62-636: David Brandt Berg (February 18, 1919 – October 1, 1994), also known as King David , Mo , Moses David , Father David , Dad , or Grandpa to followers, was the founder and leader of the cult generally known as the Children of God and subsequently as The Family International . Berg's group, founded in 1968 among the counterculture youth in Southern California , gained notoriety for incorporating sexuality into its spiritual message and recruitment methods. Berg and his organization were accused of
124-411: A naturist beach. Although designated a city, and its public administration vested in the civil parish of Costa da Caparica, the area consists of several integrated communities and localities, including São João, Santo António, Terras da Costa and Fonte da Telha. With a population of 11,708 inhabitants, it represents 7.3% of the municipal population. Similarly, it has the largest immigrant population in
186-589: A Christian convert, moved to the American colonies and lived as a Mennonite —David Berg was outspokenly antisemitic , believing that the Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus , as well as all persecution of Christians in the world. In support of his views of an international Jewish conspiracy , he cited the forged Protocols of the Elders of Zion , but disclaimed the label "antisemitic." Berg predicted that
248-535: A Mo Letter reportedly entitled "Flee as a Bird to Your Mountain" was interpreted by some members (such as Ruth Gordon) as a warning to leave America. "God was going to destroy the U.S. ... and we had to get out." This, along with the pressure members felt that parents were trying to "rescue" children who had joined CoG, encouraged members to "[migrate] abroad -- first to Europe, eventually to Latin America and East Asia". By 1972, COG stated it had 130 communities around
310-864: A branch of his Soul Clinic in Miami, Florida, as a missionary training school. After running into trouble with local authorities over his aggressive disapproval of evolution being taught as fact in public schools, Berg moved his family to Fred Jordan's Texas Soul Clinic, in Western Texas. Berg and his family founded the organization Teens for Christ, operating out of the Light Club coffeehouse in Huntington Beach, California , in 1968. While in California, after receiving strong resistance from local churches due to his followers picketing them, he took
372-499: A broad range of sexual misconduct , including child sexual abuse . Berg's maternal grandfather was John Lincoln Brandt (1860–1946), a Disciples of Christ minister, author, and lecturer of Muskogee, Oklahoma . Brandt had a dramatic conversion in his mid-twenties and immediately entered full-time Christian service. For years he was a Methodist circuit rider. He later became a leader of the Alexander Campbell movement of
434-731: A following of "born-again hippies" who gathered at a coffeehouse in Huntington Beach , in Orange County, California . In 1969, after having a revelation "that California would be hit by a major earthquake", he left Huntington Beach and "took his followers on the road". They would proselytize in the streets and distribute pamphlets. Leaders within COG were referred to as The Chain . Members of The Children of God (COG) founded communes , first called colonies (now referred to as homes), in various cities. Berg communicated with his followers by writing letters. He published nearly 3,000 letters over
496-524: A minister in the Christian and Missionary Alliance in the late 1940s, and was placed at Valley Farms, Arizona . Berg was eventually expelled from the organization for differences in teachings and for alleged sexual misconduct with a church employee. In Berg's writings he claimed the expulsion was due to his support for greater racial diversity among his congregation. Fred Jordan, Berg's friend and boss, allowed Berg and his personal family to open and run
558-456: A number of Miami churches. The Berg family depended entirely on the generosity of their parishioners for their support, and often had difficulty making ends meet. This instilled in Berg a lifelong habit of frugality, which he encouraged his followers to adopt. Berg graduated from Monterey High School in 1935 and later attended Elliott School of Business Administration. Like his father, Berg became
620-424: A number of different names since its inception, including Teens for Christ , The Children of God ( COG ), The Family of Love , or simply The Family . A British court case found the group was an authoritarian cult which engaged in the systematic physical and sexual abuse of children, resulting in lasting trauma among survivors. The group has also been accused of targeting vulnerable people. According to
