Jesus Freaks: A True Story of Murder and Madness on the Evangelical Edge

by Don Lattin

In the tradition of Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven , Don Lattin's Jesus Freaks is the story of a shocking pilgrimage of revenge that left two people dead and shed new light on The Family International, one of the most controversial religious movements to emerge from the spiritual turmoil of the sixties and seventies. Some say The Family International—previously known as the Children of God—began with the best intentions. But their sexual and spiritual excesses soon forced them to go underground and follow a dark and dangerous path. Their charismatic leader, David "Moses" Berg, preached a radical critique of the piety and hypocrisy of mainstream Christianity. But Berg's message quickly devolved into its own web of lies. He lusted for power and unlimited access to female members of his flock—including young girls and teenagers—and became a drunken tyrant, setting up re-indoctrination camps around the world for rebellious teenagers under his control. Thousands of children raised in The Family would defect and try to live normal lives, but the prophet's heir apparent, Ricky "Davidito" Rodriguez, was unable to either bear the excesses of the cult or fit into normal society. Sexually and emotionally abused as a child, Ricky left the fold and began a crusade to destroy the only family he ever knew, including a plot to kill his own mother. Veteran journalist Don Lattin has written a powerful, engrossing book about this uniquely American tragedy. Jesus Freaks is a cautionary tale for those who fail to question the prophesies and proclamations of anyone who claims to speak for God.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Religion, Cults, History, Crime, Christianity

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

Don Lattin is an award-winning journalist and who covers alternative and mainstream religious movements and figures in America. His work has appeared in dozens of U.S. magazines and newspapers, including the San Francisco Chronicle, where Lattin covered the religion beat for nearly two decades. He is also the author of six books.

Reviews

[Molly Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am intrigued by the people who get sucked into abusive cults. What draws them in? At what point do they forget common sense? This nonfiction book follows the life of "Prophet Prince" Ricky Rodriguez, who was born into the Children of God/The Family International cult and, according to cult founder David Berg, an alcoholic pedophile, was destined to become one of two "witnesses" who would sacrifice himself to bring on the apocalypse. Berg claimed that sex between adults and children (including those who were related) was an expression of God's love. He made Ricky his experiment, sexually abusing him from his birth with a team of adults, and chronicled that abuse in parenting pamphlets that were distributed to the cult's thousands of followers. For any child who resisted abuse (even a flippant remark was considered a serious offense), an "exorcism" was performed, during which that child was severely beaten.
Author Don Lattin does a good job of collecting interviews with ex-members of the cult, which offer some insight into the blind faith adopted by converts. Lattin also gained access to copies of "Moses Letters" written by the cult's founder and various photographs of the cult. Unfortunately, all of this information is tossed into the book haphazardly and I had a difficult time trying to piece together the chronology of events and figuring out who was who. Ultimately, this book is 211 nauseating pages that graphically describe child abuse and it ends, disappointingly, without justice being served to the cult's monstrous offenders. One wonders how the cult leaders still remain free. Save yourself some nightmares and skip this one.

[Lylah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting (if tragic) account of the Children of God, a new religious group (aka "cult") that came out of the late 60s Southern California Jesus movement. I think some of the negative reviews of this book come from readers who expected either an in-depth sociological study of the Children of God or a true crime thriller. It's neither, although it has elements of both. Don Lattin has covered new religious movements for decades and has a good grasp of the subject, and also consults academic experts throughout the book, but the narrative is structured around the disturbing story of Ricky Rodriguez, scion of the group's leadership and its appointed heir and "prophet," whose life ended in 2005 at age 29 in a murder/suicide. The Children of God are fascinating both because of their ability to combine hippie free love ethos with elements of conservative Christianity, and for just how far off the rails this toxic combination led them. The story is a quintessentially American tragedy, and raises philosophical questions regarding intentions and beliefs vs. actions, consequences, and interpretations. As implied in the publisher's summary, if you liked Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven, or if you're interested in either new religious movements or the counterculture, this book is a good bet. If you're sensitive to accounts of child abuse or children and sexuality, you'll probably want to avoid it.

