Jesus Freaks
“A Misbegotten Martyr:” Ricky Rodriguez’s Tragic Quest for Justice
Last week, Don Lattin spoke with ReligionWriter about the evangelical influences behind the sexual theology of The Family International, a religious sect founded by leader David Berg in the late 1960s. Berg’s spiritual step-son, Ricky Rodriguez, was raised to be the group’s leader — Berg prophesied that Rodriguez would eventually sacrifice his life for the [...]
16Oct2007 | Andrea Useem | 3 comments | ContinuedThe Making of a Twisted Sexual Theology: Q+A on “Jesus Freaks”
The bizarre, tragic nature of his life began with his conception: Ricky Rodriguez was born as a result of “flirty fishing,” a practice of proselytizing through sex advocated by David Berg, the Jesus-quoting founder of the religious sect now known as The Family International (formerly The Children of God.)
Berg, the son of a well-known Pentecostal [...]