This letter contained the following extracts:
"So many children have grown up with the teaching that sex and masturbation and their sexual parts are sinful, when they are perfectly normal, healthful, physical activities.....It's the excess that is the same in anything."
"This mysterious secrecy about sex, of course, inspired our childish curiosity all the more.....I found little girls are fascinated by my own erections and quite as willing to feel them as I was to attempt to explore their more hidden inner recesses! So I had my first intercourse at the early age of 7 which I found very interesting at my little cousin's instigation, she being of the same age."
"Children should be taught, as we try to teach ours, that your body is a beautiful creation of God. Children should be taught that their sexual parts are just as good as the rest of their bodies and that sexual activities, feelings and pleasures are no more evil than eating or any other physical functions or exercise. They should be taught that the evil results are only from their wrong, unlawful or excessive use. They should be made to understand that normal sex is no more sinful or less healthful than normal eating or drinking....A child's interest in the equivalent parts of the opposite sex is also perfectly normal and natural along their innocent childish investigations of the same out of natural curiosity and should not be discouraged, condemned nor punished." (I have added the emphasis to demonstrate early on the falsehood or, taking a more charitable view of it, the naivety of the denials that the early awakening of childhood sexuality was not a matter encouraged by the literature).
"Children should be taught the same: that there is nothing wrong with their bodies, nothing evil about sex...they should also not be prohibited from mutual self examination, experimentation or interplay when playing or sleeping together where legally possible and social and housing conditions permit...but it must be made very clear to your children that such sexual freedom must never be indulged in or practised openly in the presence of visitors, strangers or uninitiated relatives and friends who have not been properly re-educated in the revolutionary sexual freedoms of natural living - in other words you will not be able to indulge in such God given freedoms in the presence of the average systemite or even new disciples or their children or those who have not yet been properly educated in the liberal loving ways of God's revolutionary naturist...Otherwise, have fun and enjoy the pleasures that God has created and the senses and feelings he has made for you to enjoy where, when and with whom possible and expedient remembering the scriptures' own admonition that all of these things may be lawful to you, but they are not always expedient or advisable under all circumstances anywhere with anybody at any time....Don't overdo it, or you may be sorry! On the other hand don't under do it either by denying yourself the joys and necessities of life that God has created for you to enjoy....Don't go to the opposite extreme or permit your children to do so by becoming so addicted to sex and masturbation that you sit around all day starry-eyed like a zombie....From personal experience I can tell you I have accomplished much ,more and done much greater things and achieved greater success in God's work since I have become more sexually liberated and enjoyed greater sexual activity than ever before.
There he wrote:-
"I hope all our young kids have plenty of sex....Why did the Lord make you able to have children at the age of 11, 12 and 13 if you weren't supposed to have sex then?...In India they had child brides at 7 years of age! They can get married at that age! Then they could do all the fucking they want without having to worry about any kids till they are 12 years old!"
This was the authoritative work which would have been read by everyone in The Family.
"God intended for us to get accustomed to sex long before there was any procreation or sexual intercourse. And therefore you wouldn't be so preoccupied with it when you finally hit puberty or somewhere near there and you wouldn't just go crazy about it. If you were already accustomed to it, there wouldn't be any big deal about it, nothing rude. It's only natural!...."
"At 12 I was already fucking."
"I can remember at the age of 4 I was very very interested in little girls and what they looked like down there. I wanted to examine them and most of them seemed to like having me examine them, if we could get away with it when no adults were around, and play doctor and nurse. (Sara: That proves how sexy the Holy Spirit really is! because you were filled with the Holy Spirit from your mother's womb, yet as far back as you can remember you were always interested in girls and sex and Davidito has your spirit and he's the same way!). Fascinated and why not? Sex is a creation of God, created for us all to enjoy! Even children!"
He set out in the letter (or the parts of it we have) how he endeavoured to have sexual intercourse with his seven year old cousin and how at the age of 12 he again tried to have sexual intercourse with a girl of the same age. The letter concluded:
"That's the secret: just let kids do what comes naturally! Don't make a big fuss about it! Just treat it as natural as it is, no big thing, no catastrophe! Just let it come naturally and pleasantly, and explain that that's the way God made us and he wants us to enjoy it and it is perfectly normal and good for you! But you don't do it in public or too much! Its a private pleasure! Amen!"
