Makestraightpaths.com examines the teachings of the religious group variously known as “the Family,” “The Family International,” the “Children of God,” or the “Family of Love,” and evaluates these teachings from a Christian perspective.

This page analyses the Family's official Statement of Faith with regard to their controversial doctrines.

The Family’s ‘Statement of Faith’

The Family first published a Statement of Faith in April 1992, and updated it in September 2004 and again in 2009. It is published on its official web site and Family members can usually produce it upon request, or whenever it becomes necessary to assure others of their Christianity. The copyright date is 2009.

Initially, the Statement of Faith gives a convincing appearance of orthodox Christian faith. There are 32 sections in this Statement of Faith, many of which appear to be reasonable, conforming to conservative protestant Christianity. In other words, most mainstream Christian denominations would find a good proportion of this Statement perfectly acceptable. There may be minor differences of opinion regarding some of the matters discussed in these ‘reasonable’ sections, and there may even be numerous major differences of opinion with the final section entitled ‘The Time of the End’. However on the whole these differences are probably no greater than currently exist between various Christian denominations.

Indeed, the Family seems eager to give the impression that there are only minor differences of opinion between their doctrines and those of mainstream churches. The opening sentence proudly proclaims that "The Family International’s fundamental beliefs concur with those held by hundreds of millions of Christians the world over." The second paragraph mentions that they also hold to some "unconventional" or "novel" doctrines. In other words, the Family wishes people to think that although some of their doctrines are a little different or new, they are basically the same as most Christian churches. This is simply untrue.

A number of the sections in the Statement of Faith are given special comment here, for several reasons. Some of these sections only partially outline the Family’s doctrine, or fail to give specific details, when those details are in fact key points in the Family's doctrine. Other topics contain Scriptures that have been  misinterpreted, or either unintentionally or deliberately, in order to give the appearance that they support utterly unbiblical doctrines.

There are also several doctrines that are completely absent from this document, although adherence to these beliefs are considered mandatory for Family membership.

A point of clarification is necessary before specific sections of the Statement of Faith are examined. There are numerous Christian doctrines that are disputed between different denominations. For example, some churches hold that eternal salvation is ‘once saved forever saved’ while others maintain that a believer can lose his or her salvation through wilful rejection of the Saviour and intentional indulgence in sin. Both doctrines can be supported by the Scriptures and both doctrines have been argued over for many centuries. Similarly, some denominations maintain that salvation is purely a matter of God’s predestined choice, while others think that believers have personal choice in the matter. The Family, for example, firmly believes that Christians are ‘once saved forever saved,’ a teaching in agreement with some denominations and disputed by others. This page does not discuss these issues.

Rather, this page, as is the general purpose of Make Straight Paths, focuses on those teachings  that separate the Family from the rest of Christianity.

There are also some doctrines in the Statement of Faith that merely appear to be narrow in their definition. An instance of that might be found in the section on the ‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’, which states that this baptism “may be freely obtained by all believers who simply ask God for it” and that its “primary purpose” is “to empower the believer to witness the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others”. Although not unscriptural, these claims are only a fraction of what the Bible says about the reception and purpose of the Holy Spirit. However, this page does not discuss these, or other petty issues.

Unless noted otherwise, all references to a ‘Statement of Faith’ on this page refer to the document published by the Family International, available on its official website. Direct quotations from this document are in italics.

The 2009 update

A critique of the Family's Statement of Faith first appeared on Make Straight Paths in 2006, commenting on the 2004 version. An updated version of the Statement of Faith was published by the Family in 2009.

There are a number of changes from the 2004 edition to the 2009 edition. In particular, two sections were combined into one (Fellowship of Believers and the Church), and a new section was created (Keys of the Kingdom). A number of the sections were placed in a different order.

There are some instances of minor wording changes. For example, the first sentence in section 1, The Holy Scriptures, was changed from "We believe the Holy Bible to be the inspired Word of God" to "We believe that the Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God."

Some changes appear to have been made in order to strengthen the Family's legal position. For example, section 11, Divine Healing, used to read: "We consider God's power to heal a great blessing for those who exercise the faith to partake of it. We do not condemn or hinder those who seek medical help for their illnesses. Our prescribed scriptural outlook, as to whether to rely on prayer alone or medical help in addition to prayer, is 'according to your faith it will be done to you'." This was apparently perceived as implicitly pressuring Family members to refrain from seeking medical assistance, and so it was changed to: "Although we believe in God's power to heal illnesses, we believe that the decision as to whether to rely on prayer alone or to seek medical assistance in addition to prayer is a personal one, and members are free to avail themselves of medical assistance. As the Scripture says, 'According to your faith it will be done to you'." The change apparently attempts to exonerate the Family itself from any responsibility in the medical issues of its members, particularly so as in the past, members were strongly discouraged from seeking medical assistance in all but the most serious circumstances.

