XFamily - Children of God - User contributions [en]

Demonization

2013-03-20T13:07:54Z

Drurew: link

see [[Vandari]]

The Folks

2013-03-15T02:06:43Z

Drurew: Created page with "The term "folks" has been used to refer to "Dad and Mom" or David Berg and Karen Zerby."

The term "folks" has been used to refer to "Dad and Mom" or [[David Berg]] and [[Karen Zerby]].

Talk:Complete Judgment of Lord Justice Ward

2013-03-12T21:42:21Z

Drurew: Who's names are meant to be redacted?

* I've been going through this document trying to reproduce the formatting found in its [http://www.exfamily.org/art/misc/justward_ver1.html original form]. I'm done for the night...it is currently complete up to: [[Complete Judgment of Lord Justice Ward#THE ORAL EVIDENCE ABOUT THE SEXUAL ACTIVITY OF CHILD WITH CHILD, AND AMONG THE TEENAGERS.|#THE ORAL EVIDENCE ABOUT THE SEXUAL ACTIVITY OF CHILD WITH CHILD, AND AMONG THE TEENAGERS.]] --[[User:Monger|Monger]] 23:42, 26 Mar 2005 (CST)
** Now completed up to the start of [[Complete_Judgment_of_Lord_Justice_Ward#THE_ORAL_EVIDENCE_OF_CHILD_.2F_ADULT_ABUSE.|#THE_ORAL_EVIDENCE_OF_CHILD_.2F_ADULT_ABUSE.]] --[[User:Monger|Monger]] 20:40, 6 Jun 2005 (CDT)
* The editors note pertaining to the redaction of victim names: Which abbreviations are meant to remain redacted? Please advise so I can complete returning the document to its original form.

River Phoenix

2013-03-12T17:08:29Z

Drurew: date of death

[[Image:RiverPhoenix1.jpg|thumb|210px|River Phoenix]]
[[Image:River-phoenix-and-sister-in-westwood.jpg|thumb|210px|River Phoenix and sister Rain performing for money on the streets of Westwood, California, [[1982]]]]
[[Image:River-rain-abigail-nnn-v8-n5-p10.jpg|thumb|River, Rain and Abigail B. singing in Cararcas, Venezuela, [[1976]]. (from [[New Nation News]], Vol. 8, No. 5, page 10.)]]


=River Phoenix=
'''River Jude Phoenix''' ([[1970]]-08-23 – [[1993]]-10-31, born in Metolius, Oregon) was an American movie actor who spent his early childhood in the [[Children of God]]/[[The Family International|Family International]] [[cult]]. Noted for the depth, sensitivity, and intelligence that he brought to his roles during his teens, River Phoenix was among the most promising movie actors of his generation when he overdosed on drugs and died on Halloween night, 1993.

He was born '''River Jude Bottom''' to Bronx-born Jewish mother [[Arlyn Sharon Dunetz]] and Irish-Spanish father John Lee Bottom, who married in [[1969]]. Together they spent several years touring the [[hippie]] communes of [[California]], and in [[1972]] joined the Children of God, taking the [[Bible name]]s Jochebed and Amram. Though John Bottom was later designated the cult's "Archbishop of Venezuela and the Caribbean," their family received no financial support from the group and lived in poverty. River Phoenix and his siblings often sang and performed on street corners for food.

Arlyn and John eventually grew disillusioned with the Children of God and left in [[1977]]. Arlyn would later tell a journalist that she and her husband were opposed to the cult's practice of [[Flirty Fishing]].

"The group was being distorted by a leader <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[David Berg]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> who was getting very full of power and wealthy," she explained. "He sought to attract rich disciples through sex. No way."

Around this time Phoenix's family hit their lowest point financially and were forced to move into a beach hut until a local priest arranged for them to be stowed away on a Florida-bound freighter. The crew discovered the family during the voyage but treated them kindly. Shortly after their arrival in Florida in [[1978]], the family legally changed its name to Phoenix to commemorate their new lives.

In the following year of [[1979]], River and sister Rain Phoenix entered various talent contests around Florida. At one such event, the Hernando Fiesta, they brought the audience to their feet singing "''You Gotta be a Baby to Go to Heaven''", a popular Children of God song of the era. Shortly after this event the family received a letter inviting the children to audition at Hollywood's Paramount studios, but when the family uprooted and drove out to Los Angeles, the Paramount people reneged on the offer. "We were really naïve. I figured I'd play guitar and sing with my sister and we would be on television the next day," River later recounted.

Once again the family was destitute and the children returned to [[busking]] for change. Matters improved when agent Iris Burton entered their lives and started finding work for Phoenix in television commercials. Phoenix's first real break came when he won a leading role in the TV series ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers''. From there, he had significant juvenile roles in several movies and was nominated in [[1988]], at the age of 17, for an Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in ''Running on Empty''. He met Keanu Reeves while filming ''I Love You to Death'' and later went on to star as a narcoleptic street hustler opposite Reeves in Gus van Sant's ''My Own Private Idaho''. His friendship with both Reeves and van Sant continued beyond the movie.

Phoenix died at age 23 (October 31, 1993) from a drug overdose outside a Hollywood night club. At the time of his death, Phoenix was acting in the starring role of the movie ''Dark Blood'', which was only completed in 2012 [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293069/]. He was cremated in Gainesville, Florida a few days later.

Phoenix has four siblings, a brother, [[Joaquin Phoenix|Joaquin]] (who is also an actor), and three sisters, [[Rain Phoenix|Rain]], [[Summer Phoenix|Summer]] (who are actresses) and [[Liberty Phoenix|Liberty]].

==Sex in the Children of God==
In an interview with ''Details Magazine'' in November [[1991]], Phoenix claimed he lost his virginity at age four while in the Children of God. "But I've blocked it out", he continued, "I was completely celibate from 10 to 14".

"I'm glad I did it when I was young," River once said, perhaps trying to justify the incident. "But I didn't want those and different body parts that were in my face to make me perverse when I was older."

Phoenix frequently spoke positively of his childhood and non-traditional upbringing. He rarely talked about the cult, however, once saying angrily, "They're disgusting, they're ruining people's lives". [http://www.aleka.org/phoenix/zines/phoenix7.htm]

==Family International publications about River Phoenix==
In May [[1999]], The Family International (as the Children of God cult is now known) published a so-called "[[prophecy]] interview" with River Phoenix from beyond the grave in an internal magazine for Family teens. Following are excerpts of the "interview" session:

{{disclaimer-family}}

<div style="margin: 10px; padding: 5px; border: 2px dotted green;">
'''[Q:] You know how everyone was suspecting you and Keanu of being gay. Was it true?'''

Keanu and I were like close brothers. We did love each other, but not in that way. We both wanted to buck [[the System]]. We wanted to get away from the "image" that they tried to give us, the "labels" that they tried to hang on us. We made the mistake of making that movie, ''My Own Private Idaho''. It was very degrading, degenerate. That was the movie I'm the most sorry for, because of the effect it had—not only on my life, as that movie was my downfall—but it also affected others' lives, as we were telling them that it's okay to be gay.

