Ffing was an evangelistic and fund raising strategy, but was not a strategy to recruit new disciples to the COG. Only a handful of persons ever joined through Ffing, and hundreds left the movement over this new direction.

The radically shifting sexual ethos, subsequent challenges to lines of authority, and problems of abusive leadership created a crisis within the movement. In 1978 Father David published “Re-Organization, Nationalization, Revolution” which eliminated all leadership structures and virtually disbanded the COG. The individual colonies and disciples were set free to relate directly to the “King”, primarily through the Mo Letters. What was left of the movement was renamed the “Family of Love.” In 1982, Father David reorganized the disciples into a tightly knit worldwide organization under new leadership and renamed it simple “The Family.”

Father David had disallowed any form of birth control from the beginning, and large numbers of children were produced. In the early 1980’s these children started to become teenagers. Many had experienced low levels of education, harsh communal discipline, and in some cases sexual exploitation. As these children matured toward early adulthood, serious problems developed. (The vast majority of the first wave of children eventually left the Family.) Teen Training Camps and Victor Programs were established to respond to this crisis. By this time, Maria had assumed considerable authority, and she became increasingly aware that some teenage girls were the victims of unwanted sexual advances by adults. Efforts were made to halt these acts, and eventually strict age limitations were placed on sexual activity. By the mid 1980s Flirty Fishing had become central to the witness and economic well being of many colonies, but also had become increasingly problematic. Coinciding with the outbreak of AIDS, Ffing was halted and all sexual contact with outsiders was prohibited.

In 1990 Father David issued “Consider the Poor” which authorized the disciples to begin social ministries as a component of their witnessing for Jesus. Prior to this, the strong end time theology had placed almost total emphasis on getting as many people as possible saved before the tribulation began. “Consider the Poor” had a powerful impact of the Family, as disciples all over the world began ministering to refuges, drug addicts, convicts, street gangs, and abused children. These types of social ministries are now a key component of Family life.

In 1994 David Berg died. Consistent with Family theology, he now resides in the Spirit World and continues to communicate directly with the Family. Peter and Maria took command and soon issued the “Love Charter” which again reorganized the movement into a kinder, gentler, and more democratic organization. Prophecy has emerged as the essential form of leadership, and all disciples are encouraged to hear directly from the Lord, Father David, or any number of guiding sprits. Peter and Maria have solidified their roles as King and Queen, but there has been a good bit of defection over the last ten years. The size of the Family has remained stable at about 10,000, even with new disciples and large number of births. The Charter softened the community, and many disciples began living compromising lives, with ever more interaction with the System. In recent years, attempts have been made to stiffen the standards of disciple life. There have been several ongoing purges of the less than fully committed, and the leadership seems determined to recapture the “revolutionary” sprit of the early years.

How did the COG compare to other Jesus movement groups, in doctrine and in practice?

There is little question but that the COG was a key element of the Jesus movement, and that was certainly the self-understanding of Berg and his young followers. While generalizations are risky, I think it is fair to say that the Jesus Movement was in tune with the radical youth revolution of the 1960’s. These young people and the often loosely knit organizations that drew them were idealistic, “counter culture”, centered on experience, generally held a high view of scripture, and were highly evangelistic. There was a widespread and deep sense of alienation from not only the conventional culture, but also from the churches that resided in that culture. Most groups tended toward an apocalyptic vision and most were charismatic, to one degree or another. The COG fits neatly into such a general description.

However, the COG stands apart from the broader Jesus Movement on several fronts, most notably the Prophetic role of Father David and the authoritarian leadership of the Prophet and the organization as a whole. With the evolution of his writings as equal to or surpassing the Bible, the COG makes a clear break with other related movements. Of course, the highly unconventional sexual ethos articulated in the “Law of Love” is another feature that marks out the COG as a distinct entity. I am not an expert on the Jesus Movement as a whole. I am fairly certain that most in the Jesus Movement had a strong view of the reality of evil and the Evil One. But I do believe the COG’s theology and practice of communication and interaction with the “spirit world” has little parallel in other movements.

