So I was stumbling around the internet and came across a youtube video about sex cults. And one in particular that had been undergoing investigation by the FBI. They call themselves "Family International". Here's the video clip:
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Needless to say my curiousity was piqued so I went onward to their Familyx.com website. It's set up like a Wiki and has an assload of links and information. I begin looking into the background of the creator of the group, David Berg, completely convinced that this man is fucked in the head.
Of course I was right. Some [[see: all]] of what this man claimed to be was insanely ridiculous.
From looking at the bulk of the cult's wiki page, I get the feeling that the majority of the cult's practices were sexually based. He felt that if you weren't practicing an angle of Good Love then you were a Devil Worshipper. He wrote an entire booklet on the practices of Sex and how the Devil attempts to taint the "Good Love" with different things.
His believers rarely saw him, as he seemed to prefer living in private, but that didn't stop his words from spreading. He also had a "Victor Program" established for teens within the cult who would rebel against any and all practices.
Basically all they did was Wake, Eat, Do Devotions and then clean. Their schedule was mapped down to the hour and branched out for a six day week.
In the earlier days of the cult, David would encourage even children that engaging in "Good Love" was acceptable and the "right" thing to do. This was put to a stop later in the 80's, as was sex with non-members under the threat of excommunication. Mainly due to the AIDs epidemic that was occurring heavily at the time.
There are extremely long portions of writing strictly dedicated to "Good Love" during Child-hood. Much of which I couldn't even get a quarter of the way through without being disgusted.
I guess my amazement lies mainly in how this was encouraged and actually happened [[and still does]]. I never understood cults, but after reading parts of "The Devil Hates Sex!" I can see how easily influenced many can be if they allow themselves to listen to this shit.
As a Christian I find this whole practice to be an insult against God and the Word He has put out.
Here is a man portraying himself to be just as much God as the Man he prays to. He claims he is something of a "vessel", yet he creates his own deluded ideas of what it is God is saying and then forces whoever is with him to follow them. To me that is a Sin and one of a High degree. You don't mock His practices or attempt to create your own and claim them to be "just as good" as God's.
And if you didn't follow David's words, then you were put in what basically reads as a concentration camp. Which was given a mis-leading name. Victor Camp? I don't think so. Anyone who was sent there had to deal with the following:
That's another thing that angers me; He *forced* these people to follow his word and if they didn't, they were punished. He wasn't "helping" them Follow God. He wanted them to follow him while he attempted to "play" God.
God does not force anyone to follow his words.
Another practice that was instilled to "encourage" others to share in the "Word of God" was, plainly put, prostitution. But of course they gave it a super-duper fun name. This practice was called "Flirty Fishing".
Check out some of these Practice book covers, they're a trip:
Plain and simple: "Flirty Fishing" in all of it's glory was/is Prostitution. But to make that practice seem less "dirty" they claimed it was somewhat inspired from the biblical line:
Matthew 4:19 where Jesus says, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
They would send women out to have sex with men in return for money for the organization, or to convert them to their practice.
This is the practice that was claimed to have ended in the 80's, but I buy that for a dollar.
This, in my opinion is just another form of attempting to force someone to follow a belief system that has been a sin from word Go.
The Cult actually wrote up a Q & A report on FF as it was called. Here are some of the more.. interesting pieces from the document:
And then they end the report with this Gem:
Of course I was right. Some [[see: all]] of what this man claimed to be was insanely ridiculous.
From looking at the bulk of the cult's wiki page, I get the feeling that the majority of the cult's practices were sexually based. He felt that if you weren't practicing an angle of Good Love then you were a Devil Worshipper. He wrote an entire booklet on the practices of Sex and how the Devil attempts to taint the "Good Love" with different things.
His believers rarely saw him, as he seemed to prefer living in private, but that didn't stop his words from spreading. He also had a "Victor Program" established for teens within the cult who would rebel against any and all practices.
Basically all they did was Wake, Eat, Do Devotions and then clean. Their schedule was mapped down to the hour and branched out for a six day week.
In the earlier days of the cult, David would encourage even children that engaging in "Good Love" was acceptable and the "right" thing to do. This was put to a stop later in the 80's, as was sex with non-members under the threat of excommunication. Mainly due to the AIDs epidemic that was occurring heavily at the time.
There are extremely long portions of writing strictly dedicated to "Good Love" during Child-hood. Much of which I couldn't even get a quarter of the way through without being disgusted.
I guess my amazement lies mainly in how this was encouraged and actually happened [[and still does]]. I never understood cults, but after reading parts of "The Devil Hates Sex!" I can see how easily influenced many can be if they allow themselves to listen to this shit.
As a Christian I find this whole practice to be an insult against God and the Word
Here is a man portraying himself to be just as much God as the Man he prays to. He claims he is something of a "vessel", yet he creates his own deluded ideas of what it is God is saying and then forces whoever is with him to follow them. To me that is a Sin and one of a High degree. You don't mock His practices or attempt to create your own and claim them to be "just as good" as God's.
And if you didn't follow David's words, then you were put in what basically reads as a concentration camp. Which was given a mis-leading name. Victor Camp? I don't think so. Anyone who was sent there had to deal with the following:
- * Hard labour (long work days, up to seven days a week)
- * Silence restriction
- * Corporal punishment (including public beatings on bare backs and buttocks)
- * Strict diet & forced fasting
- * Seclusion from other children or teens
- * Denial of any and all entertainment (including movies, music, dancing, socialising, etc.)
- * Constant supervision
- * Locked in rooms at night (sometimes even tied to the bed)
- * Public humiliations & shamings (often yelling)
- * Rigourous physical exercises ('Duck walking' around courtyards, 50 star-jumps, etc.)
- * 'Smile machines' (a crude elastic divice attached to the ears and mouth corners to create a 'smile'.)
That's another thing that angers me; He *forced* these people to follow his word and if they didn't, they were punished. He wasn't "helping" them Follow God. He wanted them to follow him while he attempted to "play" God.
God does not force anyone to follow his words.
Another practice that was instilled to "encourage" others to share in the "Word of God" was, plainly put, prostitution. But of course they gave it a super-duper fun name. This practice was called "Flirty Fishing".
Check out some of these Practice book covers, they're a trip:
Plain and simple: "Flirty Fishing" in all of it's glory was/is Prostitution. But to make that practice seem less "dirty" they claimed it was somewhat inspired from the biblical line:
Matthew 4:19 where Jesus says, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
They would send women out to have sex with men in return for money for the organization, or to convert them to their practice.
This is the practice that was claimed to have ended in the 80's, but I buy that for a dollar.
This, in my opinion is just another form of attempting to force someone to follow a belief system that has been a sin from word Go.
The Cult actually wrote up a Q & A report on FF as it was called. Here are some of the more.. interesting pieces from the document:
And then they end the report with this Gem:
And because I was curious and I figured who else that has been reading this is; I also got a picture of what their Servant Monthly Report papers looked like:
Now I haven't even gotten into the article on the Devil hating sex, or the most hysterical part of all this: David producing books about himself for children followers. But, I've made this blog long enough, so I'll touch on that in a second installment.
I hope you all were as amused as I was by this.
I shall leave you with music video song awesomeness.
I hope you all were as amused as I was by this.
I shall leave you with music video song awesomeness.
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Laters.
- Amused Jo.
- Amused Jo.