682-628: A period of 24 years, referred to as the Mo Letters . In a letter written in January 1972, Berg stated that he was God's prophet for the contemporary world, attempting to further solidify his spiritual authority within the group. Berg's letters also contained public acknowledgement of his own failings and weaknesses, for example, he issued a Mo Letter entitled "My confession -- I was an alcoholic!" (ML #1406 Summer 1982) relating his depression after some of his closest supporters quit in 1978. In 1972,
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#1732798126437744-691: A radical form of bridal theology . They believe the church of followers is Christ's bride, called to love and serve him with wifely fervor; however, this bridal theology is taken further, encouraging members to imagine Jesus is joining them during sexual intercourse and masturbation . Male members are cautioned to visualize themselves as women, in order to avoid a homosexual relationship with Jesus. Many TFI publications, and spirit messages claimed to be from Jesus himself, elaborate this intimate, sexual relation they believe Jesus desires and needs. TFI imagines itself as his special "bride" in graphic poetry, guided visualizations, artwork, and songs. Some TFI literature
806-525: A safe environment for children. Nevertheless, he did require that the group cease all corporal punishment of children in the United Kingdom and denounce any of Berg's writings that were "responsible for children in TF having been subjected to sexually inappropriate behaviour". The Love Charter is The Family's set governing document that entails each member's rights, responsibilities and requirements, while
868-715: A specific use and management strategy for the area. Although the Arriba Fóssil is the dominant scenic element of the protected area (PPAFCC), within its limits is the Reserva Botânica da Mata Nacional dos Medos (Botanical Reserve of the National Game Preserve of Medos), also referred to as Pinhal do Rei (the King's Pineforest ), on which King John V of Portugal ordered the seeding of lands to reduce dune encroachment and deforestation. Also under
930-528: A way of disseminating and introducing policy and religious doctrine to his followers. Berg's letters admonished the reader to "love the sinner but hate the sin". His writings were often extreme and uncompromising in their denunciation of what he believed to be evil, such as mainstream churches, pedophilia laws, capitalism, and Jews. Berg, who had been in hiding since 1971, died in November 1994 in Portugal. He
992-498: Is a Portuguese city and civil parish , located in the municipality of Almada along the western coast of the district of Setúbal . The total population in 2011 was 13,418, in an area of 10.18 km . Since 9 December 2004, the Costa da Caparica has been designated as cidade (city or town) within the urban hierarchy of Portugal. The toponymy Caparica developed from a legend about an old woman who lived between Almada and
1054-408: Is not brought into conservative countries for fear it may be classified at customs as pornography. The literature outlining this view of Jesus and his desire for a sexual relationship with believers was edited for younger teens, then further edited for children. The Family has been found liable in a British court, and also criticized by the press and the anti-cult movement . Ex-members have accused
1116-472: The Costa da Caparica Fossil Cliff Protected Landscape ( Portuguese : Paisagem Protegida da Arriba Fóssil da Costa da Caparica ), a prehistoric beach landscape near Terras da Costa, that consist of intricately carved cliffs and erosional deposits, intersected by ravines and clifftops covered in vegetation. Its relative proximity to urban development and sprawl, coupled with progressive deterioration resulted in
1178-617: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , "at its height" the Family movement had "tens of thousands of members, including River and Joaquin Phoenix , Rose McGowan , and Jeremy Spencer ". TFI initially spread a message of salvation , apocalypticism , spiritual "revolution and happiness," and distrust of the outside world, which the members called The System . Like some other fundamentalist groups, it "foretold
1240-522: The Disciples of Christ , a restoration movement that developed into the current Protestant denomination Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) . Berg was born on February 18, 1919, in Oakland, California . During his early years, he usually lived in or around Florida. He was the youngest of three children born to Hjalmar Emmanuel Berg and Virginia Lee Brandt, both Christian evangelists . His father