Since the death of the founder and leader of the Family/COG, David Berg, what changes have occurred?

There have been a good number of changes, though Family leadership would down play these and insist that Father David still guides the group from his seat in the Spirit World. There is no question that the Family has become a kinder and gentler community over the past 10 years. Leadership structures are far less dictatorial, and Family homes do operate in a generally democratic manner. The Love Charter removed many of the burdens of disciple life, and there is far more flexibility and choice for individuals and local communities.

Birth control is now practiced (though not generally among the first generation) and families will surely be smaller. Flirty Fishing had already ceased, and the sexual practices within the homes have calmed down a great deal. Sexual “sharing” is still a central aspect of community life, but is far less prevalent than in the wild years of the 1980s and early 1990s. It is interesting that the second-generation disciples are more conservative about these things, and they are beginning to make a real mark on the movement as a whole. Over the past several years, the top level leadership has come to the conclusion that things have gone too far, that many members are no longer living the sacrificial life of faith. Greater discipline is coming back slowly, and successful attempts have been made to winnow out the uncommitted.

The leadership style of Maria and Peter is far different and there is a much greater emphasis on receiving prophecy as the essential guide to the group as a whole, and to the lives of individual disciples.

Perhaps the most telling and interesting change is the “Activated Program.” Most disciples lived out their lives with the full assurance that the End would come in their lifetime. Now, many are aging, and the community as a whole is beginning to come to terms with the possibility of an extended stay on this earth. The Activated Program is a response to this rather significant shift. One of the most essential features of disciple life through the years has been mobility. Now, the disciples are being very strongly encouraged to settle down in one place, establish a community of faithful believers on the outside who are committed to the overall Family vision, but are unable to make the sacrifices necessary for full disciple life. In short, they are beginning to develop congregations and to function as pastoral leaders of those faith communities. There has been considerable success in this endeavor, particularly in Latin America, Africa, and India. If this trend continues (and there is absolutely now way to predict the trajectory of the Family in the future), it will work profound changes in the movement as a whole.

Is the group growing, or shrinking?

Both. Family leadership has struggled with the clear definition of “disciple life.” Over the past 10 years, a good deal of effort has gone into casting out those who are just hanging on, who enjoy the lifestyle but are not truly committed to the Family vision. As a result, the number of full time disciples has declined slightly over the last number of years, to something slightly less than 10,000, even with the continued birth of numerous children. However, in the outer circles, the number of persons who identify with the Family at some level, and support the movement financially, is growing steadily and may be as high as 75,000. Interestingly, one of the main sources of “new disciples” are young adults who were raised in the Family, left in their youth or teen years with their parents, and are now returning to disciple life.

How long did you live with the Family, and how did that come about?

I first encountered the Family in 1993. After I made my proposal for the study and writing of the lives of disciples, I received assurances that I could visit any home and interview any person there. Over the last 11 years I have visited scores of homes in the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The only exception was that I was never invited to the home of Father David / Maria – though I did interview Maria extensively. Father David died not long after I began my study, and he had been in very ill health for some time before that.

My visits would last for one day up to two weeks. I have estimated my total time spent living in Family homes at just under 6 months. The Family is spread widely across the globe. Family sources have assured me that I know more disciples personally than almost anyone within the Family.

I realize that no man can say for absolute sure whether or not another person is spiritually regenerate. From your perspective, however, would you feel comfortable calling the Family/COG a Christian group? Why or why not?

Well, everything so far has been a fastball over the middle of the plate, now comes the big curve. And I appreciate your caveat to open the question. But I do believe you have conflated two separate questions into one. Whether or not a certain disciple in the Family is spiritually regenerate, or any of them, is a different question than whether or not the Family is a Christian group. I will try to address both.