This was printed chapter by chapter before re-published as a whole. Among the chapters are these:
1. In Chapter 31 when Davidito was 17 months old in July 1976:I have already recited that passage of Davidito watching the couple make love in the pool and of his being jealous when Alfred and Sara "love up". The Chapter continued:-
"He finally found something he thinks the baby is good for - he climbs up on the bed when she is propped there on a pillow and crawls right on top of her and began hunching away! They both love it, really!"
This baby was Davida, Sara's daughter, who would have been about 3 months old. The chapter continued:
"Mommy and Daddy just didn't believe us until they watched themselves one time: he climbed on top of Davida lying on the couch and began banging away again with a big smile! Daddy stood there, at first a bit awed, then felt Davidito's little penie and said, "I never would have believed it if I didn't really feel how hard he really is!".
2. In chapter 45 when Davidito was 2 years 4 months old, comment was added to Sara's entries by Berg himself. The fact that his views are recorded makes it difficult for The Family to distance him from responsibility for its publication. He said:
"God made children able to enjoy sex so he must have expected them to! I did! All my life! Thank God! I love it! and it didn't hurt me any! Nearly all kids do anyhow, despite prohibitions! And the only reason the system frowns on it is the churches have taught sex as evil! which is contrary to the Bible! how could God create a sexual enjoyment be a sin?! The system is really screwed up! God help us! They're the ones not normal! But "let not your good be evil-spoken of"! So take it easy."
3. In Chapter 61 when Davidito is 3 years 2 months old there was the description the "come-union" and it continued:-
"Soon afterwards in our next location he made up for loss time with his favourite playmate Davida. He told me, "Sarah gonna have to teach Davida to like to fuck and not push me away!" Well, I am glad she does not push him away all time, because the very next night I could not find them after dinner, but spotted right at the top of the stairs! Banging away on each other! Imagine! It's a good thing she liked it that time!"
4. The index is interesting. There is a cartoon of Berg saying:
"Davidito, do you know what you are doing? you are teaching the whole world how to take care of babies!"
There followed a very detailed index including a number of references to sex experiences and education, in addition to the entries on masturbation and penis. There is a cartoon. It shows Davidito on top of Davida as if having sexual intercourse with her.
5. These collected essays where published in 1982 as if then to give current force to the recommended practice in The Family's own Child Care Manual on how to bring up their children.
There are some letters from members of The Family which are revealing about the sexual goings-on within The Family. Thus for example:-
(a) "Sex should be Fun" written in about 1980 when Shuly wrote how "wonderful" it was "to have the liberty if you want it." She goes openly proclaimed that when she was thirteen in Venezuela she had a sexual affair with Berg's grandson.
(b) In "The Blessings of Older Children" written in about 1981 Seek and Secundus observed that they had not heard many testimonies from other families about how fast their kids were maturing, but would be very interested to hear more. Their eldest were Jason 9, Shera 8 and Summer 6. They wrote:-
"Jason, Shera and Summer have quite a little love triangle going and have been teaching us a lot about sharing and being unselfish. One night I knew Shera was looking forward to being with Jason, but he was with Summer. I asked Shera about it and she said that Summer was a little discouraged and Jason was trying to cheer her up before he came to bed with her....Jason was so in love with one sister while we were in Finland and really went through trials when he knew a particular older brother was sleeping with her....We really don't encourage or discourage the children about sex but we like to talk to them about what they are experiencing. It really isn't a joke for them, but comes very naturally and matter of factly, and they don't hesitate to share with us without even a flush. We don't know how much flesh brothers and sisters can share when they are older? But we want to share our experiences and are interested in the experiences of others in the family."
This was written in September 1985. It began with a comparison between system children and Family children and then Berg said:-
"But in The Family I think we are a very good example of what parents should be like, teaching kids what's right and about the Lord and to follow him and his principles and his Law of Love and his rules and getting them reared up in the way they should go so that when they are old they will not depart therefrom".
