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David Brandt Berg[a] (February 18, 1919 – October 1, 1994) was an American preacher who founded and led the cult generally known as the Children of God[1] and subsequently as The Family International. Berg's group, established 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 a broad range of sexual misconduct, including child sexual abuse.

Key Information

Life

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Family heritage

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Berg's maternal grandfather was John Lincoln Brandt (1860–1946), a Disciples of Christ minister, author, and lecturer of Muskogee, Oklahoma.[2] 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 the Disciples of Christ, a restoration movement that developed into the current Protestant denomination Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).[3]

Early years (1919–1969)

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Berg was born on February 18, 1919, in Oakland, California.[4] During his early years, he usually lived in or around Florida.[5]

He was the youngest of three children born to Hjalmar Emmanuel Berg and Virginia Lee Brandt, both Christian evangelists.[6] His father was Swedish.[7]

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 the conservative faction of that church's hierarchy, causing them to work largely as independent pastors and evangelists.[8]

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 a number of Miami churches.[8] 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.[9]

Berg graduated from Monterey High School in 1935 and later attended Elliott School of Business Administration.[6] Like his father, Berg became a minister in the Christian and Missionary Alliance in the late 1940s, and was placed at Valley Farms, Arizona.[5] Berg was eventually expelled from the organization for differences in teachings and for alleged sexual misconduct with a church employee.[6] In Berg's writings he claimed the expulsion was due to his support for greater racial diversity among his congregation.[6]

Fred Jordan, Berg's friend and boss, allowed Berg and his personal family to open and run 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.[10]

The Children of God/The Family (1968–1994)

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Berg and his family founded the organization Teens for Christ, operating out of the Light Club coffeehouse in Huntington Beach, California, in 1968.[11] While in California, after encountering strong resistance from local churches due to his followers picketing them, he took 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".[12][13][14]

Around the end of 1969, about 200 members of the COG group established a 425-acre "colony" several miles from Thurber, Texas - a ghost town. This acreage was owned by the American Soul Clinic.[15]

In the mid-1970s, Berg began preparing his followers for a "revelation" he had about Flirty Fishing, or winning important, influential men through prostitution.[16][17][18]

By 1971, the COG claimed that it had 4,000 members, mostly consisting of teenagers and people in early 20s. In November of 1971, COG's colony was evicted after a serious disagreement with American Soul Clinic's head Fred Jordan and other associates.[15]

In 1978, in an attempt to deflect public concern over some of his more controversial policies, Berg changed the name to the "Family of Love".[19] In 1991, this was changed to "The Family", and in 2004 it was changed again to "The Family International".[20]

Berg lived in seclusion, communicating with his followers and the public via nearly 3,000 "Mo Letters"[21] ("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 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.[22]

Death and legacy

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Berg, who had been in hiding since 1971, died in November 1994 in Portugal. He was buried in Costa de Caparica, and his remains were cremated.[23]

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.[23] There were investigations of The Family for child abuse and prostitution in Argentina, France, Spain, Australia, Venezuela, and Peru.[23]

Sexual abuse, antisemitism, and apocalyptic predictions

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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,[24] though official inquiries at the time found no evidence of child abuse.[25]

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.[26]

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.[citation needed]

Berg's Jewish ancestry notwithstanding — in 1745, one of his mother's forebears, Jewish by birth but a Christian convert, moved to the American colonies and lived as a Mennonite[25]—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."[25]

Berg predicted that the state of California would be subject to a massive earthquake in 1969.[27]

Personal life

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Berg married his first wife, Jane Miller (known as "Mother Eve" in the Children of God), on July 22, 1944, in Glendale, California.[4] They had four children.

Berg married his second wife, Karen Zerby, in 1970.[23] Berg informally adopted Ricky Rodriguez, Zerby's son.[28] In the 1970s and 1980s, sexually suggestive photographic depictions of Rodriguez with adult caretakers were disseminated throughout the group by Berg and Zerby in a childrearing handbook known as The Story of Davidito.[29] In January 2005, Ricky Rodriguez murdered one of the female caretakers shown in the handbook before taking his own life several hours later.[28][30]

Media featuring Berg

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  • Children of God, documentary, directed by John Smithson, 1994.
  • The Love Prophet and the Children of God, documentary on Berg and his organization, 1998
  • Cult Killer, documentary on Ricky Rodriguez and child abuse within The Family International.
  • Sex Cult Nun: Breaking Away from the Children of God, a Wild, Radical Religious Cult, an autobiography written by Faith Jones[31]
  • Apocalypse Child: A Life in End Times, memoir by Flor Christine Edwards.
  • Leaving Isn't The Hardest Thing, a collection of essays by Lauren Hough.
  • Uncultured, an autobiography written by Daniella Mestyanek Young.