Many years ago I taught at Grace Bible College in Omaha. One of our music faculty, Henry Weibe, led the worship for revival services with an Amish community in Iowa. He was sharing his experience with several of us, when one of our more righteous brothers asked, “Now, those Amish, are they really Christians?” Our music guy didn’t blink. He simply said, “Well, the ones who know Jesus are and the ones who don’t aren’t.” I have never forgotten that moment.

Many of the disciples I have encountered came to know Jesus before joining the Family, through the witness of Campus Crusade, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and the Assemblies of God. In Australia, I even encountered a former Southern Baptist pastor. None of those people had even the slightest sense that their saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ had undergone any change at all. The COG/Family has always proclaimed a simple gospel message that is little or no different than the message of most evangelicals I know. I have spoken at length and depth with hundreds of disciples about their spiritual life, and heard the testimonies of God at work in their lives. I have worshiped with them, sang with them, prayed with them. Are there spiritually regenerate disciples in the Family? As much as any human can answer that question – my answer is absolutely yes. The ones who know Jesus are, and the ones who don’t aren’t. My experience leads me to believe that most, though not all, do. Are they sinners? Yes. But the last time I checked, there were a few of those floating around Baptist circles as well. And just to add a little fuel to the fire, there are also a good number of people floating around Baptist and other evangelical circles who were brought to faith in Jesus through the witness of a Child of God.

Now, the second question – is the Family a “Christian” group. And the answer depends entirely on what you mean by “Christian”. If you mean the term in its broadest historical application, then of course they are a Christian group. And so are Methodists, and Roman Catholics, and the Ethiopian Church. On the other hand, if you mean are they an orthodox Christian group – well no, they are not. The Family statement of faith is in the appendix of my book and on the Family web site. It is written to give as much appearance of orthodoxy as possible. But there are several components of Family theology that push the movement well outside the boundaries of orthodoxy: The Law of Love, the Prophethood of Father David, the conceptualization of the Holy Spirit as a female, the current operation of Father David from the spirit world and other “spirit guides”, their quite imaginative understanding of the “virgin” birth, and the scriptural status of the MO Letters are the most obvious. I could expand on these or add further to the list, but the point is made.

In my first encounter with Peter Amsterdam, we discussed the possibility of the Family being more accepted as part of the wider evangelical community. We had just finished eating, so I took a plate and said “this is the evangelical world.” Then I took a cup at some distance away and said “this cup is you.” I then said that if the Family made fundamental changes in theology and practice, it might be possible to draw the cup close to the plate, but “you guys are never getting on that plate.” My general assessment of the connection between the Family and the broader world of evangelical Christianity has not changed.

Okay, sex. This is the topic that makes the COG so controversial, and the subject of so much ink, over the years. Could you briefly sketch out the idea of David Berg's ideas on sex, open marriage, "flirty fishing" evangelism, and at least accusations of adult/child sexuality?

I will be as brief as I can be. The early years of the COG were quite puritan, and disciples were held to a high standard of sexual ethic. However David Berg began an affair with Maria very early on, and took her as his “New Wife” in 1970. Experimentation with multiple partners expanded to the upper levels of leadership, but was kept from the ordinary disciples until about 1974. At about that time, Father David gave forth his teachings on the Law of Love, and instituted sexual sharing among the disciples and Flirty Fishing as an evangelism strategy.

Both were based on the twin premises that sex is like any other basic human need, such as food or sleep, and that what is done in love is not sin. Sexual sharing and Ffing soon became the norm in COG life, along with openness to nudity within the homes and a general affirmation of the goodness sexuality. It should be noted that Ffing was never intended, nor did it function as a means of recruiting members into the movement, as is often understood by outsiders. In fact, very few persons every joined the Family through Ffing. And hundreds of disciples left the movement in disagreement with it when it was instituted. Ffing cost the COG hundreds of disciples, and “netted” only a handful. Ffing also proved to be a solid source of income to many homes. These funds came through direct solicitation of “fish”, times when COG women worked in escort services around the world for fixed fees, but primarily though the development of supporters who gave to the movement in appreciation of the services rendered. Many of these “Kings” still support the movement, long after Ffing ceased in the late 1980s.

