MAC, MYTHS and MYSTERIES
Martin Celmins

Was Fleetwood Mac guitarist Jeremy Spencer really kidnapped mid-tour by a religious cult who shaved his head, brainwashed him and hid him from the band? Um, no. Classic Rock hears the true story. (more…)

From Anita M. H.
There are some dates which will always stick in your mind, ones that you’ll remember for years, maybe even the rest of your life. January 11th will be that for me, because that’s the day I found out that a good friend of mine had died. That isn’t when it happened though. The actual event took place some time in the evening of January 8th. On that evening someone who meant very much to me, who saw me through some of the roughest years of my life, was brutally murdered. That is something I will never forget. (more…)

By Regi Roselle, 28, second-generation member of the Family International.

A year and a half ago I sent my immediate family an email announcing the birth of our second daughter, and a photo. Most responded with the usual congratulations and well wishes. My brother’s reply however, read:

Regina,
You work for Zerby, a mentally damaged and damaging woman. I don’t consider you my sister. With future births, please leave me off your emailing list.

Daniel

* * *

It wasn’t always like this. Daniel and I were born 18 months apart and spent much of our lives as each others’ shadow–like most siblings I suppose. I looked up to him as my smart big brother with incredible imagination. He was always doing something creative: exploring, dressing up as famous characters, or building something. He seemed to make friends so easily. I wanted so much to be like him. (more…)

(Sister to Karen Zerby a.k.a. Maria David, aunt to Ricky Rodriguez)

I met Angela Joy about six years ago. We called her Joy. Such an appropriate name for her. She was a joy to be around. She was undoubtedly one of the most unique people I had ever met. She was a ray of sunshine in our lives. When we had little hope, Joy gave us hope. When we had little faith, Joy gave us faith. With her optimism, and her sweet spirit, anything seemed possible. When she came to visit, the whole atmosphere became charged with her love. With her hugs and “I love you” and her willingness to do whatever was in her power to help and comfort, she transformed our home into a haven of peace and goodwill. The change was so remarkable that we commented on it time and time again. When she would leave, it was like a spark had burned out and only rekindled again when she returned.

I will give you a little background on myself, so you can understand why it is so important that you know why I feel as strongly as I do. (more…)

From Dan (23), second generation member of the Family.

Living in WS, and being part of the WEB team, I’ve known about this site since day one, but it’s been what though, two weeks? Two and a half now? and I’ve still not contributed. I’ve been known to write a little every now and then so all my friends have been asking me, “Why haven’t you written anything?” and “When are you going to write something?” It’s not that I haven’t wanted to, I just haven’t felt like I have had enough of a ‘conclusion’ to my thoughts to tell all of you about it. I’ve been thinking about ways to try to pull it all together into some kind of a topic, theme, or central point, but I just haven’t really gotten anywhere.

But, like Archimedes, I too had my Eureka in the bath (well, shower) tonight, and I leaped out naked and wet to write something without form, order, or outline. I’m a Virgo and this isn’t usually my style, but since I just haven’t been able to wrap my thoughts around any sort of binding theme, my great breakthrough was that I can just throw them all up here random-like and see what happens.

Here’s a good starter: I love the Family. (more…)

(From a second-generation former member)

My name is Mark Elder and I’m 32, or was it 31. Oh well, I’m getting senile before my time. I guess I wanted to put my two cents in on what happened with David [Ricky Rodrigues].

A quick history: I left the Family when I was 19 and rejoined for a year when I was 28 and then left again and ended up spending another month in Sara and Alf’s home a few months later before finally moving on for good. Most people who knew me in the Family would say that I was a nice guy as well, and would probably have good things to say about me, aside from my leaving the Family.