References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

David Berg

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David Brandt Berg (February 18, 1919 – October 1, 1994) was an American religious leader who founded the Children of God movement in , in 1968, initially targeting disaffected youth and hippies with a message of apocalyptic and communal living. The group, later renamed The Family and eventually , grew to thousands of members worldwide under Berg's leadership, who adopted the pseudonym Moses David and disseminated teachings via thousands of "MO Letters" emphasizing rejection of materialism, evangelistic outreach, and radical interpretations of biblical sexuality. Berg's doctrines, including the "Law of Love" that sanctioned sexual sharing among adults and the practice of "Flirty Fishing" involving female members using sex for recruitment, extended to endorsing adult-child sexual contact, which empirical accounts from former members and doctrinal analyses document as enabling widespread child sexual abuse within the communes. Although Berg faced international investigations and lawsuits in the 1970s and 1980s alleging brainwashing, exploitation, and abuse, legal actions often lacked sufficient prosecutable evidence and were resolved in the group's favor, yet academic and survivor testimonies substantiate patterns of grooming and misconduct directly attributable to his writings and authority. The movement's evolution after Berg's death in 1994 involved partial disavowals of his more extreme sexual teachings, though remnants persisted amid ongoing scrutiny from cult-watch organizations.

Early Life and Influences

Family Background and Heritage

David Brandt Berg was born on February 18, 1919, in , to Hjalmer Emanuel Berg and Virginia Lee Brandt Berg, both itinerant ministers in independent evangelical Christian circles. His parents married on January 12, 1910, in , after Hjalmer, mentored by Virginia's father, completed theological training at a in , and entered the ministry within the Disciples of Christ denomination. Hjalmer Emanuel Berg, born May 2, 1884, in Hjorted, , , to Anders Gustaf Berg and Matilda Charlotta Andersdotter, immigrated to the in his youth and pursued a career, often working alongside his wife in revivals and independent missions despite tensions with denominational authorities. Virginia Lee Brandt Berg, born May 27, 1886, in Ronceverte, , was the daughter of Rev. John Lincoln Brandt (1860–1946), a Methodist circuit rider who converted dramatically in his twenties, authored religious books, pastored numerous churches, and led aspects of the Campbell-inspired Disciples of Christ movement, emphasizing scriptural over institutional hierarchies. Virginia herself transitioned from youthful —fostered by influences and her mother's early death—to fervent after a reported miraculous from following a 1915 traffic accident, subsequently becoming a radio preacher and facing expulsion from the for her testimony. Berg's paternal heritage traced to rural Swedish Protestant roots, while his maternal line embodied American revivalist traditions, with multiple generations prioritizing personal conversion experiences and anti-denominational over formal structures. This familial emphasis on itinerant preaching and profoundly shaped his early exposure to religious fervor, though sources affiliated with his later movement may idealize these accounts without independent corroboration.

Childhood, Education, and Early Ministry (1919–1960s)

David Brandt Berg was born on February 18, 1919, in , to Hjalmer Berg, a minister, and Virginia Brandt Berg, an evangelist who had undergone a dramatic conversion from following a reported miraculous from insanity and physical ailments. His parents, who had been expelled from the , affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) prior to his birth and engaged in evangelistic work, including travels that shaped his early exposure to itinerant preaching. Berg's childhood involved frequent moves due to his parents' ministry, though the family settled in Miami, Florida, around 1924, where they remained for approximately 14 years. His maternal grandfather, Dr. John Lincoln Brandt, had been a Methodist circuit rider before leading in the Alexander Campbell movement of the Disciples of Christ, contributing to a family heritage of nonconformist religious activism often in tension with established denominations. Berg later described himself as introverted and academically inclined during youth, though accounts of as a preacher's child appear primarily in sympathetic biographies and lack independent corroboration. Formal education details are sparse; Berg attended multiple secular and Christian colleges over a 15-year span starting after 1951, but no degree completion is documented in available records. His early career reflected family influences, including touring with his mother's evangelistic meetings in the CMA framework. In early 1942, Berg was drafted into the U.S. Army but received a discharge due to health concerns following a reported recovery. He married Jane Miller in 1944, with whom he had four children: Linda (born 1945), Paul (1947), Jonathan, and Faith. Ordained in the CMA, he pastored a church in Arizona from 1948 to 1951, resigning amid controversy over racial integration efforts. From 1951 onward, he held secular jobs, taught school, operated a missionary training center, and produced the "Church in the Home" radio and television program, which aired on over 1,000 stations by the mid-1960s. By the early 1960s, disillusioned with denominational structures after clashes with CMA leadership, Berg shifted toward independent evangelism, eventually aligning with Fred Jordan's Soul Clinic in Los Angeles, setting the stage for outreach to youth subcultures.