Sexual sharing, between singles and married people, also became a significant component of COG life. This practice not only provided for the “sexual needs” of singles and married people living apart from their spouses, but also was the primary means of establishing and maintain group identity and loyalty. It was a most powerful method of living out the vision of all being part of “one Family.”

Ffing was ended in 1987, but it was never repudiated, quite the contrary. It is still viewed as both appropriate and part of God’s plan for the time. One senior member told me that the Ffing Letters have been removed from the practical “canon” of MO Letters, not because they no longer believe in it, but because the Letters “make such a powerful case for Ffing as God’s will, that we are fearful our younger people will want to do it.”

Sexual sharing continues as an integral aspect of Family life. It is far less open and much less frequently practiced than in previous times, but is still there and still affirmed as an essential component of disciple life. Open displays of sexual affection are no longer permitted in the homes, and children are not exposed to the practice, as they were in years gone by. Interestingly, the second generation – those raised up in this sexually permissive environment – are less positive about it than their parents.

The issue of adult / child sexual contact is a most delicate, and disturbing aspect of the Family saga. Children were encouraged to express their sexuality at as early an age as possible. Father David modeled adult sexual encounters with minors, and his Letters could very easily be interpreted (and were) that sexual contact between adults and minors was permitted. From the time the first wave of children began to mature, up until the mid 1980’s, adulthood in the Family began at age 12. There is no question that children as young as 12, and in a few cases even younger, had sexual contact and sexual intercourse with adults. This practice was not ubiquitous in the Family. I encountered adult disciples who wanted nothing to do with this, for themselves or their children. I encountered some who were not even aware it was going on until it was exposed in the court cases of the 1990s. But, it did occur throughout the world, and in far too many places. I am quite confident that this is one of several reasons why virtually the entire first wave of children left the movement.

In the late 1980s, the Family became increasingly aware of the serious problem this was for the children and the movement as a whole. Strictures were put in place, with very specific guidelines and age limitations on any sexual encounters. Adult sexual contact with a minor became an excommunicable offense, and remains so today. It took awhile for this to work through the Family, but by the time I began my research in 1993 the sexual abuse and exploitation of the children had ceased. As much as a religious community like the Family is capable, they have repented, and certainly have repudiated this part of their past. I am fully confident, and have even staked my professional reputation on the line, in saying that children raised in the Family today are less likely to be sexually abused than those raised in the “general population” of American society, and certainly are safer than those brought up in the Roman Catholic Church.

There has been ongoing criticism of the Family for not cooperating in bringing the perpetrators of this sexual abuse to justice. They have not, for several reasons. They believe that they made an honest mistake, and that God has forgiven them. Beyond that, the Family remains a distinctly countercultural, antiestablishment religious community. The believe fully that all those in the “System” particularly the media and government structures, are under the direct control of Satan and will use any and all opportunities or pretexts to destroy “God’s Endtime Army.” They are not quite ready to surrender God’s disciples to Satan’s agents, for any reason.

Could you explain the COG's overall understanding of sexuality -- "the law of love" -- and any more recent developments including their ideas on prayer/masturbation?

I think I have already addressed the first part of your question. Quite simple, sex is a beautiful, God given gift, which has been corrupted by the evil one. To quote Father David directly, “The Devil hates sex, but God loves it.” Sex is pure, clean, wholesome, and a basic aspect of being human. According to Father David, God’s first command to humans was to have sex. It is a basic human need, and any Christian seeing his brother or sister in need ought to help fulfill that need. Anything that is done “in Love” is of God, and is pure and right. You twine these two principles together, and you have the basic Family understanding of sexuality.

Now, as to prayer and masturbation: I have often had Family disciples visit my classroom. In the most recent visitation one of my more aggressive students asked the question, with a rather pointed tone: “Is it true that you masturbate when you pray and worship Jesus?” The disciple smiled at the fellow and said, “Yes.”