[aya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so badly written and disorganized that it made a compelling subject almost uninteresting. I expected this books to be sensational and tabloid-like, but the writing was so bad that i couldn't even enjoy it as a trashy non-fiction book about an interesting subject.

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW... Did I say WOW?

I was so caught up in this book. I have studied religion and have an arts degree with a major in Religious Studies, but NEVER... WOW! I am floored. I know that people do some wacky things in the name of Religion, but this one tops the cake so far. Child sexuality, prostitution (oh, sorry, flirty fishing), multiple partners, orgies... and all in the name of Jesus Christ? WOW! I couldn't put this book down, and the whole time, the only thing running through my head was "what makes a person think this way? This is CRAZY!"

If you have any interest in Religion/Religious Cults at all, I suggest reading this book. After reading this book I did more research on the cult and found out that stars, such as Rose McGowan of Scream/Charmed fame escaped this cult with her family when she was young. Her family left because of the child molestation claims. It's CRAZY!

The reason for the 4 stars is because I didn't find the book to be overly well written. At times I was a bit confused as to who was who (which couldn't totally be placed on the researchers fault, seeing as they were changing their names for security reasons every couple of years). I also found that the book jumped all over the place, from the 60's, to the 90's, back to the 70's then to the 2000s... Overall though, a book worth reading!!!

[audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is... problematic. It veers between wanting to look at the larger sociocultural scene around the rise of cults in the 1960s, being a sensationalist exposé of what is by any standard a real, real shady cult, looking at the underpinnings of the religious doctrine of said cult, and covering a murder suicide committed by a cult member. It wants to do all of those things and does a little of each, but without giving readers any type of functional analysis. It reads amateurishly and is poorly organized, but to be fair, it does manage to construct a deep introduction to this particular cult supported by first-hand sources.

tw: child abuse:
It's also problematic that while it's indisputable that The Family espoused and practiced sexual abuse of children, the author uses the cult's own term for it, "sex play between adults and children", (a term that frankly does not exist in my vocabulary) and that comes off as an endorsement. Gross.

[eegriega · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subject matter is fascinating, and I appreciate all the effort the author put into researching the events and conducting interviews. I just felt that the writing of it was scattered, especially in a chronological sense--it seemed like it jumped around all over the place, back and forth. There were also some repetitive sections, while parts I would have liked to have had more in-depth were skimmed over. (A challenge when you're piecing a story like this together, I know, but overall it made the pacing feel uneven.) Maybe I would have enjoyed it more as a longform article?

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Both a detailed description of the workings of the Family International (aka Children of God or COG), led by David Berg, and an attempt to make sense of Ricky Rodriguez’s murder-suicide, Jesus Freaks ultimately does little of either, instead wallowing in the exploitative nature of one of the most dangerous, horrifically abusive, and destructive cults in American history.

The Family International, led by Berg, arose out of the counterculture in the 1960s, attempting to unite the hippy ideal with the primitive church; its creeds focusing heavily around sex, flirty fishing, and eventually systemic child abuse as Berg increasingly took the mantra “to the pure, all things are pure” to heart (forgetting the second half of Titus 1:15 – “but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.”)

Ricky Rodriguez was born into this cauldron of sexual exploitation as the so-called heir to Berg’s prophetic cult. He, like many other children raised in the Family, was subject to severe and constant sexual abuse by many people. He eventually escaped and, traumatized by his time, murdered his former nanny then killed himself.

Jesus Freaks sums up the core of the Family pretty accurately, but this book does not do much justice to the suffering of those victims nor does it attempt to be an organized history of the movement. Rather, it leans heavily into the pulpy elements of the story: the sex, the abuse, the violence, and rather haphazardly tries to be a history of the group.

As the leaders of this cult remain free, all that this book can be now is a monument to the suffering and heartbreak Berg and his group have caused, otherwise Jesus Freaks struggles to rise above its sensationalized narrative to its detriment.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a disturbing book, obviously, but also was not particularly well-written and would have been served by some good editing. It was hard to get through because of the content, but also because it was confusing, not compelling, and repetitive.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A horrific story of religious and sexual abuse, brainwashing, and non action from the government in multiple countries. I thought I’d heard all of the worst cult stories but this takes the cake. Wouldn’t recommend for people that will be triggered by child sexual assault.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's not many books about The Children of God aka The Family, so we're kind of stuck with this one. There's a lot of information here, but it's disorganized which made it hard to read.