Founding and Development of the Movement

Origins of the Children of God (1968–1970s)

David Berg founded the Children of God in 1968 in , as a Christian targeting hippies and disaffected youth during the . Berg, a former Christian and Missionary Alliance pastor, began the effort with his wife Jane and their children, recruiting dropouts and runaways critical of mainstream "churchianity." Initially known as Teens for Christ or associated with the Light Club, the group emphasized evangelism and separation from conventional denominations. By 1969, the movement adopted the name Children of God and held a significant gathering in , , where Berg introduced early doctrinal letters justifying communal structures and his leadership. The group practiced itinerant witnessing, with members distributing literature and proselytizing on streets and beaches, drawing hundreds of young converts disillusioned by the . In January 1970, facing local tensions in , approximately 100 members relocated to an abandoned ranch in , previously Fred Jordan's Texas Soul Clinic , to establish a communal base. Berg soon withdrew from direct oversight, adopting the alias Moses David and communicating via "MO Letters"—typed directives on , , and that became central to the group's identity. Throughout the early 1970s, the Children of God expanded rapidly, pioneering missions in , , and , with full-time disciples numbering around 5,000 by the decade's midpoint, two-thirds male and operating in over 70 countries. This period marked the shift from loose youth gatherings to structured colonies enforcing shared property, obedience to Berg's visions, and aggressive outreach, amid growing isolation from broader society.

Doctrinal Evolution and Practices

The Children of God, founded by David Berg in 1968, initially emphasized end-times prophecy, communal living, and itinerant evangelism drawn from evangelical Christian roots within the Jesus People movement. Berg positioned himself as a modern prophet akin to , authoring "Mo Letters"—epistles disseminated from the early 1970s onward that served as authoritative interpretations alongside the , outlining rejection of mainstream society (termed the "") and calls for total commitment to nomadic witnessing. Doctrinal development accelerated in the early with the introduction of the "Law of Love," positing that acts motivated by love superseded laws, thereby justifying sexual experimentation and partner sharing among adult members to foster communal unity and meet physical needs. This antinomian framework evolved to include reinterpretations of biblical and divine endorsement of as evangelistic tools, detailed in Mo Letters that members studied daily. By the mid-, practices formalized around "," a proselytization method from approximately to wherein female members used sexual intimacy to attract converts, yielding thousands of recruits but later discontinued amid health risks like STDs. Further evolution in the late 1970s and 1980s involved intensified , such as Berg's 1985 forecast of global cataclysms by 1993-1994 that failed to materialize, prompting doctrinal adjustments emphasizing ongoing over specific timelines. Practices included hierarchical "shepherding" for , re-indoctrination camps for dissenters, and child-rearing protocols prioritizing group loyalty, with Mo Letters mandating verbatim recitation and application. In 1978, Berg restructured the group as the Family of Love, centralizing control and amplifying sexual doctrines, though core tenets like the Law of Love persisted until his in 1994.

Expansion, Rebranding, and Leadership Style (1980s–1994)