A couple of changes were made, removing statements that gave directions to Family members how to apply the principles of the Statement of Faith. So, deleted are statements like: "All those in our fellowships are encouraged to take time daily for personal private prayer, as well as to join the other members of their community in united prayer" and "members of our communities not only take time for private prayer, Scripture reading, and personal devotions, but also for united prayer, united readings of God's Word, as well as united devotions, fellowship meetings, and group activities on a daily basis."

In 2006, Family members were discouraged from indulging in "illicit drugs, tobacco, or harmful substances" and in 2009 the following was added: "overindulging in the consumption of alcohol, or unhealthy food and beverages."

Other specific changes are mentioned in the analysis below.

The above changes notwithstanding, the Family's 2009 Statement of Faith is manifestly inadequate. There are still numerous omissions, misinterpretations and  unscriptural teachings.

The purpose of a Statement of Faith

Many other Christian churches and organisations publish a ‘Statement of Faith’. In it they record the articles of faith on which their church is built. Their members learn these articles, which form the foundation for their personal lives as well as the basis for the decisions made by the church.

In reality, the Family does not hold its Statement of Faith in such esteem. Family members claim to believe it but most rarely read it, and few could give details of what is written in the Statement, apart from listing a number of the doctrinal topics mentioned. It is fair to say that Family members actually base their lives and faith on what they read in the regular official mailings from leadership in preference to what is contained in the Statement of Faith. Should there ever be a perceived conflict between the Statement of Faith and a recent official Family publication, the recent publication would take precedence.

Unfortunately, this fact negates much of its value. A Statement of Faith is only useful as a document stating in full all the core beliefs on which a denomination is built and around which each member’s life revolves. The Statement of Faith produced by the Family neither states in full nor lists all the core beliefs as held by the Family as a denomination.

Missing topics

Assuming that a Statement of Faith should be an accurate documentation of the core beliefs of an organisation, then it should include all the important doctrines that affect the lives of its members. It certainly should contain reference to all beliefs that are mandatory. In other words if a certain doctrine is compulsory for members of a church in that they cannot retain membership without agreeing to it, then that doctrine should be included in its Statement of Faith.

This cannot be said for the Statement of Faith found on the Family’s web site. There are several crucial doctrines that all Family members must wholeheartedly accept if they wish to continue in the Family, yet which are not mentioned in this statement.

While these topics may be mentioned elsewhere on the Family’s web site or in other statements, it is fair to say that a Statement of Faith should contain all crucial, and especially all mandatory doctrines.

Missing topic: the inspiration of the leader of the Family

No adult member is permitted to remain in the Family unless they profess to believe that the founder of the Family, David Berg/Dad was an anointed, inspired, ordained prophet of God. Family members must also believe that the current leader (Maria/Zerby) is anointed and ordained by God to lead the Family. Any Family member who no longer believes that God specifically chose these two people to be leaders of the Family as an organisation, and also as their own personal spiritual 'shepherds' will not be permitted to remain in the Family. These are not topics that are optional or open for discussion in the Family. The mere suggestion that a change in leadership might be appropriate would be viewed as tantamount to rebellion against God Himself. This conviction is instilled in new members from the beginning, and every member knows that should he or she begin to question either Berg/Dad or Maria/Zerby or their mandate for leadership, he or she will no longer be allowed to remain members.

This is a doctrine of ‘faith’, as much as any other doctrine peculiar to the Family; these leaders are held to have been nominated by God Himself. Indeed, there has never been any suggestion that either Berg/Dad or Maria/Zerby were appointed to lead the Family through an administrational procedure or popular vote. Family members are given many official publications vehemently proclaiming that it is God Who has chosen these two as leaders. This implies that (a) faith in God produces respect of these leaders and (b) rejection of these leaders is rejection of God.

It is rather perplexing, therefore, that this tenet of faith, so important that one cannot remain a Family member without professing to believe it, is completely absent from the Statement of Faith.

The reasons for this exclusion are open for speculation.

Missing topic: the inspiration of Family writings

Related to the above doctrine is the esteem in which Family members are taught to hold the official writings of either Berg/Dad or Maria/Zerby. These particular writings are believed to be the words of God Himself, given specially to the Family for their benefit. Again, this is no mere administrational clause or even a fervent recommendation. Administrational clauses are open for discussion, recommendations are by definition optional. This is not an optional belief, there is never any debate on the subject, this is absolutely mandatory.