[Lynn Perry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book Is Not Holding My Interest - Almost 50% Through And Struggling

I am definitely a "fan" of true crime - tending to prefer books that deal with sustained psychological dysfunction - a trait cults tend to share. The cult portrayed in this book definitely has the dysfunction - but the author seems to be unable to convey the story in a coherent way. He skips all over the place -describing, for example, a scene from the 70's, and then in the next paragraph fast-forwarding to the 90's and going on about some court case "whose" relationship to the preceeding is unclear. I am going to try & finish this book - eventually. For now, I need to switch to something that is a little more linear. Am irritated with myself that I ignored the prior negative reviews and spent $2 on this. Don't make the same mistake.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems that many religious cults are founded by a megalomaniac man who ultimately uses his authority to have as many kinds of sex with as many kinds of followers as he can, and then justifies it by carefully selected quotes from the Bible; the name David Koresh comes to mind.

This book is fascinating in a prurient way. The founder of the Jesus Freak cult known as The Family is a despicable man living in a self-delusion of alcohol and orgies. The number of abused children who commit suicide in their 20s is a testament to the evil that is perpetrated on them as innocents.

It's a disturbing book, but somehow I expected it to be. I'm curious about religious belief systems and the groups who proclaim them, and this group is one of the sleaziest.

[Jill Crosby · Rating 1 out of 5]

This SHOULD be a great read---the dissecting of a counter-culture "love cult" and an in-depth look at the psyches of those at the top of the heap. Sadly, this is not the case here. The writer never really gives the reader much to chew on---there's no real definition of the cult's theology, its proselytizing, its fundraising. We're treated to a laundry list of names & titles, but no real mention is made of what these people do, other than sexually abuse the children in the group. Very disappointing.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a bit of a geek, so I usually love books such as these, but this was extremely hard for me to get through. I don't believe it was the subject matter that affected this for me, but rather how it was written. I had a hard time keeping it straight - for a majority of the book, instead of being time linear, each time a new person was introduced, we were taken back in time again. While I can see why it was written this way - there are a lot of people and a lot of fact - it just didn't work for me. However, the subject is still substantially interesting.

[Susan O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Ophelia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a sad and disgusting story. The book is poorly written; I just can't recommend it.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perverting Christianity

I can't and didn't "enjoy" this book, despite the fact that I'd highly recommend it for any MATURE reader interested in cults, different religions, good vs. evil and the mentally ill. I also recommend it because it is very thoroughly researched , edited and well written. It is a very difficult book to read -- AND to put down once you've begun. To all who DO read it, please, for those who have suffered both dead and alive, TALK to your children about good touch vs bad touch, that it could be attempted by a stranger, or someone they know and what to do, who to tell IF they are ever approached! Also, keep this book hidden away from the hands and possible curiosity of minors!
I would be remiss if I didn't point out what is obvious to me and SHOULD be to any true Christian that has NOT been brainwashed OR, born into such insanity. David Berg and his inner circle are NOT of God! God tells us that for anyone who causes harm to a child it would be better for them to have a "milestone" hung from their necks. He loves ALL His children and would NEVER advocate ANY kind of abuse. He would NEVER encourage sex between adults and young ones in order to win souls. Nor would or does He advocate sleeping around, sex before marriage or cheating on your spouse.
If only those that had doubts within this or ANY cult would find and read their Bible, talk to an outsider or two or ten and ask them, and use not only common sense but a spirit of discernment, these cults would lose plenty of folks and funds from potential supporters. Lives would be saved. Think of the "fruit of the Spirit" in the book of Galations (New Testament) and ask yourself if your group or leader produces those things. If not, or if they practice abuse or do things you know are against the law, PLEASE get help and get out of there as soon as you safely can!

[Catherine Amos · Rating 3 out of 5]

[I had to put some distance between me and this one before I could write my review. This is one of those books (like Lolita) that is well-written, but tells of reprehensible actions of adults against children.]