During the 1980s, the Children of God, operating under its evolving name, expanded its presence to over 100 countries through aggressive proselytization methods, including the practice of "Flirty Fishing," in which female members engaged in sexual relationships with potential converts to recruit and fund the movement. This approach, initiated in the mid-1970s, contributed to membership growth estimated at several thousand full-time adherents by the decade's end, with communes established in , , , and . However, the strategy drew increased scrutiny from authorities amid reports of exploitation, leading to its official discontinuation in 1987 due to health risks from and legal pressures. In response to widespread negative media coverage and associations with cult-like practices, the group underwent rebranding efforts starting in the late 1970s. Originally renamed the Family of Love in 1978 to emphasize communal bonds over apocalyptic isolation, it further distanced itself from the "Children of God" moniker by adopting "The Family" in the early 1980s, aiming to project a more benign, family-oriented image while retaining core doctrines. This shift included toning down public emphasis on radical elements like mandatory communal living and sexual sharing, though internal practices persisted, as documented in later member testimonies and investigations. The sought to mitigate defections and legal challenges but did not fully alleviate criticisms of authoritarian control. David Berg, known internally as Moses David, maintained a reclusive leadership style, communicating primarily through handwritten "MO Letters"—doctrinal epistles numbering over 3,000 by his death—that dictated theology, daily conduct, and interpersonal relations, demanding unquestioning obedience from followers. From seclusion in various international hideouts, Berg exercised centralized authority, often via his partner Karen Zerby, who relayed and interpreted his directives; this structure fostered a hierarchical pyramid where dissent led to excommunication or "shepherding" sessions of intense oversight. His prophetic claims, including failed end-times predictions, reinforced charismatic control, yet empirical analysis by sociologists highlights how such personalized rule prioritized Berg's visions over verifiable outcomes, contributing to internal fractures. Berg died on October 1, 1994, in Portugal, after which leadership transitioned to Zerby, marking the end of his direct influence.

Teachings and Theological Positions

Core Beliefs and Prophetic Claims

David Berg, adopting the prophetic moniker Moses David, articulated core beliefs rooted in a literal interpretation of biblical , supplemented by his personal revelations disseminated through over 3,000 "Mo Letters" from the late until his death in 1994. He positioned himself as God's end-time messenger, akin to biblical prophets, tasked with guiding believers through the final days by interpreting scripture as a precise roadmap for future events, including the rise of global tyranny and divine intervention. Central to these beliefs was the conviction that all biblical prophecies had historically proven infallible, extending to unfulfilled end-time predictions such as the emergence of an Antichrist-led enforcing mandatory worship and a cashless under a devil-possessed . Berg emphasized preparation for the , portraying it as a prelude to Christ's , after which would vanquish evil and inaugurate a millennial kingdom of peace. This framework rejected mainstream churches as part of a corrupt "," urging followers to engage in radical and communal living as acts of obedience to divine will, with serving not to instill fear but to affirm in through . His teachings integrated apocalyptic urgency with claims of ongoing divine communication, equating his letters' to scripture for discerning contemporary signs like moral decay and geopolitical shifts. Among Berg's prophetic claims was a 1969 vision, reportedly relayed from his mother Virginia Berg, foretelling a cataclysmic earthquake that would submerge into the , which prompted the group's exodus from Huntington Beach to safer locales like the desert. This unfulfilled prediction underscored his millenarian outlook, as did broader assertions in Mo Letters about imminent nuclear conflicts and the Antichrist's origins in , derived from interpretations of , framing current events as fulfillments of biblical timelines. Berg further prophesied divisions within , such as the supplanting of the "old church" by a "new church" embodied in his and followers, reinforcing his role as the divinely appointed shepherd for the end times. Many such claims, including anticipated global upheavals by the 1970s and 1980s, did not materialize, leading critics to question their validity while adherents viewed them as conditional or symbolically interpreted.

Views on Sexuality and Family Structures

David Berg's teachings on sexuality centered on the concept of the "Law of Love," which he presented in his "Mo Letters" as a principle superseding Mosaic Law, allowing sexual sharing among consenting adult members of the Children of God as an expression of divine . This doctrine explicitly rejected monogamous exclusivity, portraying it as a restrictive "" concept incompatible with God's intended freedom in love; Berg argued in letters such as "One Wife" (Mo Letter No. 249, October 1972) that biblical and communal sharing reflected true Christian liberty. He viewed sex not merely as procreative but as sacramental and evangelistic, equating physical intimacy with spiritual witness, as detailed in "Revolutionary Sex" (Mo Letter No. 258, March 1973). In 1974, Berg formalized these ideas through "Flirty Fishing," directing female members to use flirtation and sexual relations with outsiders—often non-members in hotels or shipside—to attract converts, framing it as "prostitution for God" to fulfill the ; this practice, documented in internal directives, continued until 1987 amid external pressures. Berg's writings, including "The Devil Hates Sex! – But God Loves It!" (a 1970s Disciples-and-Friends-Only letter), further promoted removing societal taboos on sexual expression, asserting that suppressed natural desires while endorsed them freely within the faith community. On family structures, Berg dismantled traditional nuclear models in favor of communal arrangements, teaching that children belonged primarily to God and the collective "Family" rather than biological parents, with upbringing shared among members to foster group loyalty over individual ties. He critiqued conventional marriage as bourgeois and temporary, permitting divorce and serial partnerships; in Mo Letters like those from the early 1970s, he instructed couples to prioritize mission work over spousal bonds, often reassigning partners for "God's use." Berg envisioned extended, polygamous-like units where multiple adults co-parented, as outlined in directives emphasizing the movement's colonies as surrogate families, with loyalty oaths reinforcing this over blood relations. These views, disseminated via over 1,000 Mo Letters by the 1980s, integrated sexuality into family life by portraying it as a unifying force, though Berg later qualified practices involving minors in response to scrutiny.