An important distinction that must be made here is that Family members do not regard either Berg/Dad or Maria/Zerby as ‘divine’. At no time have either of them professed to be any more than a human instrument in the hands of God.

Nevertheless, both have explicitly claimed to have received the words of God (through various means) and therefore both are regarded in the Family as being the source of God’s words, if not for the world, then at least for Family members. This is a matter of faith and is therefore a fundamental ‘doctrine’ in every sense of the word.

Faith in the divine origin of the words of Berg/Dad and Maria/Zerby is absolutely mandatory. Consequently, any current member who does not believe that God Himself is the source or inspiration of the official Family publications will soon be asked to leave. In other words, should a current Family member agree to comply with the directions given by Maria/Zerby, while professing that he or she did not believe that those directions actually came from God, this Family member would not be permitted to remain in the Family for very long.

It goes without saying that all Family members must not only show that they believe that God is the original source of Berg/Dad and Maria/Zerby’s writings, they must also commit themselves to obeying the directions contained therein, to the best of their ability.

Without the inclusion of this belief, the Statement of Faith cannot be said to be a complete description of fundamental Family doctrines.

The inspiration of the writings of the Family is discussed in full on this website in the studies ‘The Standard of Measurement’ and ‘New Revelations’.

Incomplete topic: The Holy Scriptures

The Statement of Faith states that “God’s Word as revealed in the Bible is the basis and cornerstone of all our beliefs and practices”. While all Family members would whole-heartedly agree with this section in the Statement of Faith, few would clarify that many of the doctrines peculiar to the Family actually have the writings of Berg/Dad as their foundation, with only a few judiciously chosen Scriptures as a support. Indeed, most Family members are unaware that a large number of the Family’s beliefs and practices have neither ‘basis’ nor ‘cornerstone’ in the Bible.

A church that professes to believe that the Bible is the “core of our spiritual strength” should encourage its members to devote as much time to studying it as possible. On the contrary, Family members read official Family writings at most, if not all of their devotional meetings and during their own personal devotions. Family members who read more Bible than Family writings are extremely rare, to the point of being non-existent. Many Family members know little Bible apart from selected memory verses.

Therefore, it is a reasonable observation that the Family does not in fact believe that the Bible is the "divinely appointed standard and guide to our faith and practice" as it claims in this section of the Statement of Faith.

Incomplete topic: the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is viewed in the Family as “the personification of the feminine and maternal element of the Trinity of God”. This point should perhaps be clarified: the Family takes this teaching remarkably seriously. The Family does not take the “feminine and maternal” aspect of the Holy Spirit merely as a metaphor for gentleness, but the Holy Spirit is literally believed in the Family to be female.

The Family does not just see the Holy Spirit as “the picture of a mother”, but actually as the female part of God Himself. The Trinity is usually depicted as three distinct beings: God the Father, the Holy Spirit the Mother, and Jesus the Son. So, although the Statement of Faith says that the Family believes in “three distinguishable but inseparable Persons” of the Godhead, the distinguishing characteristics of the separate Persons of God as taught by the Family are far greater than are obvious from this document. This unusual and unscriptural interpretation of the Bible is examined elsewhere on this website in ‘The Holy Spirit’.

Incomplete topic: Salvation by Grace

The preamble to the Statement of Faith summarises the Family's understanding of salvation: "We believe that everyone can have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, which affords us happiness and peace of mind, and motivates us to reach out to help others, and to share the good news of His love." The section on Salvation by Grace adds "We are saved by believing in Jesus Christ and personally receiving Him into our hearts and lives." Although the section mentions the doctrines of original sin, the love of God, forgiveness through Jesus Christ and eternal salvation, it is also true that the above quotes neatly summarise most of what Family members believe about salvation. In other words, when a Family member is explaining salvation, he or she will stress that a "personal relationship" with Jesus will bring "happiness" and that this is attained by "personally receiving Him into our hearts."

It is, at best, a superficial understanding of salvation, and at worst it deceives people into thinking they are truly saved forever, when in fact this may not be the case. Family members claim that salvation may be obtained if a person asks Jesus into his or her heart. That is, if they sincerely say the words, "Jesus please come into my heart" then they will be saved forever.

The Bible makes no such claim. For more, please see Salvation.

