  the family international, formed as the children of god (cog), renamed family of love and later the family, is a new religious movement often referred to as a cult (by such academics as benjamin beit-hallahmi and john huxleyhuxley j (1992). "sunday times: sex-cult children held â children of god". the sunday times (sydney) 1992-05-17.) started in 1968 in huntington beach, california, united states, with many of its early converts drawn from the hippie movement. ==overview== tfi initially spread a message of salvation, apocalypticism, and spiritual "revolution" against the outside world, which the members called "the system". in 1976,http://www.davidberg.org/mission/flirty-fishing it began a method of evangelism called flirty fishing, using sex to "show god's love" and win converts, resulting in controversy. tfi's founder and prophetic leader, david berg (who was first called "moses david" in the texas press), took the titles of "king", "the last endtime prophet", "moses", and "david". he communicated with his followers via mo lettersâletters of instruction and counsel on myriad spiritual and practical subjectsâuntil his death in late 1994.xfamily.org publications database â contains the entire text of "mo letters" after his death, his widow karen zerby became the leader of tfi, taking the title of "queen" and "prophetess". she married steve kelly, an assistant of berg's whom he had handpicked as her "consort". kelly took the title of "king peter" and bec
Christian_new_religious_movements Christian_organizations_established_in_the_20th_century Family_International Intentional_communities Jesus_movement Religious_organizations_established_in_1968