I was first informed of the “Loving Jesus Revolution” in a long weekend encounter with Peter Amsterdam. It was before the new measures had been completed and before it had been announced to the Family as a whole. I was sworn to secrecy. He told me that Jesus was very happy with their dedication, service, witnessing, but not as happy with their worship or devotion. That Jesus wanted them to really love him with passion and intimacy. Therefore, Jesus wanted the disciples to begin to truly act as his “bride.” Disciples were to speak words of love and affection to Him, and to engage in sex with either their partners or themselves while envisioning Jesus and conveying their deep love for Jesus through their words and actions of love to their partners. It was at this point that I came to the conclusion that Family leadership had really let me inside. I mean, if they were keeping things from me, what could be more bizarre than this one.

To my knowledge, this is the only aspect of Family life that I have not directly observed, since it is to be done only in private. Children are insolated from this practice, and teenagers are not allowed participation until they reach an age of maturity (I believe the age now is 16).

There you have it, the “Loving Jesus Revolution.” It has spread broadly in the Family, but is by no means practiced by all disciples. And as with most “revolutions” in the movement, a significant number of disciples came to the conclusion that this one was too much, and moved on.

You've been accused of being soft on the Family, too non-confrontational regarding their doctrinal aberrations in the areas of sexuality, spiritualism, and so on. For instance, your talk at a recent Evangelical Ministries to New Religions conference became a lightning rod for those who felt some of us had begun compromising too much with the so-called "cults." How do you respond to that sort of thing?

Well, an interesting and complex question. I will start by saying this is my first opportunity to respond, since none of the people you are referring to have ever had the courage or integrity to make such accusations to my face. But, I will let that slide, and try to answer your question.

I was invited to the EMNR conference you refer to as an outside scholar, asked to make a presentation in the “academic” section of the program. The topic assigned to me was “Changes in the Family since the death of the Prophet.” That is what I did. I received very positive feedback from some other scholars present, and to be honest, I thought I did a pretty good job. Afterwards, someone (I can not recall whom) said to me: “Your presentation is sure to cause trouble.” I responded by asking what I said that was not true or accurate. The persons replied, “No, it is what you didn’t say.” My response was, “What changes in the Family did I not address?” The fellow just looked at me and walked away.

I began this whole endeavor in 1993 with only one goal in front of me – to explore the COG/Family in depth, to discover as best I could what it really meant to be a disciple of Father David. My task was not to expose a cult, but to discover a people, and tell their story. I believe I accomplished that goal with the publication of my book in 2000, and continue to do so through my ongoing relationship/exploration of the Family, and in numerous presentations, articles, encyclopedia entries, and book chapters. And the only way to achieve that goal is by continuing to give respect and empathy to Family disciples, the respect and empathy due every human being.

I have never misrepresented myself, particularly not to the Family. I have never hidden my own convictions, and when asked by them I have always given an honest assessment of their life and their belief system. (They soon quit asking.) Early in my research, a prominent member asked me what I thought of Father David. I said that I did not know him personally, and it might be unfair to make judgments based on hearsay or his writings. But the fellow persisted, so I responded that at the very least he struck me as a man with some very serious emotional problems and a distorted understanding of the Faith. The fellow stared at me for a while, and then smiled and said, “Well at least you are honest about it. And besides, I can see how an outsider might think that, but once you get to know us, you will see the truth.”

My body of work has always dealt forthrightly with all the difficult aspects of Family life, including authoritarian leadership, financial and emotional abuse of disciples, physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children, the extraordinary sexual ethos, Flirty Fishing as prostitution, misrepresentation of their true identity, spirit world communication, and so on. But, I have done so both in sympathy with them as fellow human beings (and to some degree as fellow Christians), and in a way that is far, far more credible than some anti-cult ranting based on second hand accounts and decades old literature, I have done so in their own words.

Well, I guess that is enough on that topic. As to how all this plays out with the tension in the ranks of Christian counter-cult ministries, I think it best to let you folks sort that out for yourselves.