Well, it's not okay!—It's filthy! And that movie was my biggest mistake, for which I'm very sorry! Keanu and I made a decision that we wouldn't speak up against gays, which in itself is saying that it's okay. And I'm sorry for that. But, no, we are not [gays]. We were just very close friends, and I love him very much.

'''[Q:] I was wondering if you ever thought back to when you were younger, and in the Family. Did you believe anything that people told you about your past?'''

I was very young when my parents left the Family. It was very confusing for me because they had taught me to love the Lord, and to love Grandpa <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[David Berg]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>, Papa Lion.—And I did. I loved him very much, and everything the Family stood for. My sister and I would perform on the streets, singing and playing guitar, and we really enjoyed it. We were very happy. It was beautiful. People loved us and we were very fulfilled.

Then suddenly they uprooted us and went back to the System, back to the "[[America the Whore|Whore]]," back to [[United States|America]]. They started teaching us new things, different things, things that were contrary to what we had learned in the Family. And slowly, slowly we drifted away. Our beliefs changed, our faith changed, and as I got older I started to hear negative things about the Family.

'''[Q:] If you had a chance to redo it all, would you choose to stay in the Family? [...]'''

If I had a chance to go back and do it all over, I would stay in the Family, because there is no greater calling on this Earth than to serve the Lord. And there's no greater place to serve the Lord on this Earth than in the Family. So that would be my greatest desire.

*Source: [[Image:icon_pdf.gif|PDF]]'''[https://media.xfamily.org/docs/fam/zine/zine_31.pdf Free Zine 31]''', pp.4,5 "''Dead Men Talking: River Bares All''"
</div>
<div style="margin: 10px; padding: 5px; border: 2px dotted green;">
9 '''Our people have got verve & the Spirit & enthusiasm, they've got what it takes'''! Thank You Lord! They've got a '''cause'''! There was a famous movie with a famous youth idol, James Dean, called "Rebel Without a Cause." I guess he became too much of an idol & the Lord let him die in an auto accident. ([[Karen Zerby|Maria]]: We've heard that people have likened River Phoenix to James Dean. They said River Phoenix was the greatest youth actor of this generation.) No kidding! (Maria: We didn't even know that until he died, but then we heard all about him.

10 ('''River Phoenix had recently started acting in some pretty bad movies'''. He was making a movie on vampires at the time that he died, & before that he played a Gay hustler in a horrible mixed-up crazy confused movie. And he was into drugs. Apparently he'd just gone off the deep end & the Lord was quite angry with him.)

11 '''River Phoenix's parents led him astray'''. They stole him from the Lord & they lost him. They stole him from the Lord, so the Lord took him back. I'm sure they're thinking about it, especially if our folks contact them.

*Source: ''Persecution Jewels--No.10'' — By David Berg; [[Mo Letter|ML]]#2907 [[DO]]; [[1993]]-12.
</div>
<div style="margin: 10px; padding: 5px; border: 2px dotted green;">
125 The Lord let River Phoenix's body be taken that his spirit might be saved.—1Cor.5:5. River gives a lot of credit to his background & upbringing in the Family in these articles I've been reading about him. This is an excellent example to counteract what our enemies are saying about our kids not being prepared for the outside World. River gives a lot of the credit for his stardom to his rearing & that he had a lot of socialisation, a lot of experience & travel & learning different languages & being in show business&sbquo; etc. It sounded to me like River Phoenix was a pretty good example, a good&sbquo; clean-living kid, & people seemed to be surprised he turned out so well considering his parents were what they considered "bums."

126 Thank God they mentioned the Children of God in those articles every time! In some of them they said we were a "little known group." We're not little known now! Whoever put that in the paper hasn't been reading the news!

127 River Phoenix was too much of a good role model&sbquo; not corrupted or perverted enough, so the Devil had to try to destroy him. That movie "My Own Private Idaho" in which he played a homo hustler was the downfall of River Phoenix. Somebody wanted to destroy him.—The Devil!

128 I wouldn't be surprised if someone deliberately gave him an overdose. All they had to do was put it in his drink, & he came outside the nightclub & had a fit! Well, thank God he's out of that Hollywood scene. He was too good for this World. He kept up a pretty good testimony, his parents too. He always testified he had a very good upbringing in the Children of God.

129 They ought to send these news articles to our lawyers! They're real testimonials. Our enemies say our kids aren't socialised & they're not prepared to do anything in the outside World, but look what a success he was! He was a tremendous success. (Family: He said his upbringing helped him.) Yes. He actually said good words for us. So that ought to shut up some of our enemies who say our kids are totally unprepared for the System or society at large. Boy, he sure managed to adapt to it, he got to be a star in it!

130 Watching that movie "Private Idaho" was one of the most abominable one-&-a-half hours I've spent in a long time! It shows how the Devil can get somebody so screwed up when they backslide.—And that's undoubtedly the price that his parents had to pay for leaving the Family & causing him to backslide. I bet they know it now. They were probably all thrilled with how he was becoming a great star & a good role model, a good boy, making good movies, & then all of a sudden—crash! It reminds me of what Mr. Machowsky said about how that demon Tom led him on to his total disaster.

131 That movie was absolutely the depths of degradation! I never saw a worse movie! That was designed to kill him! It was absolutely the most crazy movie I ever saw; no meaning, no nothing, insane!—Total debauchery&sbquo; vulgar language & a disconnected theme of all kinds of crazy things that had no relationship whatsoever!—And just the worst kind of total horrible perversion of Sodomites & Sodomy! I guess some people don't want to confess they don't even understand it. Yet the sales pitch on the video said, "And perhaps one of his finest performances." Can you imagine that? It was horrible! That explains why the Lord took him. At first he was a good example to other movie people, but they must've gotten him on drugs & dragged him down to the absolute gutter! It was a crazy, insane movie! Horrible!

132 It's too late to pray for him now, he's gone to meet the Lord, but he's going to have to face the Lord in terrible shame. The Word says "shame & everlasting contempt."—Dan.12:2. We'll face Him with everlasting glory, others with everlasting shame. Pitiful! For some time he was a good influence on the movie community & they were praising him, how he was clean living & virtuous. But apparently he must've decided to try drugs, & they literally killed him!

133 Boy oh boy, how horrible! Absolutely horrible! Some of those fits he was having in the movie were too realistic. I think they actually caught him in drug or withdrawal fits. It looked like he was literally having epileptic, demonic fits, with a demon getting ahold of him & shaking him around, writhing & reeling & fainting. I'd recommend that movie to scare any of our backsliders if they've already turned their back on the Lord. Jesus, have mercy on poor River!

*Source: ''World Currents--No.71'' — By David Berg; ML#2911 DO; [[1994]]-02.
</div>
<div style="margin: 10px; padding: 5px; border: 2px dotted green;">
74. '''Poor River Phoenix, the coroner's autopsy said that he had a mixture of cocaine, heroin, marijuana & valium in his body'''! I just wonder if maybe that rascally crowd he was with had literally doped him up, because he was not known for taking drugs. (Family: They say an experienced drug user would have never taken that combination of drugs, they would have known better.) Yes. I think those Satanic people in Hollywood were deliberately trying to corrupt him, & they kept making him do worse pictures & worse pictures & worse pictures. Finally he made "My Own Private Idaho," which was all about Sodomite male prostitutes & just made you want to puke! The World says that was his greatest picture, can you imagine? That's just like the Devil's people to say that was his '''greatest''' picture, the one in which he played a '''Sodomite'''!