For some reason, I have a morbid fascination with cults/religious groups that sprung up in the latter half of the 20th century. The Children of God cult was a product of the "flower power" movement of the 1960's and 70's, but its roots run further back than that. Lattin provides a well-informed history of the cults co-founders and how they founded an organization (which is still active today) that is about as far-reaching and widespread as many other organized religions. The only reason I feel that this didn't get more news coverage on the same level as the Heaven's Gate cult or even the Manson Family, was that there was only one dead body associated with all the evils committed in the name of religion. One of the truly sad aspects of this entire story is that the evil deeds our "protagonist" hoped to expose are probably still going on today because the adults in charge truly feel they haven't done anything wrong.

Warning - you need to have a strong stomach to handle this one because descriptions of sexual acts between adults and children can be pretty graphic.

[Katyak79 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary: Oh look....another perv using religion as an excuse to mess with kids. Cults are a pretty fascinating topic and this one in particular is wild because it's still around even after all the horrid things that the cult has facilitated. And let me tell ya, a lot of the stuff that went on was beyond Gross. I was somewhat familiar with the backstory here, but this book went into a lot more detail about what these people did to and with kids and its absolutely disgusting. I have no idea why there have been no repercussions for these people. Beyond that, the author did the research and interviewed many people involved, but struggles with maintaining a coherent narrative for various reasons. After finishing this, my takeaway was that Ricky should have deleted a lot more of these people.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of graphic content, but I believe it’s important to read if you come from an evangelical background. While my own religious experience was different than CoG, the constant whisper of things escalating grew louder as I read this book. I’ve seen some complaints in reviews of this book that it didn’t cover Berg or how the cult gained its power. I would argue this book is more focused on Ricky Rodriguez and the world he was forced to grow up in, and how one man’s perversion and lust for power ruined the lives of so many people and still continues. A hard read, but one that will keep me thinking for a long time.

[Kelsey Hanson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a case of fascinating if morbid subject matter but with less than stellar execution. The book covers the tragic story of Ricky Rodriguez, the adopted child of the leader of the Children of God. The book jumps around a lot and it's sometimes hard to keep track of the info. Because I've read about this subject before, I had enough knowledge about the cult to fill in some of the background info, but it was still tough to follow at times. The interviews with former cult members were fascinating, but I think if the author took more time time to create a more linear "story" (for lack of a better word).

["Stone Cold" Jane Austen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a horrible story to read. The book felt a little disorganized and maybe a little shallowly-researched, and honestly for as hard as this stuff was to read, I am kind of glad for that. I thought it was going to be a little bit more about the psychology of cults and this one in particular, but it really just sort of jumps from terrible thing to terrible thing, with very little rhyme or reason. At least it's short!

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to give a high rating to a book that left me so heartsick and disgusted, but it's as well-researched as the author could manage and the information seems to have been handled very responsibly. The one sentence that brought all the fragments together was somebody's statement about how we need to stop thinking of the Family as a religious cult and see it as a crime syndicate. Ricky is only the highest-profile victim. RIP Ricky.

[Elyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love true crime and am fascinated by cults. The topic of this book could have been a perfect combination of the two if not for the poor writing. This book would have benefitted from more editing as it felt disorganized and incoherent at times. This was a missed opportunity to effectively tell this fascinating story and go in depth with the characters.

[Jane Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

True Crime

This book tells the story of the Family, a sect that has been in existence tsince the 60s. I didn't really enjoy reading it; the tale was too grim. I was appalled by the abuse of children and even adults who were members.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall thought this was a decent book. My biggest issue and maybe it was my version of the ebook, alot of quotes weren't marked by ". So it made it hard to tell when the author was talking and say when he was quoting a letter.

Overall worth a read.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cult - a religion on the fringe - has some disturbing beliefs. Don Lattin has done his research. While he doesn't go into graphic detail, he does give the reader a clear idea of the things that went on behind the scenes in this group.

Very interesting.

[Lynn Hayward-Bisbee · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was book was so poorly written and disorganized that I couldn't maintain any interest at all. After falling asleep several times while reading it, I gave up.

[Chelsea Pittman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly disturbing insight on the life of one tortured young man. To think that this "family" did all this with the mindset of loving God.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merits five out of five stars for excellrnt reportimg.