A Cult By Any Other Name
“If you wanted to create the perfect storm for manipulation, you’d start with a child and tell them they’re chosen by God.”
Then you’d isolate them. Wrap them in a story so tight it leaves no room for questions. You’d strip away the outside world—schools, media, relatives, anyone who might suggest another way to live. You’d teach them that freedom is dangerous, curiosity is sinful, and obedience is divine.
This is not ancient history.
This was—and in some dark corners, still is—the Children of God.
Founded in 1968 by David Berg, who called himself “Moses David,” the group began as a Christian missionary movement during the height of the Jesus freak era. But it quickly morphed into something far more sinister. What started as a traveling caravan of youth preaching peace and love became a global cult of control, exploitation, and sanctioned abuse.
“Children weren’t converted. They were born into it. Bred for obedience.”
Berg preached radical doctrines, claiming to receive revelations from God that excused everything from child sexuality to apocalyptic survivalism. The group operated in communes across the world—over 130 countries—where members surrendered their money, autonomy, and bodies to the group. And they raised their children the same way.
One of the most horrifying practices was called “Flirty Fishing.” Women were instructed to use sex as a tool of religious recruitment—seducing men under the guise of God’s love. In some cases, even children were involved. The cult’s literature normalized adult-child sexual “relationships,” and abuse was rampant, excused as divine intimacy.
“Grooming wasn’t hidden—it was printed in pamphlets and sung in children’s songs.”
Children were routinely beaten for questioning authority. Kept from school. Made to confess sins they didn’t understand. If they cried, it meant Satan was testing them. If they stayed silent, it meant they were being obedient. Either way, they were never safe.
By the 1990s, under pressure and scrutiny, the group rebranded as The Family International. The leadership claimed they had “moved on” from those practices, but the trauma lingered, the structure remained, and many survivors were left to piece themselves back together in a world that had no idea what they’d survived.
“The cult changed its name. The children didn’t get to change their past.”
But let’s not treat this like a freak event in the rearview. Cults don’t always die. They evolve. They find softer names, prettier language, better hashtags.
They show up now in:
✨ influencers offering healing through hyper-control
💻 “coaches” who ask for loyalty before insight
🧠 gurus who replace trauma therapy with conspiracy
⛪ purity movements where the price of “holiness” is your selfhood
“Control dressed as connection. Abuse disguised as enlightenment. Love that demands your silence.”
And somewhere, a child is still being told they’re chosen.
Still believing that chosen means suffering.
Still learning to shrink, obey, and smile through the slow erasure of self.
That’s why we talk about this—not to sensationalize, but to stay awake.
To recognize when belief becomes bondage.
To name what still lingers.
A cult by any other name still strips the truth out of you.
Especially when it starts with: “You’re special.”
If you’ve survived something that felt like a cult—even if it never had a name—this post is for you. Not all cages have walls. Some are built with scripture, soft voices, and toxic love. Share your thoughts, your stories, or even your silence. The shame was never yours to carry.
Stay Weird. Love You. Mean It
-No Apologies, Just Stories