*Source: ''World Currents--No.73'' — By David Berg; ML#2917 DO; 1994-03.
</div>

==Filmography==
{|
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|
<h3>Movies</h3>
* ''Silent Tongue'' (1994) – Talbot Roe
* ''Even Cowgirls Get the Blues'' (1993) – Pilgrim
* ''The Thing Called Love'' (1993) – James Wright
* ''Dark Blood'' (1993) (completed 2012) – Boy
* ''Sneakers'' (1992) – Carl Arbegast
* ''Dogfight'' (1991) – Eddie Birdlace
* ''My Own Private Idaho'' (1991) – Mike Waters
* ''I Love You to Death'' (1990) – Devo Nod
* ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' (1989) – Young Indy
* ''Running on Empty'' (1988) – Danny Pope/Michael Manfield
* ''Little Nikita'' (1988) – Jeff Grant
* ''A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon'' (1988) – Jimmy Reardon
* ''The Mosquito Coast'' (1986) – Charlie Fox
* ''Stand by Me'' (1986) – Chris Chambers
* ''Explorers'' (1985) – Wolfgang Müller
|
<h3>Television</h3>
* ''Circle of Violence: A Family Drama'' (1986) – Chris Benfield
* ''Surviving'' (1985) – Philip Brogan
* ''Robert Kennedy: the Man & His Times'' (1985) (mini) (Series) – Robert Kennedy Jr.
* ''Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia'' (1984) – Brian Ellsworth
* ''Celebrity'' (1984) (mini) (Series) – Jeffie
* ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' (1982) (Series) – Guthrie McFadden
|}
==Awards==
{| border="0" style="border:1px solid #ccc;"
|- style="background-color:#ccc;"
! Award Category
! Film
! Year
! Award
|-
| Best Supporting Actor (nominee) || Running on Empty || 1988 || Academy Award
|- style="background-color:#efefef;"
| Best Supporting Actor (nominee) || Running on Empty || 1988 || Golden Globe
|-
| Best Supporting Actor (winner) || Running on Empty || 1988 || National Board of Review
|- style="background-color:#efefef;"
| Best Actor (nominee) || My Own Private Idaho || 1990 || New York Film Critics Circle
|-
| Best Actor (winner) || My Own Private Idaho || 1991 || Independent Spirit Award
|- style="background-color:#efefef;"
| Volpi Cup for Best Actor (winner) || My Own Private Idaho || 1991 || Venice International Film Festival
|}

==Personal family==
* '''Mother:''' [[Heart Phoenix]] (aka Arlyn Sharon Dunetz, aka Jochebed, b. 1944-12-31 to Mayer and Margaret Dunetz)
* '''Father:''' [[John Lee Phoenix]] (aka John Lee Bottom, aka Amram, b. 1947-06-14)
* '''Sister:''' [[Rain Phoenix|Rain Joan of Arc Phoenix]] (aka Rainbow, b. 1973-03-31)
** m. Michael Tubbs
* '''Brother:''' [[Joaquin Phoenix|Joaquin Rafael Phoenix]] (aka Leaf, b. 1974-10-28)
* '''Sister:''' [[Liberty Phoenix|Liberty Butterfly Phoenix]] (aka Libertad Mariposa, b. 1976-07-05)
* '''Sister:''' [[Summer Phoenix|Summer Joy Phoenix]] (b. 1978-12-10)
** m. Casey Affleck
*** Indiana August (b. 2004-05-31)

==Press==
* [[US Magazine: Strange Days]] — 1995-10
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3209145.stm BBC News: A decade without River Phoenix] — 2003-10-31
* [http://www.aleka.org/phoenix/zines.htm The River Phoenix Pages: Collection of Magazine Articles]

==Biographies==
* "''River Phoenix: a short life''" by Brian J. Robb. ISBN 006095132X
* "''Lost in Hollywood : The Fast Times and Short Life of River Phoenix''" by John Glatt. ISBN 1556114400
* "''In Search of River Phoenix: the Truth Behind the Myth''" by Barry C. Lawrence. ISBN 0967249198

==More information==
* [http://www.river-phoenix.org/before/ Rio's Attic: Phoenix Before The Fire]
* [http://www.river-phoenix.org/flight/ Rio's Attic: Flight of the Phoenix]
* [http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38110 Book excerpt: 'Hollywood, Interrupted' tells tragic story of hippie-kid River Phoenix]

==References==
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293069/]

[[Category:Second generation]][[Category:Deaths]]
[[Category:Spotlight]]

River Phoenix

2013-03-12T16:48:47Z

Drurew: referenced completion of "Dark Blood", FMT, added source.

[[Image:RiverPhoenix1.jpg|thumb|210px|River Phoenix]]
[[Image:River-phoenix-and-sister-in-westwood.jpg|thumb|210px|River Phoenix and sister Rain performing for money on the streets of Westwood, California, [[1982]]]]
[[Image:River-rain-abigail-nnn-v8-n5-p10.jpg|thumb|River, Rain and Abigail B. singing in Cararcas, Venezuela, [[1976]]. (from [[New Nation News]], Vol. 8, No. 5, page 10.)]]


=River Phoenix=
'''River Jude Phoenix''' ([[1970]]-08-23 – [[1993]]-10-31, born in Metolius, Oregon) was an American movie actor who spent his early childhood in the [[Children of God]]/[[The Family International|Family International]] [[cult]]. Noted for the depth, sensitivity, and intelligence that he brought to his roles during his teens, River Phoenix was among the most promising movie actors of his generation when he overdosed on drugs and died on Halloween night, 1993.

He was born '''River Jude Bottom''' to Bronx-born Jewish mother [[Arlyn Sharon Dunetz]] and Irish-Spanish father John Lee Bottom, who married in [[1969]]. Together they spent several years touring the [[hippie]] communes of [[California]], and in [[1972]] joined the Children of God, taking the [[Bible name]]s Jochebed and Amram. Though John Bottom was later designated the cult's "Archbishop of Venezuela and the Caribbean," their family received no financial support from the group and lived in poverty. River Phoenix and his siblings often sang and performed on street corners for food.

Arlyn and John eventually grew disillusioned with the Children of God and left in [[1977]]. Arlyn would later tell a journalist that she and her husband were opposed to the cult's practice of [[Flirty Fishing]].

"The group was being distorted by a leader <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[David Berg]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> who was getting very full of power and wealthy," she explained. "He sought to attract rich disciples through sex. No way."

Around this time Phoenix's family hit their lowest point financially and were forced to move into a beach hut until a local priest arranged for them to be stowed away on a Florida-bound freighter. The crew discovered the family during the voyage but treated them kindly. Shortly after their arrival in Florida in [[1978]], the family legally changed its name to Phoenix to commemorate their new lives.