Apocalyptic Predictions and Eschatology

David Berg's eschatological framework centered on a premillennial dispensationalist interpretation of biblical , emphasizing the imminent approach of the , the rise of the , and Christ's . He positioned himself as an "Endtime Prophet" akin to biblical figures like or , tasked with preparing believers for the final spiritual conflict between . Berg's followers viewed the Children of God (later ) as divinely selected missionaries—often likened to the witnesses of and 14—who would evangelize aggressively amid intensifying global persecution before the apocalypse. This theology framed worldly events, such as wars, natural disasters, and political upheavals, as fulfillments of end-times signs outlined in , , and Daniel, urging total separation from "Systemite" society to avoid judgment. In his prolific "MO Letters"—over 3,000 epistles disseminated from the late onward—Berg issued frequent apocalyptic warnings, interpreting current affairs as harbingers of doom. He prophesied the collapse of the as the Great (–18), predicting its destruction through economic ruin, moral decay, and divine wrath, often tied to specific perceived sins like and immorality. Berg foresaw a one-world government under the emerging from global crises, with believers facing martyrdom or preceding the . These teachings motivated communal living, itinerant witnessing, and a , as members anticipated persecution and the seals of unfolding imminently. Berg linked prophecies to observable phenomena, such as Comet Kohoutek's 1973–1974 apparition, which he heralded as a celestial sign of impending cataclysm, potentially including widespread destruction or the unleashing of demonic forces. He also forecasted the Battle of around 1986, envisioning a Russian-led invasion defeating and the , ushering in a thousand-year reign before Christ's victory. Additional predictions included a mid-1970s comet strike annihilating life on and tribulation peaks in 1989 or 1993 tied to the Second Coming. None of these events occurred as described, prompting doctrinal shifts: Berg reinterpreted failures as conditional upon human response or symbolic rather than literal, while maintaining the overarching imminence of the Endtime to sustain motivation. Critics, including former members and observers, have highlighted these unfulfilled prophecies as evidence of Berg's unsubstantiated claims, contrasting with biblical admonitions against date-setting (e.g., Matthew 24:36). Posthumously, retained eschatological urgency but eschewed precise timelines, focusing instead on ongoing .

Controversies and Debates

Allegations of Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

David Berg, founder of the Children of God (later The Family International), promoted doctrines through his "Mo Letters" that normalized sexual "sharing" among members, including practices that extended to minors as young as puberty, framing such acts as expressions of God's love and obedience. These teachings, disseminated from the early 1970s, reportedly led to widespread adult-child sexual contact within communal settings, with Berg personally engaging in and documenting such interactions in his household, including the abuse of his granddaughter referred to as "Mene." Survivor accounts, such as those from former members raised in the group, describe systemic grooming and coercion into sexual activities from childhood, often justified by Berg's prophetic authority and biblical reinterpretations. A key practice was "," initiated around , in which female members used sexual intimacy to proselytize and recruit outsiders, resulting in an estimated 100,000 conversions but also exploitation, as participants faced health risks like STDs and emotional trauma without consent safeguards. While primarily involving s, the doctrine's emphasis on sexual liberation permeated family units, contributing to allegations of involvement in group or exposure to practices. Berg's writings explicitly endorsed early sexual initiation, with letters from the and instructing parents to introduce children to sexual concepts and acts to prevent "repression." Legal scrutiny intensified in the 1990s. In , 30 members were arrested in 1993 on charges related to , stemming from complaints about and exploitation under Berg's regime. A landmark 1995 British ruling by Lord Justice Ward, in a custody dispute involving a child born into the group, found that Berg's leadership had fostered abusive sexual practices with minors, including non-consensual acts and , though the court noted reforms post-Berg's death in 1994 had curtailed overt child-adult sex. Sociologist Kent's analysis of internal documents corroborates these findings, highlighting Berg's alcoholic influence and direct orchestration of pedophilic acts in his inner circle. The group officially renounced adult-child sex in the mid-1980s amid external pressure, but former members, including Berg's granddaughter Faith Jones, report enduring psychological and physical harm from normalized exploitation, with investigations revealing no prosecutions of Berg himself due to his nomadic and death in 1994. Academic critiques emphasize the causal link between Berg's unchecked authority and the exploitation, distinguishing it from consensual adult practices by its coercive impact on vulnerable children.

