Today's spotlight: Vivian Shillander

— Former Children of God member and mother whose struggle to get her children out of the cult was featured on the TV programme ABC News 20/20: To Bring Her Children Home in 1988.

Pages featured on the home page

xFamily Forum — A place to request and contribute information, and find out what our latest research is on.

Karen Zerby — Info about "Mama Maria", current leader of The Family.

Ricky Rodriguez video — Full video created by Ricky Rodriguez before his murder–suicide.

Video Archives — TV coverage, documentaries and more
Story of Davidito — Book on Ricky Rodriguez's upbringing
Flirty Fishing — Formerly practiced religious prostitution
Loving Jesus — Doctrine concerning sexuality with Jesus
Merry Berg — Granddaughter of David Berg who has spoken out about abuse
Berg and Anti-Semitism — Collection of writings
Berg on Incest — Writings on incest
Japan Persecution Notices 2005 — Internal documents in reaction to media attention in Japan

Featured Forum Discussions

Previous spotlight articles

October 2006

13. Philip Sloan — Family Care Foundation project manager and Family International member who sexually abused children between 1986 and 1990.
06. True Komix - The Love of God — "a True Komix Volume of nothing but FF and Sex Letters"

September 2006

23. Cult Killer: The Rick Rodriguez Story — British documentary about the life of Rick Rodriguez

August 2006

25. José María Baamonde — Argentine psychologist and cult expert

July 2006

10. Basic Training Handbook — Heavily purged Family publication from 1987 that was "suggested required reading for all members ages 10 & over."

June 2006

12. Paul Brandt Berg — Eldest son of Family International founder David Berg
04. Merry Berg — Granddaughter of David Berg who has spoken out against abuse

May 2006

20. Category:Current and Former Members — More than 100 articles dedicated to individuals who have lived within the cult
10. Philippines — History of The Family's involvement in the country

April 2006

25. Loving Jesus — Doctrine concerning intimacy and sexuality with Jesus (previous spotlight: 2005-04-23)
01. Susan Claire Borowik — International spokesperson for The Family (previous spotlight: 2005-04-18)

March 2006

19. The Family International — Brief overview of the religious cult that is the focus of this website
09. Heaven's Girl — Fiction book for children by The Family

February 2006

20. Category:Family Videos — Information about and copies of publicly distributed and internal Family videos

January 2006

30. Family Care Foundation — Large Family International-run public benefit corporation based in Dulzura, California
21. Heaven's Harlots — 1998 book by former Children of God member Miriam Williams
17. 60 Minutes New Zealand: The Children of God — Transcript and video of news program, broadcast 2005-08-22
12. FREECOG — First organized anti-cult group
07. Mo Letters — Series of more than 3000 publications by David Berg

December 2005

27. River Phoenix — American film actor who spent his early childhood in the Children of God cult (previous spotlight: 2005-05-08)
21. Ted Patrick — Originator of deprogramming
15. Deprogramming
09. Roberto José Marquevich
03. Berg on Pedophilia — Collection of writings by David Berg

November 2005

30. Category:Family Music and Audio
26. Lefkowitz Report — Investigative report on the Children of God by the Charity Frauds Bureau, published 1974-09-30
17. Houston Press: Family Ties — Published 2005-11-17
14. James D. Chancellor
07. Traumatic Testimonies

October 2005

26. Montel Williams: Sex Abuse and Mind Control: Raised in a Cult — Transcript and video of talk-show, broadcast 2005-10-24
18. 60 Minutes Australia: Sinful Acts — Transcript and video of news program, broadcast 2005-10-16
17. Babylon the Whore
05. Dr. Phil: The Family Cult Escapees — Transcript and video of talk-show, broadcast 2005-10-03
03. Cult — About our use of the word on this site

September 2005

26. Stephen A. Kent
23. Louris May Yamaguchi
12. Miriam Williams Boeri
06. Rose McGowan — American film actor who spent her early childhood in the Children of God cult
03. Apostate

August 2005

27. Category:Child Abduction
23. Dateline NBC: A message from beyond the grave
18. Cosmopolitan: A sex cult stole my childhood
07. Rolling Stone: The Life and Death of the Chosen One
01. Flirty Fishing — Formerly practiced religious prostitution (previous spotlight: 2005-04-25)

July 2005

27. Deborah Davis
21. Argentina
18. Vas Myers
10. People Magazine: Was the Family Doing God's Work - Or Unspeakable Harm?

June 2005

27. The Family's response to the June 2005 Rolling Stone article
23. Story of Davidito — Book on Ricky Rodriguez's upbringing (previous spotlight: 2005-05-07)
20. Ricky Rodriguez
16. David Berg
13. Steven Douglas Kelly
10. Category:Family Art
08. Category:Press — Archive of press relating to The Family/Children of God cult from around the globe
06. Marie Claire: "Killing Myself is the Only Way Out of the Cult"
04. Prophecy
03. Abe Braaten
02. J. Gordon Melton
01. Japan Persecution Notices 2005 — Internal documents in reaction to media attention in Japan (previous spotlight: 2005-05-20)

May 2005

31. Charter
30. Abrahim
29. Hugo Westphal
28. Praying against enemies
27. Los Angeles Times: A Young 'Prophet' Cannot Defeat the Demons of His Past
26. Faith Berg
25. Edward Priebe
24. Category:Sexuality
23. Stuart Harris Baylin
22. Category:History
21. Space City
20. Japan Persecution Notices 2005 — Internal documents in reaction to media attention in Japan
19. Rick Dupuy
18. Ben Farnsworth
17. Glossary
16. Life with Grandpa - the Mene Story
15. Life with Grandpa - Real Fathers
14. The Last State
13. Category:Photos of the Early Days
12. San Francisco Chronicle: Common Thread of Sexual, Spiritual Abuse Among Cult Defectors Who Killed Themselves — Published 2005-01-27
11. Berg on Rape — Collection of writings on rape
10. Berg on Incest — Collection of writings on incest
09. Vandari — Demon which influences apostates and others who speak against the cult
08. River Phoenix — American film actor who spent his early childhood in the Children of God cult
07. Story of Davidito — Book on Ricky Rodriguez's upbringing
06. Berg and Anti-Semitism — Collection of antisemitic writings by David Berg
05. Deceivers yet true — The Family's policy on deception
04. No Regrets — Article by James Penn, former high-level Family member
02. Plagiarized art — Addresses plagiarism in Family publications
01, 03. Ultimate Family Songbook — Software containing over 2,600 Family songs

April 2005

30. Judgment of Lord Justice Ward — Details a trial for custody of a Family child
29. Japan — Group history, statistics, and other information
28. Category:Secrecy — A consistent trait throughout the history of the group
27. Samuel Charles Perfilio — Current number three leader of The Family, and widely known child abuser
26. Merry's Story — Article by Merry Berg (Mene), November 1992
25. Flirty Fishing — Formerly practiced religious prostitution
24. Techi's Life Story — Book about upbringing of Christina Teresa Zerby
23. Loving Jesus — Doctrine concerning intimacy and sexuality with Jesus
22. Hong Kong Goolagong — Aboriginal demon who attacks missionaries using lacerated breasts
21. Watchman's Story — Article by Rick Dupuy, shortly after leaving The Family
20. Angela Smith — Murdered by Ricky Rodriguez
19. Evening Standard: The Little Girl Seduced in the Name of God — Published 2005-03-09
18. Susan Claire Borowik — International spokesperson for The Family
17. Jeremy Spencer — Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -inducted Family member

Spotlight