In the following year of [[1979]], River and sister Rain Phoenix entered various talent contests around Florida. At one such event, the Hernando Fiesta, they brought the audience to their feet singing "''You Gotta be a Baby to Go to Heaven''", a popular Children of God song of the era. Shortly after this event the family received a letter inviting the children to audition at Hollywood's Paramount studios, but when the family uprooted and drove out to Los Angeles, the Paramount people reneged on the offer. "We were really naïve. I figured I'd play guitar and sing with my sister and we would be on television the next day," River later recounted.

Once again the family was destitute and the children returned to [[busking]] for change. Matters improved when agent Iris Burton entered their lives and started finding work for Phoenix in television commercials. Phoenix's first real break came when he won a leading role in the TV series ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers''. From there, he had significant juvenile roles in several movies and was nominated in [[1988]], at the age of 17, for an Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in ''Running on Empty''. He met Keanu Reeves while filming ''I Love You to Death'' and later went on to star as a narcoleptic street hustler opposite Reeves in Gus van Sant's ''My Own Private Idaho''. His friendship with both Reeves and van Sant continued beyond the movie.

Phoenix died at age 23 from a drug overdose outside a Hollywood night club. At the time of his death, Phoenix was acting in the starring role of the movie ''Dark Blood'', which was only completed in 2012 [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293069/]. He was cremated in Gainesville, Florida a few days later.

Phoenix has four siblings, a brother, [[Joaquin Phoenix|Joaquin]] (who is also an actor), and three sisters, [[Rain Phoenix|Rain]], [[Summer Phoenix|Summer]] (who are actresses) and [[Liberty Phoenix|Liberty]].

==Sex in the Children of God==
In an interview with ''Details Magazine'' in November [[1991]], Phoenix claimed he lost his virginity at age four while in the Children of God. "But I've blocked it out", he continued, "I was completely celibate from 10 to 14".

"I'm glad I did it when I was young," River once said, perhaps trying to justify the incident. "But I didn't want those and different body parts that were in my face to make me perverse when I was older."

Phoenix frequently spoke positively of his childhood and non-traditional upbringing. He rarely talked about the cult, however, once saying angrily, "They're disgusting, they're ruining people's lives". [http://www.aleka.org/phoenix/zines/phoenix7.htm]

==Family International publications about River Phoenix==
In May [[1999]], The Family International (as the Children of God cult is now known) published a so-called "[[prophecy]] interview" with River Phoenix from beyond the grave in an internal magazine for Family teens. Following are excerpts of the "interview" session:

{{disclaimer-family}}

<div style="margin: 10px; padding: 5px; border: 2px dotted green;">
'''[Q:] You know how everyone was suspecting you and Keanu of being gay. Was it true?'''

Keanu and I were like close brothers. We did love each other, but not in that way. We both wanted to buck [[the System]]. We wanted to get away from the "image" that they tried to give us, the "labels" that they tried to hang on us. We made the mistake of making that movie, ''My Own Private Idaho''. It was very degrading, degenerate. That was the movie I'm the most sorry for, because of the effect it had—not only on my life, as that movie was my downfall—but it also affected others' lives, as we were telling them that it's okay to be gay.

Well, it's not okay!—It's filthy! And that movie was my biggest mistake, for which I'm very sorry! Keanu and I made a decision that we wouldn't speak up against gays, which in itself is saying that it's okay. And I'm sorry for that. But, no, we are not [gays]. We were just very close friends, and I love him very much.

'''[Q:] I was wondering if you ever thought back to when you were younger, and in the Family. Did you believe anything that people told you about your past?'''

I was very young when my parents left the Family. It was very confusing for me because they had taught me to love the Lord, and to love Grandpa <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[David Berg]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>, Papa Lion.—And I did. I loved him very much, and everything the Family stood for. My sister and I would perform on the streets, singing and playing guitar, and we really enjoyed it. We were very happy. It was beautiful. People loved us and we were very fulfilled.

Then suddenly they uprooted us and went back to the System, back to the "[[America the Whore|Whore]]," back to [[United States|America]]. They started teaching us new things, different things, things that were contrary to what we had learned in the Family. And slowly, slowly we drifted away. Our beliefs changed, our faith changed, and as I got older I started to hear negative things about the Family.

'''[Q:] If you had a chance to redo it all, would you choose to stay in the Family? [...]'''

If I had a chance to go back and do it all over, I would stay in the Family, because there is no greater calling on this Earth than to serve the Lord. And there's no greater place to serve the Lord on this Earth than in the Family. So that would be my greatest desire.

*Source: [[Image:icon_pdf.gif|PDF]]'''[https://media.xfamily.org/docs/fam/zine/zine_31.pdf Free Zine 31]''', pp.4,5 "''Dead Men Talking: River Bares All''"
</div>
<div style="margin: 10px; padding: 5px; border: 2px dotted green;">
9 '''Our people have got verve & the Spirit & enthusiasm, they've got what it takes'''! Thank You Lord! They've got a '''cause'''! There was a famous movie with a famous youth idol, James Dean, called "Rebel Without a Cause." I guess he became too much of an idol & the Lord let him die in an auto accident. ([[Karen Zerby|Maria]]: We've heard that people have likened River Phoenix to James Dean. They said River Phoenix was the greatest youth actor of this generation.) No kidding! (Maria: We didn't even know that until he died, but then we heard all about him.

10 ('''River Phoenix had recently started acting in some pretty bad movies'''. He was making a movie on vampires at the time that he died, & before that he played a Gay hustler in a horrible mixed-up crazy confused movie. And he was into drugs. Apparently he'd just gone off the deep end & the Lord was quite angry with him.)

11 '''River Phoenix's parents led him astray'''. They stole him from the Lord & they lost him. They stole him from the Lord, so the Lord took him back. I'm sure they're thinking about it, especially if our folks contact them.

*Source: ''Persecution Jewels--No.10'' — By David Berg; [[Mo Letter|ML]]#2907 [[DO]]; [[1993]]-12.
</div>
<div style="margin: 10px; padding: 5px; border: 2px dotted green;">
125 The Lord let River Phoenix's body be taken that his spirit might be saved.—1Cor.5:5. River gives a lot of credit to his background & upbringing in the Family in these articles I've been reading about him. This is an excellent example to counteract what our enemies are saying about our kids not being prepared for the outside World. River gives a lot of the credit for his stardom to his rearing & that he had a lot of socialisation, a lot of experience & travel & learning different languages & being in show business&sbquo; etc. It sounded to me like River Phoenix was a pretty good example, a good&sbquo; clean-living kid, & people seemed to be surprised he turned out so well considering his parents were what they considered "bums."

126 Thank God they mentioned the Children of God in those articles every time! In some of them they said we were a "little known group." We're not little known now! Whoever put that in the paper hasn't been reading the news!

127 River Phoenix was too much of a good role model&sbquo; not corrupted or perverted enough, so the Devil had to try to destroy him. That movie "My Own Private Idaho" in which he played a homo hustler was the downfall of River Phoenix. Somebody wanted to destroy him.—The Devil!