1302-627: The Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico (IGESPAR) ; these include: Much like other Portuguese communities, the communities of Costa da Caparica participate in secular and religious festivities and fairs throughout the year. These include the city's annual festival (January/February), the festival for local popular saints ( Portuguese : Festas dos Santos Populares ) in June, an arts/crafts and book fairs in July/August, and
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#17327981264371364-503: The Missionary Member Statutes and Fellow Member Statutes were written for the governance of TFI's Missionary member and Fellow Member circles, respectively. FD Homes were reviewed every six months against a published set of criteria. The Love Charter increased the number of single family homes as well as homes that relied on jobs such as self-employment. TFI's recent teachings are based on beliefs which they term
1426-595: The New Testament , preaching of impending doom for America and the ineffectiveness of established churches. Berg "urged a return to the early Christian community described in the Bible's Book of Acts, in which believers lived together and shared all," resembling communal living of late 1960s hippies . The founder of the movement, David Brandt Berg (1919–1994), was a former Christian and Missionary Alliance pastor. Berg started in 1968 as an evangelical preacher with
1488-560: The "new [spiritual] weapons". TFI members believe that they are soldiers in the spiritual war of good versus evil for the souls and hearts of men. "Spirit Helpers" include angels , other religious and mythical figures, and departed humans, including celebrities; for example the goddess Aphrodite , the Snowman, Merlin , the Sphinx , Elvis , Marilyn Monroe , Audrey Hepburn , Richard Nixon , and Winston Churchill . TFI believes that
1550-481: The 22 May 1984 decree-law 168/84 that constituted the Paisagem Protegida with the hope of preserving the geomorphological characteristics and the natural communities that existed within the territory, promoting a balance between the biology and landscape. On 24 November 2008, in a Council of Ministers resolution (178/2008) provided a mechanism for safeguarding the resources and natural value, establishing
1612-455: The Biblical passage "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19), refers to an increasing amount of spiritual authority that was given to Peter and the early disciples . According to TFI beliefs, this passage refers to keys that were hidden and unused in
1674-431: The Family for his book Jesus Freaks . In a review of his book, Paul Burgarino describes Berg as "drawing from the remnants of hippie life—people with nothing to lose, nowhere to go, and no Christian background" to alert them to deviations in Berg's preaching. One ex–Children of God member, Jerry Golland, describes himself at the time of joining the group as penniless and so depressed that the Children of God scraped him "off
1736-638: The Family's leadership of following "a policy of lying to outsiders," being "steeped in a history of sexual deviance" and even meddling "in Third World politics". The Family replies that it is a victim of "persecution." Allegations of abuse and mistreatment have been publicly expressed by some of those who have left the group; examples include sisters Celeste Jones, Kristina Jones, and Juliana Buhring and Daniella Mestyanek Young, who both wrote books on their lives in TFI. In 1971, an organization called FREECOG
1798-588: The United States". The group emphasized its mainstream Christian opposition to abortion, homosexuality, drugs and drunkenness and its respect for Rev. Billy Graham . After Berg's death in October 1994, Karen Zerby (known in the group as Mama Maria, Queen Maria, Maria David, or Maria Fontaine) assumed leadership of the group. In February 1995, the group introduced the Love Charter , which defined
1860-462: The cape. With the money he fulfilled the old woman's request from the rich bounty of her cape. From there the name Capa-Rica developed, for capa ( cape ) and rica ( rich ), which became associated with the region. Legend suggests that, in 1800, the Costa da Caparica was the site for the Casa da Coroa (the first house of rock and limestone) which received its importance for a little-known fact. It
1922-540: The centuries that followed, but were again revealed through Karen Zerby as more power to pray and obtain miracles. TFI members call on the various Keys of the Kingdom for extra effect during prayer. The Keys, like most TFI beliefs, were published in magazines that looked like comic-books in order to make them teachable to children. "Loving Jesus" is a term TFI members use to describe their intimate, sexual relationship with Jesus . TFI describes its "Loving Jesus" teaching as
David Berg - Misplaced Pages Continue