Claims of Antisemitism and Responses

Critics, including former members of the Children of God, have pointed to specific passages in Berg's "Mo Letters"—doctrinal writings circulated internally from the 1970s onward—as evidence of antisemitic rhetoric. In the 1978 letter "A Prayer for the Poor!" (Letter No. 681), Berg wrote, "May God damn the God-damned Jews!" while referring to Jews as "those Anti-Christ, Christ-hating Jews." Similar invective appeared in other letters, portraying Jews collectively as demonic or subhuman enemies of Christianity. Berg also praised Adolf Hitler, stating in "More Current Jewels!" (Letter No. 1258, circa 1980s), "I think Hitler was... on the right track," attributing Germany's pre-World War II economic woes to Jewish influence. These statements reflected a broader pattern in Berg's writings that referenced antisemitic tropes, such as allusions to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion to allege Jewish conspiracies controlling global affairs. Berg's views on the Holocaust explicitly denied its scale and veracity. In "The Antichrists & The Economy!" (Letter No. 1783, circa 1980s), he claimed, "Certainly they never killed six million of them," dismissing Nazi figures as exaggerated. He further asserted in "They Staged The Whole Thing!" (Letter No. 1340, 1982) that "staged the whole thing!" to fabricate atrocities for sympathy and influence. Such claims echoed narratives, with Berg suggesting death camps like Treblinka were misrepresented or exaggerated for propaganda. Early in the movement's history (late ), Berg expressed admiration for Jewish communal models, attempting to establish a Christian in and incorporating Jewish cultural elements into group practices; however, rejection by Israeli authorities prompted a sharp reversal, leading to support for Arab causes, including praise for and opposition to as an "" state in end-times prophecies. The , successor to the Children of God, has responded to these accusations by contextualizing Berg's statements as prophetic rebukes against specific Jewish leaders or institutions, akin to biblical criticisms of by prophets like , rather than blanket . In a 1993 statement amid media scrutiny, the group argued that "branding Berg as an anti-Semite for rebuking certain Jewish leaders... would mean that God Himself is an anti-Semite," citing precedents. Following Berg's death in 1994, the organization underwent reforms, including the discontinuation of Mo Letters distribution and selective repudiation of controversial content to align with mainstream , though it has not issued a comprehensive of the antisemitic elements in Berg's archived writings. Former members' compilations of these letters, while valuable for documenting primary sources, originate from critics of the group and may emphasize inflammatory excerpts without full doctrinal context.

Criticisms of Authoritarianism and Failed Prophecies

Critics have characterized David Berg's leadership of the Children of God as highly authoritarian, with members required to exhibit unquestioning obedience to his directives as mediated through his "Mo Letters," which were treated as divinely inspired prophecies, visions, and commands. Berg positioned himself as the "Endtime Prophet," demanding submission akin to children obeying parents under God's authority, enforced through systems of confession, reporting of sins, and punitive measures justified theologically to maintain ideological control. This structure, according to sociological analyses, facilitated intense regimentation and social control, suppressing dissent and personal autonomy within the group. Berg's governance extended to micromanaging daily life, relocation of members, and doctrinal shifts disseminated via hundreds of Mo Letters, which outnumbered biblical texts in for followers and often included explicit commands overriding individual judgment. Ex-members and observers have highlighted how this dictatorial approach led to isolation from external influences and internalization of Berg's , with non-compliance risking or shaming as spiritual rebellion. Such practices drew comparisons to dynamics, where loyalty to Berg superseded familial or ethical considerations, as evidenced in internal documents and survivor accounts. Regarding failed prophecies, Berg issued numerous apocalyptic predictions that did not materialize, eroding claims of his prophetic infallibility. In one prominent example, he forecasted the return of Christ in 1993, linking it to end-times events, yet the date passed without fulfillment, prompting doctrinal adjustments within the group. Earlier, Berg interpreted the 1973-1974 appearance of Comet Kohoutek as a biblical "Christmas Monster" signaling imminent global catastrophe and the end of the world, but no such occurred, marking it as a conspicuous failure. Additional Mo Letters contained unfulfilled forecasts of widespread destruction, such as the collapse of the by the mid-1980s, which critics cite as evidence of speculative rather than divinely accurate foresight. These prophetic shortcomings, documented across multiple Letters, have been leveraged by detractors—including former adherents and religious scholars—to argue that Berg's claims lacked empirical validation, contravening biblical tests for true where unfulfilled predictions indicate falsehood. Despite such lapses, the rebranded and persisted by reinterpreting timelines or emphasizing symbolic over literal fulfillment, though this adaptability has fueled ongoing about the movement's theological foundations. The pattern of revisionism, per analyses, underscores a reliance on over verifiable outcomes.

