Here, briefly, is what was wrong with David Berg and his “love” thing (this is besides the fact that the man was a drunk, prophelying pedophile).
God’s love is not sexual in nature. It is AGAPE love, not EROS. Agape love is a non-sexual love, while Eros love is sexual.
Agape: 1. Christianity Love as revealed in Jesus, seen as spiritual and selfless and a model for humanity.
Agape: 2. Love that is spiritual, not sexual, in its nature.
Eros: 1. the ancient Greek god of love, identified by the Romans with Cupid.
Eros: 2. a representation of this god.
Eros: 3. a winged figure of a child representing love or the power of love.
Eros: 4. (sometimes lowercase ) physical love; sexual desire. Compare agape2 (def. 2).
Eros: 5. Astronomy. An asteroid that approaches to within 14 million miles (22 1 / 2 million km) of the earth once every 44 years.
There you have it- point blank. David Berg thought that he could read the words that “God so loved” and that as Christians we are to “love one another” and could substitute agape (non-sexual love) for Eros (sexual) love.
It could even be argued that Eros is the opposite of Agape, and let us take this one step further. Eros was a Greek god, as Christians, the idea of “worshipping” at the feet of another God is blasphemy and constitutes idol worship. Seriously, Christians, we can get real deep with Eros and Agape, and it is not pretty. Eros has no place in the Christian church, and David Berg’s theology was completely out of line with Scripture.
The Bible never promotes Eros, or sexual desire within the body of Christ, but rather warns to abstain and flee lusts.
It would be nice to think that the Children of God cult is just a blemish in religious culture that no longer has any relevance, but make no mistake about it. The cult is alive and well as the Family International, and though finding anyone to state whether child sexual abuse or free love is continuing, the group still receives “messages” from their dead leader.
Yes, David Berg aka. Moses David is still running the cult from the grave.
Scary, I know- but true none-the-less and enough to keep a close watch on the group.
Agape love is the love that Jesus Christ demonstrated on the earth. He did not demonstrate Eros love. He died on the cross of Calvary, and if you are to believe the Gospel account, He died a virgin. He is awaiting a bride- the church.
Does He want to have an Eros, love relationship with the church? Absolutely not! There is nothing in Scripture that indicates that Christ’s love for the church or that God’s love for the world is sexual in nature.
This might help clear up some confusion.
True love leads to sex and intimacy.
Sex does not lead to true love.
There is a growing movement in worship circles to speak of Jesus and God’s love in terms commonly referred to as “romantic, or love language.”
We may be “In Love” with Jesus, but we are not going to have sex with Jesus. However, we are to seek the oneness, and union that intimacy of being one flesh brings. When you love your spouse with your entire heart and soul, there is a growing sense of intimacy and a longing to be with your love. The church is to have a love relationship with Christ in which they long to develop intimacy, to spend time with God, and to become one with Him. This is not accomplished through Eros.
The world patterns this perfectly.
You may have sex with anyone you please, but chances are it is not going to result in true love. Eros does not produce Agape love. In fact, Eros often results from perversion, lust of the flesh, and the like.
Agape love has nothing to do with Eros.
God is your Father and He loves you with a pure, untainted, Agape love; and He expects the body of Christ to love one another in the same manner.
Christians are to look at one another with Agape love; not love so much you are in lust and overwhelmed with Eros love.
The church is also to demonstrate Agape love to unbelievers. Not Eros love hoping that it will lead to Agape. It is not going to work. Instead, like the Children of God members who spent their time involved in “Flirty Fishing, “you’ll end up getting an STD.
Brothers and sisters in a family are to exemplify agape love. Mothers and fathers are to exemplify agape love for their children.
It is sickening to think that we live in a society where people do not understand that the love between family members is not sexual but agape, or that there is a difference between Phileo (the love of friends) and Eros.
You may love your friends but you do not have to have sex with them. The idea of “friends with benefits” is another total perversion of “phileo” and “agape” love and “eros.”
We are to desire intimacy with Christ. We are to seek oneness with Him. He is the Bridegroom and we are the Bride. Though the metaphor of marriage is often used to describe Jesus’ love for the church, it is not a license for making Jesus your boyfriend, or replacing the family system with your new magical “Jesus” lover.
The love of Christ is not to be twisted or perverted. It is agape love, not eros.
The Children of God cult thought they could use “eros” or sexual love to gain new members to their cult. They thought that if God is love and eros is love then all love is of God. This is not true. God is love- AGAPE- Eros is Sex- and people, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that sex and love are two very different things.
If you are a Christian reading this, I ask that you remain alert to the various forms of love: Agape, Phileo, and Eros and remain on guard to deceptive practices used within churches that are confusing the meanings of the words. God is not looking for a sex partner. He is a father who loves his children unconditionally, and without sexual desire.
Jesus is the Bridegroom and the Church is the Bride. Jesus was not looking for a sex partner. He is looking for a wife that will love him with the AGAPE love of an unconditional spouse who would die for her love.
Eros has no place in the church or in the body of Christ. If you see it, run. It is a perversion and distorts the love of God for His creation.
If you are a former member of the Children of God, please know that I am praying for you. One of the sickest doctrines ever espoused to the human race has abused your mind. There is forgiveness and healing. Abba Father loves you with a pure heart. He does not want to sexually abuse you. He loves you with AGAPE love, the unconditional love of a Father who will do anything for his child.
God does not abuse. Jesus is not a rapist. The teachings of the Children of God are some of the sickest and most depraved teachings ever to be uttered in the name of Jesus Christ.
Jesus never condoned, hinted at, or gave any indication that the love of brethren was sexual in nature. Nowhere in the Bible was the love of God to be twisted and polluted with sexual lust such as with Eros.
My heart goes out to those who were victimized by this hideous cult and the lies that came straight from Satan’s to David Berg’s mouth. My prayer is that you will find the true Agape love of God.
A heartbreakingly sad video of children and teens in the cult singing a song to David Berg as if he were the Creator of the Universe. David Berg was not only just a man, but also one that twisted Bible Scriptures and could not exercise enough understanding of the Greek language to know his entire doctrine was wrong.
Or worse, he knew and being a pedophile, promoted the lie to get access to as many victims as possible.
See a modern day video (2008) of The Family International as they organized a “free hug day” and went about hugging people. Do you think they know the difference between Agape and Eros yet?
Not sure if you can stomach it, but here is the cult leader himself talking about the “Law of Love.” Keep in mind that he is thinking of “Eros” the entire time he speaks.
David Berg’s daughter, Deborah Davis, explains “Flirty Fishing.”