128 I wouldn't be surprised if someone deliberately gave him an overdose. All they had to do was put it in his drink, & he came outside the nightclub & had a fit! Well, thank God he's out of that Hollywood scene. He was too good for this World. He kept up a pretty good testimony, his parents too. He always testified he had a very good upbringing in the Children of God.

129 They ought to send these news articles to our lawyers! They're real testimonials. Our enemies say our kids aren't socialised & they're not prepared to do anything in the outside World, but look what a success he was! He was a tremendous success. (Family: He said his upbringing helped him.) Yes. He actually said good words for us. So that ought to shut up some of our enemies who say our kids are totally unprepared for the System or society at large. Boy, he sure managed to adapt to it, he got to be a star in it!

130 Watching that movie "Private Idaho" was one of the most abominable one-&-a-half hours I've spent in a long time! It shows how the Devil can get somebody so screwed up when they backslide.—And that's undoubtedly the price that his parents had to pay for leaving the Family & causing him to backslide. I bet they know it now. They were probably all thrilled with how he was becoming a great star & a good role model, a good boy, making good movies, & then all of a sudden—crash! It reminds me of what Mr. Machowsky said about how that demon Tom led him on to his total disaster.

131 That movie was absolutely the depths of degradation! I never saw a worse movie! That was designed to kill him! It was absolutely the most crazy movie I ever saw; no meaning, no nothing, insane!—Total debauchery&sbquo; vulgar language & a disconnected theme of all kinds of crazy things that had no relationship whatsoever!—And just the worst kind of total horrible perversion of Sodomites & Sodomy! I guess some people don't want to confess they don't even understand it. Yet the sales pitch on the video said, "And perhaps one of his finest performances." Can you imagine that? It was horrible! That explains why the Lord took him. At first he was a good example to other movie people, but they must've gotten him on drugs & dragged him down to the absolute gutter! It was a crazy, insane movie! Horrible!

132 It's too late to pray for him now, he's gone to meet the Lord, but he's going to have to face the Lord in terrible shame. The Word says "shame & everlasting contempt."—Dan.12:2. We'll face Him with everlasting glory, others with everlasting shame. Pitiful! For some time he was a good influence on the movie community & they were praising him, how he was clean living & virtuous. But apparently he must've decided to try drugs, & they literally killed him!

133 Boy oh boy, how horrible! Absolutely horrible! Some of those fits he was having in the movie were too realistic. I think they actually caught him in drug or withdrawal fits. It looked like he was literally having epileptic, demonic fits, with a demon getting ahold of him & shaking him around, writhing & reeling & fainting. I'd recommend that movie to scare any of our backsliders if they've already turned their back on the Lord. Jesus, have mercy on poor River!

*Source: ''World Currents--No.71'' — By David Berg; ML#2911 DO; [[1994]]-02.
</div>
<div style="margin: 10px; padding: 5px; border: 2px dotted green;">
74. '''Poor River Phoenix, the coroner's autopsy said that he had a mixture of cocaine, heroin, marijuana & valium in his body'''! I just wonder if maybe that rascally crowd he was with had literally doped him up, because he was not known for taking drugs. (Family: They say an experienced drug user would have never taken that combination of drugs, they would have known better.) Yes. I think those Satanic people in Hollywood were deliberately trying to corrupt him, & they kept making him do worse pictures & worse pictures & worse pictures. Finally he made "My Own Private Idaho," which was all about Sodomite male prostitutes & just made you want to puke! The World says that was his greatest picture, can you imagine? That's just like the Devil's people to say that was his '''greatest''' picture, the one in which he played a '''Sodomite'''!

*Source: ''World Currents--No.73'' — By David Berg; ML#2917 DO; 1994-03.
</div>

==Filmography==
{|
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|
<h3>Movies</h3>
* ''Silent Tongue'' (1994) – Talbot Roe
* ''Even Cowgirls Get the Blues'' (1993) – Pilgrim
* ''The Thing Called Love'' (1993) – James Wright
* ''Dark Blood'' (1993) (completed 2012) – Boy
* ''Sneakers'' (1992) – Carl Arbegast
* ''Dogfight'' (1991) – Eddie Birdlace
* ''My Own Private Idaho'' (1991) – Mike Waters
* ''I Love You to Death'' (1990) – Devo Nod
* ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' (1989) – Young Indy
* ''Running on Empty'' (1988) – Danny Pope/Michael Manfield
* ''Little Nikita'' (1988) – Jeff Grant
* ''A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon'' (1988) – Jimmy Reardon
* ''The Mosquito Coast'' (1986) – Charlie Fox
* ''Stand by Me'' (1986) – Chris Chambers
* ''Explorers'' (1985) – Wolfgang Müller
|
<h3>Television</h3>
* ''Circle of Violence: A Family Drama'' (1986) – Chris Benfield
* ''Surviving'' (1985) – Philip Brogan
* ''Robert Kennedy: the Man & His Times'' (1985) (mini) (Series) – Robert Kennedy Jr.
* ''Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia'' (1984) – Brian Ellsworth
* ''Celebrity'' (1984) (mini) (Series) – Jeffie
* ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' (1982) (Series) – Guthrie McFadden
|}
==Awards==
{| border="0" style="border:1px solid #ccc;"
|- style="background-color:#ccc;"
! Award Category
! Film
! Year
! Award
|-
| Best Supporting Actor (nominee) || Running on Empty || 1988 || Academy Award
|- style="background-color:#efefef;"
| Best Supporting Actor (nominee) || Running on Empty || 1988 || Golden Globe
|-
| Best Supporting Actor (winner) || Running on Empty || 1988 || National Board of Review
|- style="background-color:#efefef;"
| Best Actor (nominee) || My Own Private Idaho || 1990 || New York Film Critics Circle
|-
| Best Actor (winner) || My Own Private Idaho || 1991 || Independent Spirit Award
|- style="background-color:#efefef;"
| Volpi Cup for Best Actor (winner) || My Own Private Idaho || 1991 || Venice International Film Festival
|}

==Personal family==
* '''Mother:''' [[Heart Phoenix]] (aka Arlyn Sharon Dunetz, aka Jochebed, b. 1944-12-31 to Mayer and Margaret Dunetz)
* '''Father:''' [[John Lee Phoenix]] (aka John Lee Bottom, aka Amram, b. 1947-06-14)
* '''Sister:''' [[Rain Phoenix|Rain Joan of Arc Phoenix]] (aka Rainbow, b. 1973-03-31)
** m. Michael Tubbs
* '''Brother:''' [[Joaquin Phoenix|Joaquin Rafael Phoenix]] (aka Leaf, b. 1974-10-28)
* '''Sister:''' [[Liberty Phoenix|Liberty Butterfly Phoenix]] (aka Libertad Mariposa, b. 1976-07-05)
* '''Sister:''' [[Summer Phoenix|Summer Joy Phoenix]] (b. 1978-12-10)
** m. Casey Affleck
*** Indiana August (b. 2004-05-31)

==Press==
* [[US Magazine: Strange Days]] — 1995-10
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3209145.stm BBC News: A decade without River Phoenix] — 2003-10-31
* [http://www.aleka.org/phoenix/zines.htm The River Phoenix Pages: Collection of Magazine Articles]

==Biographies==
* "''River Phoenix: a short life''" by Brian J. Robb. ISBN 006095132X
* "''Lost in Hollywood : The Fast Times and Short Life of River Phoenix''" by John Glatt. ISBN 1556114400
* "''In Search of River Phoenix: the Truth Behind the Myth''" by Barry C. Lawrence. ISBN 0967249198

==More information==
* [http://www.river-phoenix.org/before/ Rio's Attic: Phoenix Before The Fire]
* [http://www.river-phoenix.org/flight/ Rio's Attic: Flight of the Phoenix]
* [http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38110 Book excerpt: 'Hollywood, Interrupted' tells tragic story of hippie-kid River Phoenix]

==References==
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293069/]

[[Category:Second generation]][[Category:Deaths]]
[[Category:Spotlight]]

Hajime Nakajima

2013-03-05T08:45:35Z

Drurew: FMT, removed irrelevant text.