I again add the emphasis in order to refute The Family's case that the teachings of Mo were not encouraging of any sexuality. I find this was a clear instruction to the family to school their children in the Law of Love. He pointed out that:
"Our subteens are more like real adults. They are mature enough to get married and have children of their own at an early age which is the way God intended for things to be."
Then he continued:
"Of course it is shocking and horrifying to the system but you know how I feel about it! Frankly, I think as children, before the girls start menstruating and the boys start seminating, that's their opportunity to have all the sex they want with no problems - as long as the system doesn't know it "(I have added the emphasis). "And to get their experience and that's the way God intended for it to be! He didn't let them be able to have children until he thought they were old enough to take care of them. And apparently God thought they ought to be old enough and smart enough and responsible enough to take care of them at the ages of 13 and 14!... but up until that age there is no damage they could do having all the freedom they want in exploring each other and having whatever sex they can manage to have! Frankly, that's my opinion. I don't know if we're ever able to publish that," (again my emphasis) because that is what the system is horrified at already! They call it "child sex" and all that kind of stuff. But actually the Lord made children so they are interested in it and they enjoy it with each other and they like to explore and have adventures! He made them able to enjoy it at those younger ages and they can even have orgasms".
Maria realised the potential problems with the system and observed that "worldwide protection of children has swept the world" which, for Berg, was "the devil's kind of protection." They laid down rules that:-
"Boys with semen are going to have to avoid fucking girls who menstruate. There are plenty of other kinds of sex they can enjoy even with each other without actually fucking."
The language is so crudely explicit that it becomes thoroughly distasteful, a fact which World Services must have accepted because in their History of the Sexual Policies of The Family compiled in November 1993, they quote this passage using the more delicate euphemism "making love"!
This was published at about the time of or shortly after the Teen Training Camp in 1986. The teens had submitted their questions in advance, the leaders had answered them and "Dad was able to look them over and add some comments."
Question 1 was "What are the rules regarding sex for a 15 year old, as well as for younger teens?"
"Answer: Here's what Dad and Maria say that can help clarify that from the letter Teen Sex, paragraph 36: "(Maria: for the sake of potential problems with the system, we have set a rule for our girls that they can't fuck a seminating male after starting their period till they are 15). Yes, now you are making the qualification as I said, I think there is no reason to discourage them from having sex with each other until the girls begin to menstruate and the boys begin to seminate...Man's laws are in violation of God's laws, and because of this, we just have to be careful with our revolutionary living and our radical ideas and our liberties and freedoms, which the system doesn't have and sometimes doesn't tolerate. So boys and girls, you can have all the sex you want within the guidelines of counselling with your shepherds and/or parents, but boys, once you start having semen, you should not fuck any girls who have started their periods and are under the age of 15 years old. Once a teen girl starts her periods she must refrain from actual fucking with any boys who have semen because then you could produce a baby....Its o.k. to fuck boys who do not yet have semen, and girls, once you've reached your 15th birthday, you can go ahead and fuck.
Question 2 the teens always apparently wanted to ask was:
"Once girls have stated their period, can they still have dates with teen boys with semen and masturbate each other, even though they can't fuck? Answer: As long as they are obedient to The Family rule that Grandpa and Maria set down and don't fuck, yes, it would be fine to love and satisfy each other with kissing, masturbating etc...Our dear king and queen are entrusting you teens with this blessing and great responsibility of having teen sex. They of course want you to be happy and enjoy and love each other but they also want you to obey.
"Make it Work" written in June 1988 laid down a new policy which became necessary after the introduction of the "school vision" in November 1987 and the creation of Family schools which called for a more clearly defined code of sexual conduct for the teenagers. It may be a fair inference that control had to be imposed over the excessive enjoyment of the freedoms granted to the teenagers. Perhaps The Family had in mind the excesses revealed in the "Heavenly City School Training Seminar Notes" which The Family subsequently sought to suppress. EM was a leading figure at this school and she and two others report on the teens relationships/sharing. They decided:
"To have a sharing plan which was an experiment. We patterned it after the adult sharing plan and were careful not to push anyone onto it - no pressure ....Almost all the boys wanted to be on it, but not many of the girls, so some of the older girls took two boys!...we were trying to teach the teen to have unselfish love, not pressure them."