1984-560: The coming of a dictator called the anti-Christ, the rise of a brutal One World Government, and its eventual overthrow by Jesus Christ, in the Second Coming". In 1976, it began a method of evangelism called Flirty Fishing that used sex to "show God's love and mercy" and win converts, resulting in controversy. TFI's founder and prophetic leader, David Berg (who adopted the name "Moses David" while in Laurentide, Canada, and
2046-569: The conservative faction of that church's hierarchy, causing them to work largely as independent pastors and evangelists. Berg spent his early years traveling with his parents, who pursued their evangelical mission. In 1924, they settled in Miami, Florida , after Virginia successfully led a series of large revivals at the Miami Gospel Tabernacle. This became Berg's home for the next 14 years, while his mother and father were pastors at
2108-420: The continued use of Flirty Fishing . The group was also accused of sexually abusing and raping minors within the organization, with considerable evidence to support this claim. One eighth of the total membership left the movement. Those who remained became part of a reorganized movement called the Family of Love, and later, The Family. The majority of the group's beliefs remained the same. The Family of Love era
2170-407: The group by Berg and Zerby in a childrearing handbook known as The Story of Davidito . In January 2005, Ricky Rodriguez murdered one of the female caretakers shown in the handbook before taking his own life several hours later. The Family International The Family International ( TFI ) is an American new religious movement founded in 1968 by David Brandt Berg . The group has gone under
2232-442: The group. In January 2005, Claire Borowik, a spokesperson for TFI, stated: Due to the fact that our current zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual interaction between adults and underage minors was not in our literature published before 1986, we came to the realization that during a transitional stage of our movement, from 1978 until 1986, there were cases when some minors were subject to sexually inappropriate advances ... This
2294-521: The late 1980s the group "tightened its standards" "to ensure that all member communities provide a very wholesome environment for all, particularly the children", and changed its name to "The Family". In March 1989, TF issued a statement that, in "early 1985", an urgent memorandum had been sent to all members "reminding them that any such activities [adult–child sexual contact] are strictly forbidden within our group" (emphasis in original), and such activities were grounds for immediate excommunication from
2356-401: The life of a disciple and missionary " as a result of Flirty Fishing. Researcher Bill Bainbridge obtained data from TFI suggesting that, from 1974 until 1987, members had sexual contact with 223,989 people while practicing Flirty Fishing. According to the Family's official history, the group had "far fewer common standards of conduct" during The Family of Love stage than it had previously. In
2418-626: The management of the PPAFCC, is the Mata das Dunas da Costa da Caparica e Trafaria ( Dunes Game Preserve of Costa da Caprica and Trafaria ), at the base of the beach; a 600-hectare (1,500-acre) area of forest, the Mata das Dunas is a natural forest still maintained. The main parks and camping sites in the parish include: The Almada Municipality on 26 June 2015 proclaimed Praia da Adiça ( 38°33′16″N 9°11′19″W / 38.554343°N 9.188697°W / 38.554343; -9.188697 )
2480-403: The name to the "Family of Love". In 1991, this was changed to "The Family", and in 2004 it was changed again to "The Family International". Berg lived in seclusion, communicating with his followers and the public via nearly 3,000 "Mo Letters" ("Mo" from his pseudonym "Moses David") that he wrote on a wide variety of subjects. These typically covered spiritual or practical subjects and were used as
2542-454: The ocean, over cliffs of Sul do Tejo. The old woman, thin and frail, wore a multi-coloured patchwork cape to protect herself from the cold, and who pandered to the local people of the small hamlet in which she lived. Many assumed she was a witch and miser, who guarded a fortune, but who, nonetheless never missed mass (travelling long distances between mountains and valleys while huddling on the side-roads under her cape) and regularly panhandled in
David Berg - Misplaced Pages Continue
2604-491: The population, particularly during the summer (when there are an additional 7,800 residents and on average about 35,000 visitors). The importance of the beach and sea is part of what makes the economy of Costa da Caparica function. Until the late 20th century, this was primarily with the fishing industry, but more so, with the seasonal tourist influx. Owing to its modern, tourist-oriented, history, there are few architecturally significant buildings within its borders classified by