Family Name: Japanese Levi AKA Dust (married to Japanese Joy)

Legal Name: Hajime Nakajima

Description: Japanese Male, middle aged, wore thick
glasses.

Lived in (besides other places):

-- Kamakura Lim (AKA the Camp)
-- HCS School
-- Osaka School

function: Childcare

Known offenses:

Responsible for the extensive, severe and long-term molesting and rape of at least one child (aged between 7-8) at the HCS during his time there in (88?).
Responsible for the molestation and sexually inappropriate behavior toward other young girls in the same group (ages 6-8). Also knocked several children unconscious with "the cobra" or his fist.

Was at some point demoted to babe's status due to his sexual behavior with minors, though exactly what he was caught and punished for is not clear.

Dust was excommunicated from TFI at some point between 2005-2007.

Hajime Nakajima

2013-03-05T08:38:31Z

Drurew: description as set by Porceleindoll in http://archive.xfamily.org/www.movingon.org/article.asp%3FsID=1&Cat=10&ID=3489.html

Family Name: Japanese Levi AKA Dust (married to
Japanese Joy)
Legal Name: Hajime Nakajima
Description: Japanese Male, middle aged, wore thick
glasses.
Lived in (besides other places):
-- Kamakura Lim (Childcare overseer)
-- HCS School (Childcare group)
-- Osaka School (Childcare)

Known offenses:
Responsible for the extensive, severe and long-term molesting and rape of at least one child (aged between 7-8)at the HCS during his time there in (88?).
Responsible for the molestation and sexually inappropriate behavior toward other young girls in the same group (ages 6-8). Also knocked several children unconscious with "the cobra" or his fist.

Was at some point demoted to babe's status due to his sexual behavior with minors, though exactly what he was caught and punished for is not clear.

There is some confusion here as he seems to have been excommunicated (or put on babes status) and later reinstated as a full time member. He was recently (within the last few years) excommunicated for his sexual tendencies with minors, at least this is what I heard, though it may be a rumor. I would like to know exactly what he was kicked out for, and the year.

Dora

2013-03-04T14:18:43Z

Drurew: Current location.

{{Pseudonym|Dora}}
* '''Dora''' (aka '''Julie''') — German citizen; current partner of [[Jeremy Spencer]]; long-time member of [[David Berg]]'s household. Last known to be living in either [[Brazil]] or [[Ireland]]. She has been confirmed to be living in Munich [[Germany]] with her partner [[Jeremy Spencer]] as of 2013.

[[Category:Pseudonyms]]

Dust

2013-03-03T12:04:02Z

Drurew: now includes the child abuser "dust of joy" from the japan camp and osaka

{{Pseudonym|Dust}}
* [[Mike Edwards]]
* [[Hajime Nakajima]]

[[Category:Pseudonyms]]

Dust

2013-03-03T12:02:36Z

Drurew: now includes the child abuser "dust of joy" from the japan camp and osaka

{{Pseudonym|Dust}}
* [[Mike Edwards]]
* [[Hashime Nakajima]]

[[Category:Pseudonyms]]

Jeremy Spencer

2013-03-03T11:55:15Z

Drurew: this is original reaserch and is dated @ mid 2012

{{Caution child abuse}}
[[File:Jeremy Spencer - 2009-06-14.jpg|thumb|Jeremy Spencer performing at the Chicago Blues Festival. 2009-06-14]]
[[Image:Jeremy_s.jpg|thumb|Jeremy Spencer, early 2000s]]
[[Image:Jeremy_s_young.jpg|thumb|Jeremy Spencer, circa 1970]]

'''Jeremy Cedric Spencer''' (British; aliases used include '''Jonadab''' and '''Jonathan''', though he now goes by Jeremy again) was born in West Hartlepool, [[United Kingdom|England]] on July 4, 1948.<ref>[http://www.middlesbrough-indexes.co.uk/search.php?table=births&last_name=spencer&first_name=jeremy&year=1948&span=0 www.middlesbrough-indexes.co.uk] — accessed [[2007]]-02-09.</ref> Spencer was one of Fleetwood Mac's early guitarists, joining the band in [[1967]]. His specialty was the slide guitar and he was strongly influenced by blues musician Elmore James. Spencer remained with the band until February [[1971]] when he joined the [[Children of God]], upon which he renounced his possessions and cut his long hair.

He remains with [[The Family International]] (as the group is now called) to this day, participating in missionary activities, performing in studio recordings for the group (primarily in [[Brazil]]), and illustrating [[:Category:Family Publications|Family publications]] for children. Spencer lived in [[Ireland]] and worked mainly as a book illustrator and story writer for The Family International.<ref>[[Jeremy Spencer]] interviewed by Martin Celmins, Classic Rock magazine, March 2006.</ref> He currently lives near Munich [[Germany]] with his wife, where his efforts to reestablish himself as a mainstream blues guitarist are ongoing.

Spencer performed in concert tours in [[India]] with other Family International performers in [[1995]], [[1998]] and [[2000]]. Shortly before the start of his 1998 tour, Fleetwood Mac performers including Jeremy Spencer were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

==Personal family==
At age 18, Jeremy met [[Fiona Spencer|Fiona]] who was 14 years old at the time. They had five children together: Jez ("Dicon"; b. 3 June 1968), Heidi (b. 8 November ~1970), Mareshah, Ben ("Koa"; b. 1972), and Nathaniel ("Nat"; b. 21 April 1974). Fiona and Jeremy were separated ''circa'' 1978. Fiona (who changed her name to Kitty) later married Andres (Italian) and together they had three daughters: Katuscia (b. ~1979), Talitha ("Tally"; b. ~1980/81), and Rebecca ("Becky"; b. 21 January 1983). Jeremy was later partnered with "[[Dora Techi|Dora]]" (from Germany) whom he met while living in the [[Philippines]].<ref>[[Jeremy Spencer]] interviewed by Martin Celmins, Classic Rock magazine, March 2006.</ref> Of Fiona's eight children, only one is still a member of The Family International. She has been promoted to a senior position within the [[cult]], and has remained in regular contact with the other siblings.<ref>[[The Guardian: After the 'Family' broke us apart]]</ref> Some of these children have formed a rock band in England called JYNXT. The band members are Nat, Koa, and Tally Spencer, along with non-relatives, Blaine, DJ Dan Brown, and Joe.<ref>http://www.jynxt.com/</ref>