Consider that for a moment! Here was the flagship of The Family School Vision teaching the children to have unselfish love, teaching them in other words to submit to sexual intercourse. To continue:-
"We had the schedule for about 1 to 1½ months. It was only about 10 couples and then it went down to two girls and some boys! Then we asked what their hang ups were about the sharing plan, what you like and do not like about it. We cancelled it for a while to have classes and pow wows about it...They had really honest and sincere questions that needed to be answered and it was a huge victory in that area. They had to overcome the things about being cruel....They had to learn it as "cool" in God's eyes to be on fire...The fruit was all of them wanted to be on the sharing plan! So then we had to have ...two classes and share with them what to do if you aren't going all the way. A girl asked if you could get pregnant from sucking and swallowing it or pregnant without the man coming in etc. They needed the practical classes too and it was amazing all the things they did not know that we took for granted a lot. They don't have the experience we do and haven't read the letters that we knew." ( I add the emphasis to show how the Letters had shaped this intelligent lady's behaviour and how she clearly wished to use them to instruct her young charges in sexual practices.) "You really could see some of them really didn't know what we were talking about. It is important to take time to discuss the birds and bees and explain these things! We tend to take it for granted that they know about sex but they don't. They need the word on it read to them... Some guidelines were laid down to help them learn these values and responsibilities in their lives and to count the cost. They could go all the way but if the girl got pregnant, they would need to get married to the Daddy and they would also have to leave the school and go to another field with the mate where it is more acceptable for a teen girl to be pregnant. They were quite sobered. The boys especially really valued their place here and didn't want to lose it and almost all said, "I'm not going to fuck" because they really wanted to stay. The girls were happy to hear they wouldn't be pregnant and left on their own - then the girls went through the trials that the boys wouldn't fuck - the tables had turned! .... Hang Ups: we haven't had any major problems along the line of sharing, love and relationships since our classes except for some new teens who came in and missed it and were a bit fleshed out which we had to stop as they would sometimes dissemble. Some girls wouldn't undress anywhere except in a corner and were really bound and not free at all. Example of shower problem - in Japan you shower together...but in some cases some boys and girls didn't want the opposite sex in the shower. Some boys and some girls would shower with their undies on even with their own sex. We brought it out and discussed it and it improved. We found that many teens feel awkward or embarrassed about their body even though they have been raised in the family and with our liberties etc." (I am not surprised The Family attempted to suppress this document!) "Talk with them. Try to show them from the word. We had a bra discussion as they were all wearing them and we had to show them from the word why not to wear it. But if they needed it or were big or their breasts hurt, it was fine and o.k. Some girls were really just wearing them out of rebellion, except that they were rebelling in the opposite way than we did as teens - by wearing bras! Now we are having to ask them to wear bras more sometimes for visitors etc. You have to explain everything so they know the whys and wherefores." (Deceivers yet true, I ask?)
Marriage Prep Vision! Inspiring vision! The latest counsel we got was that our goal we could teach the teens was Marriage Prep. It was brought out that the system rarely fails to prepare teens for marriage. But we could teach them lots about this! The sharing plan seemed to feed shallowness in relationships and the teens were missing having to grow up mature. We were promoting promiscuity"- a startling admission from a teacher, even if she immediately added - " which is completely off the channel to the letters. We were not promoting what Dad is saying in the letters. Marriage prep was Dad's answer to all the info we sent in about this subject! We now need to teach them about relationship and loving dedication and responsibility to mates, why we bring people together in the first place. This Counsel changed the spirit among the teens."