Personal Life

Marriages, Relationships, and Children

David Berg married Jane Estelle Miller on July 22, 1944, in Glendale, California. The couple had four children together: daughters Linda Louise (born 1945, later known within the group as Deborah) and Faith, and sons Paul Brandt and Jonathan Emanuel. Berg and Miller divorced in 1970, amid Berg's evolving teachings that encouraged sexual sharing and the dissolution of conventional monogamous marriages within his movement. Following the divorce, Berg began a relationship with Karen Elva Zerby (born July 31, 1946), a longtime member who had joined the group early on; they married around and she assumed a central as his companion and administrative partner. Zerby, later known by pseudonyms such as Maria or Mama Maria, bore no biological children with Berg but gave birth to a son, Brandt Rodriguez (born 1975, known as Davidito), from a prior relationship; Berg designated the boy as his spiritual heir and oversaw his upbringing with intensive grooming for leadership. Berg's personal relationships extended beyond his marriages, aligning with his doctrinal emphasis on sexual liberation and communal partner-sharing, which he modeled through liaisons with multiple female followers designated as his "personal secretaries" or aides. These arrangements, which included Zerby and others like Valerie and Sue Kauten (Angela Smith), involved intimate and administrative roles, reflecting Berg's rejection of traditional family exclusivity in favor of group-oriented intimacy as a form of religious expression. His daughter later publicly renounced these practices and her father's in a 1984 memoir, citing the personal and familial disruptions they caused.

Lifestyle, Health, and Daily Routines

David Berg maintained a reclusive and nomadic lifestyle from the onward, frequently relocating across international borders with a close-knit group of associates to evade scrutiny from and media investigations into the Children of God. This itinerant existence took him to locations including the , , and , where he lived under pseudonyms such as Moses David, prioritizing secrecy and mobility over settled routines. His daily activities revolved around spiritual and administrative duties, particularly the composition and dissemination of "Mo Letters"—extensive writings containing prophecies, doctrinal interpretations, and directives for followers—which he often dictated or penned in isolation. Berg shunned rigid schedules, aligning with the group's early rejection of conventional structures, though he incorporated periods of , study, and reflection as core elements of his regimen. Travel disruptions and security concerns frequently altered these patterns, emphasizing adaptability over consistency. On health matters, Berg promoted practical habits in his teachings, drawing from personal preferences such as avoiding the mixing of with acidic foods like tomatoes or to prevent digestive discomfort, favoring lamb as a highly digestible meat, and substituting for refined due to its perceived nutritional superiority. He advised rinsing the mouth with water after meals to deter , eschewing extremely hot or cold beverages to preserve dental enamel, and using when reading in to minimize . Berg also stressed obtaining 10 to 30 minutes of daily and sunshine, alongside ample rest during illness to avoid overexertion. In his final years, Berg experienced declining health consistent with advanced age, passing away on October 1, 1994, at 75 while in seclusion. No specific medical conditions were publicly detailed by the group at the time, though his emphasis on in diet and activity reflected an ongoing of physical vulnerabilities.

Death, Legacy, and Ongoing Impact

Final Years and Death (1994)

In the early , David Berg resided in with a small inner circle, maintaining the nomadic and hidden lifestyle he had adopted since to evade international legal investigations into the Children of God group's practices. His physical health had been deteriorating, rendering him progressively weaker and limiting his direct involvement in the group's operations, though he continued issuing doctrinal "MO Letters" to members via intermediaries. Berg died at age 75, with his passing announced by group spokespersons on November 24, 1994, from a location in . According to his widow, Maria (), he passed away peacefully in his sleep from natural causes associated with old age, without disclosing the precise date or location to preserve secrecy amid ongoing scrutiny. The delay in public confirmation reflected the group's practice of withholding details about Berg's whereabouts and condition, even after his death, as authorities continued searching for him into late . Zerby assumed formal , vowing to perpetuate Berg's teachings and remain in hiding.