2666-695: The rights and responsibilities of Charter Members and Homes. The Charter also included the Fundamental Family Rules , a summary of rules and guidelines from past TF publications which were still in effect. In the 1994–95 British court case, the Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Alan Ward ruled that the group, including some of its top leaders, had in the past engaged in abusive sexual practices involving minors and had also used severe corporal punishment and sequestration of minors. He found that by 1995 TF had abandoned these practices and concluded that they were
2728-530: The state of California would be subject to a massive earthquake in 1969. Berg married his first wife, Jane Miller (known as "Mother Eve" in the Children of God), on July 22, 1944, in Glendale, California . They had four children. Berg married his second wife, Karen Zerby, in 1970. Berg informally adopted Ricky Rodriguez , Zerby's son. In the 1970s and 1980s, sexually suggestive photographic depictions of Rodriguez with adult caretakers were disseminated throughout
2790-560: The street". Members would "learn to spot, you know... a vulnerable person. We called them sheep", Golland told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Pressure to raise money could also be intense. Ex-member Golland says that members who were good at raising money and distributing the pamphlets were called "Shiners". Those with poor sales were called "Shamers". "If you missed your quota you could not come home for dinner", he said. Costa de Caparica Costa da Caparica ( Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈkɔʃtɐ ðɐ kɐpɐˈɾikɐ] )
2852-489: The streets. One day, after a long absence, the local villagers went to her humble cabana, where they discovered the body of the old woman within her cape and with a letter to the King. Presented with the letter and her cape, the King was surprised by the old woman's request to have him build a Church for the local people of her village. The King immediately ordered the cape destroyed, but was astonished to see gold coins falling from
2914-479: The summer with tourists and local visitors, the beaches have suffered from erosion in recent years; several levels of Portuguese government have taken steps to reduce these patterns, but the erosion has continued at several of the beaches located closest to the mouth of the Tagus. Portugal is bisected by geological and geomorphological landscapes of important interest, both for its scientific and natural appeal, such as
2976-472: The territory is the result of ocean receding, covering an area of 10.18 km between the water and main escarpment. The space is one large beach resulting from progressive decline from the east to the sea. Its coastal extent represents the largest contiguous beach in Portugal, with an expanse of approximately 30 kilometres, from the left margin of the Tagus River to the estuary of Albufeira. Popular in
3038-603: The time found no evidence of child abuse. In a child custody case in the United Kingdom, Berg's granddaughter, Merry Berg, testified that Berg sexually molested her when she was a young teenager. The allegations of Berg's institutionalization of pedophilia and sexual abuse were also described in Not Without My Sister , an autobiographical recount of the sexual abuse of three sisters who eventually escaped The Family. Berg's Jewish ancestry notwithstanding, in 1745, one of his mother's forebears, Jewish by birth but
3100-451: The title of "King Peter" and became the face of TFI, speaking in public more often than either Berg or Zerby. There have been multiple allegations of child sexual abuse made by past members. Berg preached a combination of traditional Christian evangelism, with elements popular with the counterculture of the 1960s . There was much "end-of-the-world imagery" found in the Book of Revelation of
3162-489: The whole group of 40–100 people on the road. It was while they were camped in Lewis and Clark Park that a news reporter first called them "The Children of God". In the mid-1970s, Berg began preparing his followers for a "revelation" he had about Flirty Fishing , or winning important, influential men through prostitution. In 1978, in an attempt to deflect public concern over some of his more controversial policies, Berg changed
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#17327981264373224-426: The world, and by the mid-1970s, it had "colonies" in an estimated 70 countries. BBC reported 10,000 full-time COG members in the 1970s. In 1976, Berg had introduced a new proselytizing method called Flirty Fishing (or FFing), which encouraged female members to "show God's love" through sexual relationships with potential converts. Flirty Fishing was practiced by members of Berg's inner circle starting in 1973, and
