It goes without saying that cult leaders are generally creepy. But when it comes to David Berg, the leader of the "Son of God" cult in the United States, it is not just a creepy description.
David Berg and members of "Son of God" Source: Yahoo News
Early followers of the "Son of God" included the parents of well-known American showbiz figures such as Rose McGowan and Joaquin Phoenix.
Ross McGowan's father is a member of the cult "Sons of God" Source: Yahoo News
Joaquin Phoenix's parents are members of the cult "Sons of God" Source: Yahoo News
In the late 1960s, in Southern California, David Berger discovered two of the easiest ways to attract young people to the "Son of God."
The hype to which all organizations except the "Son of God" are corrupt and rigid is attractive to rebellious young people in the Southern California region.
Crazy preaching jesus wants His followers to have sex with as many people as they want to have sex at all times. This kind of bizarre remarks firmly attracted a group of people who were expecting sexual liberation at that time.
David Berg supports sexuality between any member, including children Source: Yahoo News
The cult "Son of God" first appeared in the United States. Its members were asked to take the time to take to the streets to "witness" and "light"— to talk to people about Jesus, distribute pamphlets, sell flowers and trinkets, and ask for donations.
Soon, the "Sons of God" established small groups in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, France, India, south America, Asia, and other regions. These people gathered locally, lived together, and preached.
To more tightly control believers, David Berg began spreading what he called "wisdom" and "guidance" through an illustrated letter known as The Mo Letters.
Through the Ink Book, he instructed believers where they should live, with whom family members they should live, what they should and should not eat, and with whom they should sleep and have sex...
Female believers, on the other hand, are required to give selflessly and have a relationship with anyone who invites them. This provision is what Berger calls "sharing."
According to the "Son of God," sex is part of "God's love," so sharing love is beautiful and pure, and rejecting love is a sign of selfishness, pride, and even needs to be punished.
Published "Ink Book" in volumes
The "Law of Love" of the "Son of God" states that love is freely expressed—and therefore sex is sacred. But it is outrageous that David Berg also encourages children to participate in sexual activity. Children in "Sons of God" are sexually educated from the age of three or four. For many children in the classroom, watching adults "demonstrate" sexual behavior is a common occurrence.
A girl named Christina said that when she was 12 years old, a couple gave her "love guidance".
"Someone took us into a fortune-telling tent at night, and the people inside looked at the crystal ball and told me who was going to have sex with me tonight. Once you say 'no,' you'll be assigned to the person you're most afraid of. Christina said.
Many members are attracted to the cult because of their desire for sex Source: Yahoo News
David Berg even encouraged civil incest.
He declared that the legal system against incest was "crazy" and said "if you are acting in pure love, neither age nor family relationships matter".
In addition, he sent female believers to lure men to join the cult with their bodies. This is the most notorious practice of the "Son of God" – "Flirty Fishing".
The "Son of God" cult uses "erotic fishing" to recruit new members Source: Yahoo News
Female believers are sent to bars and streets as bait to "fish" for men and, where possible, to be paid to help the "Son of God" raise funds.
David Berg, in the Ink Book, calls these women "the prostitutes of Jesus" and "the prostitutes of God." A woman named Carter told the BBC that she grew up in the "Son of God" and has been living in human purgatory.
Ms Carter Source: BBC
From the age of four, Carter was sexually abused by members of the "Sons of God" cult, including her own father.
In addition to sexual abuse, Carter was repeatedly beaten and flogged for minor incidents. "It's hell for anyone born in this world!" Carter scolded.
According to Carter, she lives with her mother and siblings in a small apartment in Paisley, where the "Son of God" demands that they have no contact with the outside world, no music, television or any entertainment life, or even an unknown how the world works. Although they are not allowed to receive formal education within the church, they need to learn carefully how to keep secrets from people outside the church, especially government workers.
Propaganda image of "Son of God"
"If you can't keep smiling and say what you want to say, the consequences will be severe." Carter said.
They were told that if anything was said against the "Son of God," terrible things would happen not only to themselves, but also to their brothers and sisters.
"From the age of four, I was sexually abused, not only from my father, but also from other members of the cult. What others have done to me makes me feel very uncomfortable, but if I raise objections, I will be beaten. I was punished a lot because I couldn't stop asking questions. Carter cried.
Berg and the children within the teaching
This life lasted until she fled the "Son of God" when she was 15 years old.
"I was able to escape because I felt that the outside world was no longer important, I already wanted to die, and no matter how bad the outside world was, how bad could it be?"
Carter, who escaped, suffered from chronic depression, and suicidal thoughts lingered in her mind for a long time.
"I spent years on a lot of drugs and alcohol, trying to erase my past."
However, the nightmare of the "Son of God" has not dissipated over the years. Because Carter thinks she can't tell anyone about this past, her siblings are still living in the cult.
Members of the "Sons of God" meet
But about a decade ago, she decided to tell the truth about what happened to her and took her father to court.
"He didn't admit that what he had done in the past was wrong," Carter said, "and he didn't seem to understand the effect on me, and I thought he knew it..."
A believer named Alexander Watt pleaded guilty to four charges committed in the 1980s, including sexual abuse of Carter and another child, before being convicted in February 2018. But David Berg, the originator of the "Son of God," was not punished by the law and died as early as November 1994.
For years, the investigation into the "Son of God" has not ended, and those who have committed crimes have been punished one by one, but the nightmares of innocent children continue.
<h1 toutiao-origin="h2" > This article is the original WeChat public account "China Anti-Cult", please indicate the source when reprinting. Author: Ruowen</h1>
<h1 toutiao-origin="h2" >● Previous selections</h1>
<h1 toutiao-origin="h2" > ■ Help poverty alleviation We are in action </h1>
<h1 toutiao-origin="h2">
</h1>