Succession and Evolution of The Family International

Following David Berg's death in 1994, effective leadership of the group transferred to his longtime associate and partner (pseudonym Maria), alongside her husband Steven Kelly (pseudonym Peter Amsterdam), who co-signed doctrinal publications and administrative directives as co-leaders. This transition maintained continuity in the group's apocalyptic Christian framework while initiating internal reviews of prior practices, including the discontinuation of —a proselytization method involving sexual contact with outsiders—that had been phased out in 1987 but faced ongoing scrutiny. , who had risen through Berg's inner circle since the , emphasized adaptation to external pressures, such as legal investigations and defections, by promoting a shift away from rigid communalism toward more flexible outreach. In 2004, the organization adopted a revised under Zerby's direction, rebranding from The Family to and decentralizing its structure to function as a loose affiliation of independent units rather than enforced communes. This restructuring permitted members to pursue autonomous lifestyles, prioritize family units, and engage in self-funded without mandatory collective living or tithes to a central authority, ostensibly to enhance amid declining membership and challenges. Doctrinal publications during this period renounced earlier endorsements of adult-minor sexual contact, attributing them to Berg's misinterpretations of biblical "love" principles, with safeguards implemented from the mid-1980s onward, including prohibitions on such activities by the early . Critics, including former members, have contested the completeness of these reforms, citing persistent reports of inadequate accountability, though the group documented formal repudiations in internal guidelines. Further evolution occurred through public accountability measures, including Zerby and Kelly's January 1, 2008, letter apologizing to second-generation members for an unsafe child-rearing environment in the late to mid-, encompassing excessive discipline, substandard education, and exposure to inappropriate sexual conduct under the guise of spiritual freedom. A 2009 letter extended regrets to all former affiliates for family disruptions, stigmatization of defectors, and overzealous disciplinary programs like "victory initiatives" in the late and early . By 2010, had reorganized into a primarily online Christian network of approximately 1,200 members across 70 countries, focusing on digital dissemination of Berg-era writings alongside contemporary adaptations, while reducing emphasis on end-times prophecies that had previously defined its identity. These changes reflect pragmatic responses to demographic shifts—such as aging first-generation adherents and second-generation exits—prioritizing retention over expansion, though membership has stabilized at low thousands globally without evidence of significant growth.

Broader Cultural Influence and Media Portrayals

Media portrayals of David Berg and the Children of God (later ) have overwhelmingly emphasized allegations of , exploitation, and authoritarian control, often framing the group as a destructive emerging from the 1960s . Documentaries such as Children of God: Lost and Found (2007), directed by former member Noah Thomson, explore the experiences of "second-generation" members who escaped, highlighting and trauma. Similarly, a 1994 television film titled Children of God recounts a family's involvement, focusing on , , and within the group. These works, along with more recent streaming content like the production Children of God, prioritize survivor testimonies over doctrinal analysis, reinforcing public perceptions of Berg's leadership as predatory. Memoirs by ex-members have further shaped negative depictions, detailing practices like ""—using sex for recruitment—and child involvement in adult activities. Faith Jones's Sex Cult Nun () describes her upbringing under Berg's teachings that equated sexual sharing with divine service, drawing widespread media attention via outlets like . Daniella Mestyanek Young's Uncultured (2022), excerpted in , portrays daily and abuse, contributing to narratives of psychological harm. Articles in and similarly label the group a "sex cult," citing FBI scrutiny and survivor accounts of systemic exploitation. Berg's movement exerted limited direct cultural influence beyond its scandals, primarily through associations with notable figures who later distanced themselves. guitarist abruptly left the band in 1971 to join the Children of God, an event chronicled in family reflections published by , illustrating the group's appeal to countercultural seekers before its reputational decline. The Phoenix family, including actors River and , participated for about six years starting in 1973, with Joaquin later discussing the cult's isolating effects in interviews. These connections underscore the group's transient draw on hippies and musicians but highlight exits amid growing controversies, rather than enduring artistic or ideological legacies. The group's , including and music produced by members, has been critiqued as bizarre and manipulative, as detailed in Vice's examination of its visual materials promoting Berg's apocalyptic visions and sexual doctrines. Broader societal impact centers on raising awareness of religious exploitation, influencing discussions on child welfare in high-control groups and anti-cult advocacy, though without verifiable positive contributions to cultural norms or movements. Survivor-led narratives continue to inform psychological studies on cult-induced trauma, emphasizing long-term effects like identity disruption.

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