3286-512: Was Swedish . Virginia and Hjalmar were expelled from the Disciples of Christ after publicly testifying of her divine healing , which was contrary to church doctrine. They subsequently joined a new denomination, the Christian and Missionary Alliance , shortly before David's birth. In later years, their missionary zeal and disdain for denominational politicking often set them at variance with
3348-549: Was also referred to "Father David" by members), gave himself the titles of "King," "The Last Endtime Prophet," "Moses," and "David." Berg communicated with his followers via "Mo Letters"—letters of instruction and counsel on myriad spiritual and practical subjects—until his death in late 1994. After his death, his widow Karen Zerby became the leader of TFI, taking the titles of "Queen" and "Prophetess." Zerby married Steve Kelly (also known as Peter Amsterdam), an assistant of Berg's whom Berg had handpicked as her "consort." Kelly took
3410-416: Was believed that King John VI of Portugal in 1824 had eaten a delicious seafood stew, and for that reason, he ordered that the royal coat-of-arms be raised on the local fountain. Similarly, the site was the supposed way-point on journeys involving Queen Maria II of Portugal and King Pedro V of Portugal and his Royal Consort , who travelled through the Costa da Caparica on unrelated trips. The territory
3472-697: Was buried in Costa de Caparica , and his remains were cremated. After his death in 1994, his wife led The Family, and there were 6,000 adults and 3,000 children as members of The Family worldwide, in 50 countries. There were investigations of The Family for child abuse and prostitution in Argentina, France, Spain, Australia, Venezuela, and Peru. Berg has been accused of leading a group which promoted assaults on children and sexual abuse of women and children for decades. Former members have told their stories in widely disseminated media reports, though official inquiries at
3534-438: Was characterized by international expansion. After 1978 Flirty Fishing "increased drastically" and became common practice within the group. A Mo Letter from 1980 (ML #999 May 1980) for example was headlined "The Devil Hates Sex! --- But God Loves It!". In some areas flirty fishers used escort agencies to meet potential converts. According to TFI "over 100,000 received God's gift of salvation through Jesus, and some chose to live
3596-709: Was corrected officially in 1986, when any contact between an adult and minor (any person under 21 years of age) was declared an excommunicable offense. After a 1993 expose in the Los Angeles Times , the group broke "years of virtual silence" and began "inviting reporters and religious scholars" to visit its commune in La Habra, California , where at least a Washington Post journalist (Gustav Niebuhr) found its members to be "a clean-cut bunch, friendly and courteous". At that time The Family claimed to have "about 9,000 members worldwide, with about 750 scattered across
3658-421: Was founded by concerned parents and others, including deprogrammer Ted Patrick to free members of the COG from their involvement in the group. At least one individual growing up in the family (Verity Carter) during the Children of God era described being sexually abused "from the age of four by members of the... cult, including her own father". She blames the philosophy of David Berg, who told members that "God
3720-542: Was introduced to the general membership in 1976. The Children of God was abolished in February 1978, and Berg renamed his group "The Family of Love" In what Berg called the "Re-organization Nationalization Revolution" (or RNR). Berg reorganized the movement, dismissing "more than 300 leading members after hearing unspecified 'reports of serious misconduct and abuse of their positions." Reportedly involved were The Chain's abuse of authority, and disagreements within it about
3782-455: Was love and love was sex", so that sex should not be limited by age or relationship. Carter also complains of being "repeatedly beaten and whipped for the smallest of transgressions", being denied "music or television or culture," or other "contact with the outside world," so that she had "no idea how the world worked" other than how to manipulate the "systemites" (outsiders), like social workers. Author Don Lattin interviewed numerous members of
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#17327981264373844-511: Was part of the parish of Caparica until 1926, before becoming an enclave of Trafaria until 1949. The urban agglomeration was classified as a town on 9 July 1985, and elevated to the status of city on 9 December 2004. It was the only freguesia in Almada which has not suffered any changes with the administrative reform of 2013. Situated on the occidental coast of the Peninsula of Setúbal,
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