I used to consider myself a good person too. But in the course of my life I’ve learned a lot about human nature, from others, and a great deal from myself. I know what it’s like to go from being the Family’s most ardent supporter, to feeling hate and bitterness towards the Family to the point of wanting to take action against it. (more…)

Name: Jon-A
Age: 28 years old, born and raised in The Family
Parents: Peter Amsterdam and Abi

I have been greatly disturbed by this pointless loss of life. I knew both Angela and Ricky, and still cannot quite comprehend the needless death that took place. It’s not every day someone you knew well was murdered, and rarer still, someone you knew who just four years earlier seemed like a normal individual, change to the point where he’d be willing to take the life of someone as sweet and harmless as Angela. I’m telling you, everyone reading this has done more harm to others through unloving acts than Angela, she was truly an angel.

Writing is not something that comes easy for me or that I enjoy doing, but the wish to have my voice heard overrides that difficulty. I’ve been hearing far too long about the “many” vocal former members, and have seen some of their threatening website postings, so I was thrilled that someone put up a site like this, and even more so by the 200+ young people who have stepped forward so far to contribute with their views and condolences.

I wanted to add my personal story and views on growing up in the Family, “abuse” in the past, and some thoughts on current claims from our detractors.
(more…)

(From a second-generation member of the Family International)

By Jude Osborn (a.k.a Kevin Kanwayte)

Apparently my son Kevin Junior is an evil, menacing 4-year-old villain. Why? Because from what I’ve heard, somewhere out there are maybe two or three dozen brave hostile ex-member men and women who will stop at nothing to foil his sinister plans for world domination through playing with cars and running around with Spiderman underwear on his head.

If he were old enough I imagine Kevin would have a thin, curly, evil mustache. If his head was large enough I guess he’d sport a tall, black, evil top hat. And most importantly, he might regularly let loose a long, evil cackle, except that he’s too busy moisturizing the air with car noises. What a chilling picture of pure evil.

But do not cower in fear, good citizens! You can sleep in peace knowing that the self-styled forces of good are at work to bring to justice the forces of apparent evil. All over the world are intrepid heroes, sitting behind computer desks, feverishly typing web site posts with titles like “Let’s #$%!@ those @#)$& retarded Family !@*(&^#$^ for making me mop floors when I was 11!” Their unforgettable name: “Team Apostate!”
(more…)

(From a second-generation member of the Family International)

A few words of introduction: I’m 35 years old and have been in the Family since the age of three when my parents joined the Children of God. I’ve lived through pretty much every part of the Children of God/The Family International’s history, and lived in Homes on almost every continent.

I’ve been saddened and appalled by the recent events involving the brutal murder of Angela Smith by Ricky Rodriguez, but I’m even more appalled by the rewriting of history that is being perpetrated both by Ricky before his death, and bitter former members who are using this tragedy as a platform for avowed goal of harming and destroying the Family. As someone who for years lived with both Ricky and Angela, I can’t just stand by and watch the news media make a mockery of the memory of such a saint as Angela was by the twisting of the truth, whether intentionally, or unwittingly playing into the hands of those intent on causing us harm to justify their own choices in life.
(more…)

From Techi, (sister of Ricky Rodriguez)

I think that now, after nearly two weeks, the horror of what Ricky did has finally sunk in.—But I still don’t understand how he could have done it, or why. I guess it’s almost harder for me to believe that Angela is really gone. It’s just not something that should have happened to her, of all people. I just can’t imagine how any human being could do what Ricky did to Angela, someone who was completely innocent, and so full of love. Much less someone who knew her so well, knew her for his whole life, as did I. He knew exactly the kind of person she was, knew all the countless instances that she went out of her way to love and help those around her.

Angela wasn’t one of those alleged “horrible, horrible cultists who deserve to die for what they did” as he made her out to be on that terrible, terrible video. It’s unbelievable. I think everyone who knew her loved her to pieces. She was simply an incredible, great, wonderful person.
(more…)

From Amie O., 26, second-generation member of the Family International.

My name is Amie, I’m 26 years old, and I just wanted to say a few words about the recent Ricky and Angela murder/suicide “nightmare.”

