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Cults Unpacked - Children of God

It probably goes without saying that cult leaders are, generally speaking, massive creeps, but David
Berg - leader of US-based cult Children of God – took creepy to a whole new level. Sex underpinned
most of Children of God’s best-known policies, with Berg as its dirty-old-man in chief.
A cult of many names, Children of God started as the cheesy-sounding Teens For Christ, and now
exists as The Family International, albeit with some extremely welcome policy tweaks. Early
followers included actress Rose McGowan’s parents and the parents of River, Joaquim, and Rain
Phoenix, all three of whom sang on the streets for donations to help fund the cult’s communal
lifestyle.