==Family publications==
* [[Image:icon_pdf.gif|PDF]][http://www.xfamily.org/images/a/a8/TSM2_Jeremy_Spencer-s_Traumatic_Testimony.pdf The Wicked World Behind the Scenes of Rock & Roll] (TSM#2, 1990-01) — Jeremy Spencer's [[Traumatic Testimonies|Traumatic Testimony]]

In an August 2009 [[Mo Letter]], titled "{{pubs|3793|Offensive Briefing #9: Collaboration}}", [[Steven Kelly|Steven "Peter Amsterdam" Kelly]] had this to say about Jeremy Spencer:
<div style="padding: 1em; margin: 10px; border: 2px dotted green;">
41. '''Jeremy Spencer's music ministry is another example of a collaborative venture based around a celebrity-style personality that started small and has started to bear quite a bit of fruit.''' Besides participating in three concerts in India during the '90s, Jeremy started playing publicly again several years ago in low-key venues and eventually with a nationally respected Norwegian blues band. Gradually, he has built a network of people who like to work with him, and the opportunities and offers are growing. While he doesn't announce his Family membership from the stage, he does highlight the Family and his personal faith in the many [http://mama.familymembers.com/?p=2915 interviews] he has done, and in his personal witnessing and interaction with those the Lord puts on his path. People see him, know him, appreciate his talent, and they inevitably come to learn that he's in the Family, a fact that many who are familiar with his music already know. His example and his skill in music gives the Family a good name, without his having to publicly promote the Family or our good works.
</div>

==Alleged child sexual abuse==
There have been a number of allegations of child sexual abuse made against Spencer. Information about some of these allegations can be found in court documents from Argentina and the United Kingdom, and published statements by his first wife and a woman who was raised in The Family and lived with Spencer when she was a child and alleged that he sexually abused her on a number of occasions.

===Court documents concerning child abuse===
Following are excerpts from the [[Judgment of Lord Justice Ward]] from 1995, the result of a [[Legal Case U.K., 1992|child-custody trial]] involving The Family in England.

<div style="padding: 1em; margin: 10px; border: 2px dotted green;">
'''THE ORAL EVIDENCE OF CHILD / ADULT ABUSE'''

8. MS. Her father is Jeremy Spencer of [[Music with Meaning]]. Her mother is Dawn, a European [[Shepherd]]. … She said in her affidavit:

:"From my earliest memories until my time in India, sexual activity pervaded The Family. Instances that stand out in my mind are as follows:-

:"My mother and my father frequently had sexual intercourse and performed oral sex with each other and with other people in the same room as us children, regardless of whether we were awake or asleep. I distinctly remember my father having sexual intercourse with [[Faith Berg|Faithy Berg]] when we lived in a caravan in [[Greece]]. I was around four years old at the time."

At the age of 6 she had to use both hands to masturbate Timothy in his 20's or 30's, ex-Vietnam veteran. At the same age she had to "help her father [Jeremy Spencer] out" which meant caressing him and mutual masturbation. From the age of 7 her step father made her masturbate him. She later told [[Mary Malay]] about her step father but not about her father because she liked him: "at least," she said, "he did not beat me".

… 
'''THE LEADERS' INVOLVEMENT IN SEXUAL ABUSE'''

'''8. Jeremy Spencer'''

His own daughter with understandable reluctance complained that he abused her as I find he did. He also abused [[Merry Berg|MB]]. Music with Meaning was a particularly corrupt and corrupting organisation. He played a central part in it.
</div>

In 1992, Argentine lawyer [[Hector Walter Navarro]] was appointed as an expert by Judge [[Liliana Puccio]] in [[Rosario, Argentina|Rosario]], [[Argentina]] to report on literature, documents and other evidence obtained during an investigation of The Family in that city. At their request, he also later submitted written reports to Judge [[Julio Manuel Cámpora]] in [[Mercedes, Argentina|Mercedes]] and Judge [[Roberto Jose Marquevich]] in [[San Isidro, Argentina|San Isidro]]. In one of his reports, he noted that [[Merry Berg]] alleged that Jeremy Spencer sexually abused her when she was 9 years old:

<div style="padding: 1em; margin: 10px; border: 2px dotted green;">
She told me that at 9 years of age she was violated by "all" the men belonging to "Music with Meaning." When I asked her if these men were [[Simon Black]], [[Simon Peter]] and Jeremy Spencer, she emphatically answered that it was "all" of them. It was during this time that at this centre which produced music videos and cassettes, Mene was filmed dancing stark naked, the tape of which I already delivered to your Excellency.<ref>Navarro, Hector Walter. [[Investigation regarding the bibliography of the Children of God: The existence of clandestine jails|Investigación sobre la bibliografía de Los Niños de Dios: Existencia de correcccionales clandestinos]], 1993. </ref>
</div>

===Excerpt from "Not Without My Sister"===
In a 2007 book, "[[Not Without My Sister]], co-authored with two of her sisters, Celeste Jones, who lived with Jeremy Spencer when she was a child, described alleged child sexual abuse by Spencer in graphic detail:

<div style="padding: 1em; margin: 10px; border: 2px dotted green;">
Jeremy Spencer worked with Dad on [[Life with Grandpa]] as the artist. He lived in the small, detached room in the courtyard that was built for the maid. On our dates he would play a tape of saxophone music. The routine was by now was familiar – undress, pray, kiss and then give him a hand job. Jeremy would try to masturbate me but it just ended up feeling raw and hurting. I would move position so that he would rub a different spot, but I never understood why he – and the other men – kept on rubbing and rubbing. If I said I did not enjoy it they would accuse me of being prudish or proud. I just pretended to have an orgasm to get them to stop.<ref> Buhring, Juliana; Celeste Jones, Kristina Jones (2007). Not Without My Sister. Harper Element (HarperCollins), pp. 66. ISBN 0007248067.</ref>
</div>

===Statement by Fiona Spencer===
In an [[FN]] article published in 1982 and in June 1985 in the "[[FN Encyclopedia]]," Spencer's first wife Fiona Spencer described her relationship with Spencer. In her account she stated that Mr. Spencer "could have been put in prison" because she was a minor and he was an adult when they began having sexual relations that resulted in her pregnancy. She also described how her older (described as being between the ages of 10 to 12 and up) children were "fortunate" in that she and her husband had been able to find "loving", "helpful" and "patient" adults to sexually "[[share]]" with them:

<div style="padding: 1em; margin: 10px; border: 2px dotted green;">
Jeremy & I had spent a lot of time together & when he was in town he would stay at my house up till 3-4:00 in the morning & then leave, but my mother would always go to bed & leave us downstairs & we were always making love, sometimes 3-5 times a day! When I told my mother I was PG, she said, "I might have known. What are we going to do?" So we went to the doctor & he confirmed it--4 or 5 months, & he asked my mother if she wanted it terminated. At first she said, "Yes", then she said, "Lord forgive me!" I told her I wanted the baby & I wanted to go and live with Jeremy in London. I was just 15 & this type of thing was unheard of, but she considered it & agreed that I could live at home with her until the baby was born & then we would see.