EM stands condemned by her own words that she was promoting promiscuity. It was a deplorable abuse of adolescent children. It may even be that Berg would have agreed with me. He wrote in the "Make it Work" letter;-
"Now beloved, I realise we are a very sexy Family and we believe in sex but you've got to watch out! It only takes one little discontented miscreant, one little offended backslider who wants to justify himself for backsliding and makes that his complaint: "They promoted teen sex"! Isn't that the kind of story that someone might say, considering the way some of our schools and homes have apparently allowed their teens to have too much freedom and too many liberties? Where did you ever find in any of the letters that I have advocated complete sexual freedom among teenagers? Don't start quoting me Child Brides. There's only one thing that letter advocates in the way of young teenagers having sex, and what is it? (Fam: Marriage.) "Where did The Family get the idea that I promoted and advocated teenage promiscuity? (Fam: They just know that we are very free sexually. Even as little kids they slept with their brothers and sisters, and not only just physical brothers and sisters, but other kids, and they've played around. They've just grown up with it for 15 years in The Family, it just sort of comes natural). I think in my letters you will find what I consider the solution to the teens need for sex - and you will find it particularly in the letter on Child Brides. In that letter I am not advocating teenagers playing around with sex, but I am trying to prove that God intended for young teenagers, not just older teenagers, but even young teenagers to have sex, yes, but as married couples!"
(He seemed to have forgotten about Teen Sex and the answers to the children's questions.)
"I very revolutionarily asked you why do you think God allows young teenagers to have semen and periods and to be able to have babies if he did not intend for them to do so? What I was trying to teach you was that it is the ideal time for them to have sex, to couple up, have babies and therefore become mothers and fathers under the direct supervision and tutelage and control of their elders."
(I interpolate that it is not what he was saying, he was giving them permission to have sexual intercourse until boys began to produce semen and girls began to menstruate. Thereafter they were to refrain from sexual intercourse until 15, although they were free to engage in masturbation, and if the Heavenly City School is any example, to engage also in oral masturbation.)
Berg then laid down the new law in these terms:-
"And I want to tell you right now, I want to set myself on record in black and white right now, that I am not in favour of teenage promiscuity, sexual freedom, but I am in favour of encouraging teenage marriages! Do you her that? Marriages! Fatherhood, Motherhood, babyhood, loyalty, faithfulness of mates, responsibility, duty, obligation! Just as much as the system is, if not more....so my answer to your teenage sex problem is not promiscuity, it is marriage! That's what I've always said and always encouraged and I haven't changed a bit! I am just shocked that people have misinterpreted me other ways."
I find without hesitation that his self righteous delusion that he has been misrepresented is pure humbug. I have no hesitation either in finding that The Family have endeavoured to stamp upon teenage sexual activity and have since 1988 firmly and categorically laid down rules for the young in The Family.
In September 1989 in the letter "Teen Marriage Rules! - More on how to make it work!" (a letter I do not recall having seen, save for an extract provided by World Services) rules were laid down for teenagers wishing to marry to make a commitment for the rest of their lives, that the match should have parental approval and the approval of the leadership, that the teens should go steady for 6 months and then become betrothed and that they should live together for at least 6 months before being allowed to marry. More detailed guidelines were established, qualified and presented to The Family in 1991 and published in the Latest News Flash in August of that year, again a document I have not seen. These rules were published in August 1991 and apply today. They are as follows:-
"Pre-teens, ages 11, 12 and 13 are not allowed to date. They can have sex classes as part of their scholastic training. Junior teens, aged 14 and 15, can begin a marriage prep course as part of their scholastic training. At aged 15 and 9 months they can begin a six month going steady or engagement period, but no sex is allowed. Senior teens aged 16 and 17 can have sexual contact 3 months after engagement, with the person they are engaged to. Marriage is possible at 16, after a 6 month engagement so long as it is legal in the country of current residency. Young adults, aged 18, 19 and 20 are allowed to make sexual contact with each other without being married. Such contact must be approved by the home team work. This is completely voluntary. Whether they choose to have sexual intercourse or not in their sexual relationship is up to them."
No adult members over the age of 21 can engage in any sexual activity with those under 21." (It may be that on reaching 21, they may be allowed to continue an on-going relationship with someone under that age).