How do you respond to the treatment of the COG by secular "anti-cult" critics such as Stephen Kent?

I do not know Stephen Kent personally, but I am not particularly impressed with his work. I suspect that he has been deeply moved by the tragedies in the lives of a number of young people who were raised in the Family or other NRMs. There are indeed tragedies. But his work has been, as best as I can tell, almost exclusively with those persons, and therefore is at best skewed by their experiences, and the ever growing and expanding memories of those experiences. I had a few “ah – ha” moments along my journey with the Family. One of those concerned the plight of the young people, particularly those who were born early in the movement’s history. Some of their lives were filled with hardship, abuse, and sadness. But as I came to know the disciples, I began to realize that many of the first generation of disciples were people who had been outcasts, abused, dropouts, drug users, and had lived lives of great sadness. And I began to ask myself, “what might the lives of their children been like had they not joined the Family?” I think that is the kind of question, the kind of analysis, that people like Stephen Kent and those in the secular anti-cult movement cannot allow themselves.

I also believe there is a general antipathy to almost any level of religious commitment in the secular anti-cult movement. In their eyes, Jews for Jesus are no different than the COG. That should give Christians pause. A good deal has been written about this phenomenon, and I need not go into detail. Phillip Jenkins, in Mystics and Messiahs gives a fair and balanced rendering; I would suggest those in sympathy with the Stephen Kents of the world take a look at what he has to say.

Many of us feel the so-called "CounterCult" -- traditional evangelical ministries targeting groups such as the COG with highly confrontational methods -- has failed. What are your thoughts?

Well, I am not sure I am the best one to make any critical judgments along those lines. I understand that a good bit of self-reflection is now occurring within the Christian Counter-cult community. I think in many cases that the efforts have not so much failed. The groups were “targeted” – and I think the thrust of the effort was to attack them, discredit them, and to throw up defensive walls around the church. I know of several instances where Family disciples have suffered hardships as a result of these kinds of attacks and the work of the Family has been disrupted – and to that extent, they were successful. I believe a number of the ministries you are referring have been moderately successful in laying out the nature of these groups to the wider church, though at times in a manner not as well informed as one might hope.

Now, when you say, “failed”, I assume you mean that the ministries have not been very successful in bringing members of these groups into the evangelical Christian fold. That should not be a surprise at all. I believe it is difficult to find many instances where “attack evangelism” has been successful. However, I am aware of some very promising work by some. Ross Clifford and the folks down there at Morling College in Sydney seem to have figured some things out and are having a positive ministry to persons drawn to New Age. I am sure there are others.

Why, if for any reason, is a discussion of the Family important to the Church?

The Family provides insight into a number of areas that should concern the Church. One is the potential for – let us say drift and innovation – when a community has a living prophet. As I tell my students – when a religious community has a living prophet, anything is possible. The Family is a virtual laboratory for the observation of just how that can work out.

I think the commitment of the disciples, the sacrifices they have and are making to share the gospel (as they understand it) is something the broader church needs to see and understand. When I have Family disciples visit my classroom, the reactions of students are mixed, but most are in some ways shamed by the level of dedication they observe.

I think those are two good reasons, beyond the general need to know and understand what is happening at the fringes.

How do you think evangelical Christians should interact with the Family/COG?

That is a tough one. The Family as a whole sees the “system Church” as weak, much talk and little action, and generally lacking the conviction and dedication necessary to face the coming End. On the other hand, the Family is more sensitive than ever to the concerns of what they consider to be fellow believers. I think there is not really much that evangelicals can “do with” the Family. However, there is an area where effective ministry could be done, and should be done. Hundreds of young people have left the Family, often set adrift in a world that is alien to them. Some of them do quite well, and Family life in some ways does prepare a person to “make it” in the world. But others struggle greatly. I believe there is a real potential for ministry here. And if it were done with the right approach and attitude, it might well be possible to get at least tacit assistance from the Family in meeting this

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