Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
GLADIATOR
Their parents became involved in the sect in 1972 – when River was two – after coming across a commune while travelling through Crockett, Texas, in their Volkswagen van.
John and Arlyn found a sense of belonging with the sect, thanks to its timely mix of Christianity and free love. They went on to run their own centre in Colorado and then into Latin America, having more children along the way (Joaquin was born in Puerto Rico in 1974). But the sect wasn’t as innocent as they first thought. Leader David Berg had begun the movement in 1968 in California – no doubt mopping up the teen hippies not already under Charles
Manson’s Helter Skelter spell. By 1971 it had 1,500 members and 69 colonies, including one which was home to the family of #Metoo campaigner and actress Rose Mcgowan.
Later that decade it would have 10,000 members, including communes in Britain.
Berg preached about the importance of sexual freedom, even making it part of the sacrament. He claimed the Bible was supportive of incest and adultery, and encouraged women to have children by multiple men and men to have multiple wives, all in preparation for an apocalypse. Children
were also viewed as sexual objects and allegedly encouraged to “play” sexually with other children and adults from a young age. All families in the sect were isolated from the outside world. There was no TV or school.
And often there was no food. River and his sister Rain were regularly sent out on the streets to sing and busk for money so the family could eat.
According to Phoenix biographer Gavin Edwards, one letter from Berg – renamed Moses – to his archbishops said: “We have a sexy God and a sexy religion with a very sexy leader and a very sexy young following.
“So if you don’t like sex you better get out while you can.” In 1976, Berg issued another letter. This one