It’s unbelievable! I knew both Ricky and Angela, so it’s pretty close to home. Ricky was always a very nice guy, and I liked him a lot. I lived in the same Home with him and his wife—and Ricky’s mother—for over two years, between June 1997 and early 2000. He was a nice, kind, friendly guy. But sometime after he left and apparently got into contact with a small group of people who seem to have a vendetta against The Family, he started speaking against his mother and against the Family, and getting into violence and all kinds of horrible things.

Here is an excerpt of a note that I sent to Ricky’s mother in 2002, after Ricky had started threatening to kill her and “take down” The Family:
(more…)

From Bethy K., 31, second-generation member of the Family International.

My viewpoints on recent happenings: The murder of Angela Smith and the suicide of Ricky Rodriguiez.

My name is Bethy. I am the daughter of Peter Amsterdam and Abi. I am 31 years old, and I have one child. The murder of Angela Smith and subsequent suicide of Ricky Rodriguez has shocked and deeply saddened me. Until now, I had never experienced losing someone I personally knew and loved through death. It has affected me deeply.

I knew both of them well. Ricky was a dear friend of mine for years, and I loved him. I knew Angela off and on over the years since I was 10 years of age. Her giving, selfless nature and concern for others made a lasting impression on me.

Ricky and I were close friends for a great deal of our teenage years. He was a loyal friend. If you were Ricky’s friend, he would never let anyone say anything bad about you or hurt you, and would in fact be very upset if someone did. He was kind. He was thoughtful. He did not speak badly of people. He was one of my best friends during my teenage years, and our friendship brought me a lot of joy and many happy experiences and memories, which I shall always cherish.
(more…)

From Sol, second-generation former Family member

After a long day at the office, then picking up my car from the service center, I arrived home and looked over my oldest daughter’ s school papers (she starts school next week, pre-primary) - After that I proceeded to finish some financial documents for a business I’ve recently launched. After all the evening things such as spending time with my wife and kids I went online and stumbled across a whole load of dialog on the ricky effect.

I’ve just finished reading a lot of it and honestly I could sleep for a week, it was a tiresome read and I did muse over the fact that had I got involved with the whole davidito/ricky murder and consequent suicide, I ‘d have had little time to concentrate on anything productive.

Where do you people get the time???

Till this point I honestly didn’t care what Ricky did, to himself or to another. It saddens me that 2 lives were taken under somewhat pointless circumstances however it left about as much of an impression on me as it does reading about an equivalent scenario in the daily newspaper. (more…)

Dear friends and family,

My heart goes out in deepest sympathy for the mother of Pete, and all related. Also to my dear friend, Sue! We had lovely times together.

There are no words that can really say what I want to express. I lost my son at the age of 25 in France by an accident. Later, I knew Pete very shortly. A Mother survives these things but can never really heal. My heart goes out to Maria, for the only son she had, and I hope that others will understand her pain. I have. Judge not that ye be not judged. Dont’t try to be God. God Loves you!

A mother,
Mother Eve

(Mother Eve was the first wife of The Family International’s founder, the late David Brandt Berg.)

(And yet it seems they can only offer them a life of bitterness, hate, violence and revenge.)
From Nat (Techi’s husband and Ricky’s brother-in-law)

Some would have me trade my son’s light for their darkness; his sweet and giving nature, for their lust for retribution; his contagious laugh, wonderful smile and sweet soul, for a tortured mind, calloused heart and dark deeds; his strong faith, for their confusion and uncertainty.

They would have us exchange our lives based on helping, seeking to save, and giving to others, for one of trying to hurt others, messing up happy families, spreading misconceptions, half-truths and outright venomous lies in order to bring more people into the dark world that they find themselves trapped in.

They claim, and maybe even believe, that they’re doing this for our own good, and that my son’s life will be much better for it. How can that be? Why would anyone agree to that when faced with the facts of what has happened, and the things that are still being planned and encouraged by a few? Who would do that? I certainly won’t!
(more…)