Jeremy's parents were a little more outraged & maybe they felt more responsibility because I was only 15 and under the legal age. Jeremy could have been put in prison by my mother if she had wanted to press charges because I was under legal age.

[...]

Where we live at MWM we do have a lot of fellowship, a lot of sharing, & the children are very fortunate to be able to partake of this. As I said before, it's easy for our little ones to share & stay with one another, even make love if they can, they're all small and they can manage it. But when they get 10, 11, 12, & on, our children like to share with the adults. I found some adults in our Family are very helpful, very loving, & very patient towards our children, & will take time to really help them & love them & even teach them. In fact, I haven't really heard of a bad experience in our Family with our children sharing. I have talked a lot with the children about my own testimony and I treat them as adults, because, although it was a long time ago when I was their age, 12-13, I would have loved to have been in the situation we are now. I feel that almost all of our Family, the brethren are really understanding, very gentle, very loving, & there is no need to fear for the children, & they should be really free to love and share with the other brethren just as we do. When they have sperm, when they start their period, that's the testing time, how much do you trust the Lord, how much do you believe His promises, His blessings, etc? Being worried like our parents, the older generation are watching us, their grandparents; or not caring, only wanting to flow with the spirit, with this love, helping the children to be really free, & helping them to bring forth fruit!<ref>Spencer, Fiona. [[Testimony of a Child Bride & Young Mother]], FN Encyclopedia, 1985, 1308-1310.</ref>
</div>

===Statement by Jeremy Spencer===

On June 2, [[2009]], the following statement was posted on Spencer's web site:
<div style="padding: 1em; margin: 10px; border: 2px dotted green;">

To whom it may concern 
May 2009

'''A personal note from Jeremy Spencer'''

It has been said, "Your friends don't need an explanation, your enemies won't believe you anyway, but others may deserve an explanation." In light of that saying, I would like to give a statement on disturbing allegations against me that have surfaced on the internet.

Since going more public with a couple of albums and some concerts in recent years, I want to say that I have entered these endeavours being well aware that those interested in my music can obtain information –and sadly, much misinformation – about me at the click of a mouse button. I have been subjected to slander and controversy that often surrounds me because of belonging to an alternative religious movement and I have been absurdly misquoted and presented in a less than favourable light due to my lifestyle choice, especially having dropped out of a famous rock group.

In response, my quandary is that I could go about trying to refute, edit or even erase where possible what is written about me, although that in itself could be construed as covering up and it could be fruitless, considering that anyone can say anything about anyone on the internet –or in books - these days, virtually with impunity. Instead, I prefer to go on with my life and –for those interested- let my music speak for itself.

I have been a member of the Family International (http://www.thefamily.org/) for almost four decades and have given my time, services and skills to it. Contrary to speculation, although I am a famous member, I am not a leader in the organization! That is certainly not one of my talents! God gave me several artistic talents, however, one of which is playing slide guitar blues. I believe God wants me to impart my passion for the blues to those interested and I am grateful for the opportunities He has given me to do so.

Heartfelt thanks to those of you who are interested in my music and career.

Sincerely, 
Jeremy Spencer

Source: [http://www.jeremyspencer.com/statement.html JeremySpencer.com: A personal note from Jeremy Spencer] — 2009-06-02
</div>

==Fleetwood Mac albums featuring Jeremy Spencer==
* ''Fleetwood Mac'' (Blue Horizon 1968)
* ''Mr. Wonderful'' (Blue Horizon 1968)
* ''English Rose'' (Epic 1969--US only)
* ''The Pious Bird Of Good Omen'' (Blue Horizon 1969--UK only)
* ''Then Play On'' (Reprise 1969)
* ''Fleetwood Mac In Chicago/Blues Jam In Chicago vols 1 & 2'' (Blue Horizon 1969)
* ''Kiln House'' (Reprise 1970)

====Additional compilations/outtakes collections====
* ''Greatest Hits'' (CBS 1971 - compilation)
* ''The Best of Fleetwood Mac'' (Reprise c1971 - Germany only but featuring rare songs)
* ''The Hits of Fleetwood Mac'' (Columbia 1990 - compilation)
* ''25 Years - The Chain [Box set]'' (Warner 1992)
* ''Like It This Way'' (Elite - compilation)
* ''The Vaudeville Years of Fleetwood Mac 1968 to 1970 [Box set]'' (Receiver 1998)
* ''Show-Biz Blues 1968-1970 [Box set]'' (Receiver 2001 - Companion to "Vaudeville Years")
* ''The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967-1969 [Box set]'' (Columbia UK, 1999)
* ''Best of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac'' (Columbia UK, 2000)
* ''Original Fleetwood Mac: The Blues Years'' (3-CD set, Castle, 1990)
* ''Madison Blues'' [3 disc box-set] (Shakedown 2003 - recorded 1970)
* ''Green Shadows'' (Union Square Music 2003 - compilation)

====Live albums====
* ''Live at the BBC'' (Castle 1995 - recorded 1967-71)
* ''Shrine '69'' (Rykodisc 1999 - recorded 25th January 1969)
* ''The Blues Collection'' (Castle, 1989 or 1992)
* ''Live at the Boston Tea Party, vols 1-3'' (recorded February 5-7, 1970. Comprehensively released 1998 by Snapper Records, having previously been repackaged and bootlegged several times)
* ''Jumping at Shadows: The Blues Years'' (released 2002)

==Jeremy Spencer solo and other albums==
* ''Jeremy Spencer'' (Reprise, 1970)
* ''Jeremy Spencer and the Children'' (CBS, 1972)
* ''Flee'' (Atlantic, 1979)
* ''In Concert - India 1998'' (PolyGram India, 1999)
* ''Precious Little'' (Bluestown, 2006)

Jeremy Spencer has also recorded a significant amount of music intended only for internal distribution within The Family.

==Press==
* [[Image:icon_pdf.gif|PDF icon]][https://media.xfamily.org/docs/press/jeremy-spencer-classic-rock-2006-03.pdf Classic Rock: Mac, Myths and Mysteries] — 2006-03
* [[London Times: Band on the run with rock'n'roll in their blood]] — 2005-10-29

== References ==
<references/>
==External links==
*[http://www.jeremyspencer.com/ Jeremy Spencer's website] — Includes music and concert video samples
*[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:ydj97iajg7or~T1 Jeremy Spencer biography on AMG]
*[http://www.fleetwoodmac.net/penguin/jeremy.htm The Penguin Biographies: Jeremy Spencer]
*[http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=103 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame] — Fleetwood Mac (inducted 1998)
*[http://www.jynxt.com/ JYNXT] — Band formed by some of Jeremy Spencer's children
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JYNXT Wikipedia article on JYNXT]

[[Category:Current and Former Members]][[Category:Abusers]][[Category:Music Artists]][[Category:Artists]]
[[Category:Spotlight]]

Category:Books by former members

2012-09-19T07:14:15Z

Drurew:

This category contains a list of books written by former members of the [[Family International]] [[cult]].

Carl Asher
"Passing for normal"

Abe Johnson
"cult child tells all"