Children of God, Twelve Tribes
" ... In 1968, in Huntington Beach, California, David Berg founded the Children of God. The apocalyptic, evangelical Christian cult infamously preached sex as a pathway to salvation. By his followers, Berg was considered the "end-time prophet," someone who possessed supernatural power and would lead them into the end of the world. A collision of the broader Jesus people movement and the free love movement, Berg's doctrine boiled down to a multitude of sexually abusive practices justified by loose ties to Christianity. The group, still active, has since rebranded as The Family International.
The 1960s are recognized as a period of upheaval and transition, where counterculture was at its height. It is easy to look back on the decade with a nostalgic rosy lens, like one long Van Morrison song. But in actuality, political tumult, divisiveness surrounding the Vietnam War, and lingering tensions left many individuals vulnerable and lost, giving rise to cult culture.
"People join so-called cults, right, or sects for the same reason that people join churches," Lattin said. "You know, a lot of people often have a transition in their lives. You know, they're going through a difficult period in their life … They're searching for meaning, they're searching for community … a lot of the people who joined Berg's group were kind of rebelling against everything. They were in the counterculture."
Characteristics of the Children of God included recruitment methods and doctrine taught in subscription-style pamphlets, some copies of which can be found at UW's Special Collections. One such series, "Poorkid Magazine," targeted younger audiences, offering exaggerated cartoons, testimonies from other young people who followed Berg, and stories centered on the group's evangelism. Everything was penned by Berg, who wrote under the alias Moses David, a name more aligned with the identity he assumed as a modern prophet. In the second issue of "Poorkid," one particularly disturbing comic introduces the infamous "Look of love" concept that was an inescapable aspect of the Children of God's doctrine."
Vermont Daily Chronicle: A former Twelve Tribes member finds her voice through TikTok
" ... Tamara Mathieu starts all of her TikTok videos with a version of this introduction: "I'm a cult survivor. I lived for 14 years in the religious group called the Twelve Tribes, and I share videos about things that we were not allowed to do in this group."
Some of the things she says she couldn't do: Participate in some athletic competitions, celebrate her birthday, and read texts other than the Bible or publications by the Twelve Tribes.
Last year, the Swanton resident published a memoir about her experience. Now, she's taking to TikTok. Mathieu started sharing her videos in July.
She currently has 3,403 followers, with each video receiving over 1,000 views. "A lot of people have contacted me who were also in the Twelve Tribes," she said, "or people who have family in the Twelve Tribes."
One viewer said they are devastated that a young family member joined the group. Another viewer commented, "Thank you for helping me understand what my granddaughter is going through, being there for almost three years."
Social media can play an essential role in helping survivors of cults connect, said Megan Goodwin, senior editor for Religion Dispatches and co-author of "Religion is Not Done With You."
"One of the most powerful parts of recovery is learning about people who have shared similar experiences," Goodwin said. "In my research, I see it being empowering for a lot of people. The connection part of it is really positive."
The Southern Poverty Law Center describes Twelve Tribes as "a Christian fundamentalist cult." Still, Hadassah Hebert, a current member of the Twelve Tribes community in Plymouth, Massachusetts, who grew up in the religious group, describes it as "a selfless endeavour."
"We all have a common goal to not live for ourselves, but to create a place where people can come and find love," Hebert said.
Mathieu remembers first hearing about the religious group from her college boyfriend, whose relatives were in the Twelve Tribes. Mathieu met her boyfriend at the University of Vermont, where she majored in nutrition and food science.
During her junior year, she became pregnant and eventually decided to leave the university to care for her newborn. She remembers feeling lonely and isolated.
The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not imply that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly endorse the content. We provide information from multiple perspectives to foster dialogue.
No comments:
Post a Comment