Incomplete topic: the Gift of Prophecy

Unclear in this section is the extent to which Family members use the ‘gift of prophecy’. Individual members are encouraged to ‘hear from the Lord’ every day, writing down the revelations they are given. Family members look to these daily ‘prayer and prophecy’ sessions for instant guidance for the large and small decisions they need to make.

The Family publishes a large quantity of writings, a high proportion of which contain verbatim ‘prophecies’ said to contain the current direction for the Family as a whole, and for individual members in all they do. These prophecies are believed to be the voice of God Himself.

In other words, it is a tenet of faith in the Family that prophecy is not merely an "important gift" but crucial, indispensible means of obtaining spiritual guidance on matters both large and small.

For more see ‘Getting Prophecies’ and ‘New Revelations’.

Incomplete topic: the Church the Fellowship of Believers

The topics ‘the Church the Fellowship of Believers,’ ‘Separation from the World’  and ‘Cooperative Communal Living’, give little clue as to the ways in which Family members believe God has told them to apply these principles to their lives.

All full-time Family members believe that they should live communally in Family Homes, refraining from as much contact with the outside society as possible. The result of this is a rather exclusive mini-society with its own rules, terminology, loyalty, leadership, and belief system. There are, of course, different ‘levels’ of membership and different membership rules apply to each level. However the basic principles of faith remain the same.

People may ‘fellowship’ with Family members without joining, that is, attend certain Family-led outreach meetings etc, but no one may join the Family full-time without agreeing (in faith) to a total commitment to separation from ‘the world’.

This section says that the Family believes that "the Church is the spiritual entity composed of those who have accepted Christ as their Savior, regardless of their affiliation with Christian organizations or denominations" and they encourage "fellowship with other like-minded believers." Unstated is the fact that Family members actually regard themselves as the elite of the church, and are taught to look down on church Christians as being spiritually diseased, half-hearted and luke-warm. The evidence that 'proves' this claim is the fact that church Christians do not accept Family doctrines!

In other words, when the Family says they fellowship with "like-minded" believers, in reality they are only talking about other Family members or those who accept Family teachings.

Related to this is a subtle change in the 2009 version in the section "the Great Commission." In 2004, this stated that all believers were to evangelise and, "Whether or not the believer has received a formal ordination into the Gospel ministry from a denomination or institution is irrelevant." While this teaches the truth that all believers should participate in evangelism to some degree, it also reflects the Family's inherent antagonism to formal Bible study. In 2009 this was strengthened to say that "We believe that a formal ordination into the Gospel ministry from a denomination or institution is not necessary." That is, not only should all believers preach the Gospel, but they should avoid formal training.

To speculate: if Family members entered formal training in a Bible-believing university, it is almost certain that none would remain both in the Family and in the university. The reason for this is not - as claimed by the Family - that the emphasis on study in university destroys faith, but rather that it would not take very long before the Family members discovered that some Family teachings are actually diametrically opposed to the truth of the Bible. That is, they would learn that Family doctrines are false.

Incomplete topic: Discipleship

When someone joins the Family, they become a ‘disciple’. It’s important to note here that the Family definition of a disciple differs significantly from that found in the Bible, although this difference is not clarified in this Statement of Faith, and indeed is probably not mentioned in any Family publication. The word “disciple” was defined by the Family in a footnote to the 2004 Statement of Faith as “one who believes and follows the teachings of a master, and assists in the spreading of such teachings.” This footnote went on to “acknowledge that there are varying degrees of ‘following the teachings,’ which must be recognized and appreciated.”

While it is true that Christians may dedicate different amounts of time, effort or money to preaching the Gospel, the implication given here is that ‘disciples’ are defined as those who dedicate much, and this is not true. In short, the Family has defined ‘discipleship’ in two ways: first, generally, as the life and practice of one who ‘follows the teachings’ to the same degree as Jesus’ twelve disciples did, renouncing family and livelihood in order to follow the Master, and second, in a much more specific way as a person who has agreed to become a full-time Family member. Other Christians are rarely if ever called ‘disciples’ because they either have not joined the Family or they are perceived as not giving up as much to serve the Lord as Family members do.

The Bible, however, is clear that all Christians are disciples, all disciples are Christians (Acts 11:26). If a person is not a disciple of Jesus, he or she is not a Christian. Therefore, the verses which the Family uses to support their rather extreme ‘discipleship’ practices must be able to be applied to all Christians. In other words, if the Bible suggests that a ‘disciple’ should do something, the practical application should be applicable to all Christians, not just to a select few. This topic is explored further on this site in ‘Forsaking All’.

In particular, Family ‘disciples’ agree in writing to ‘forsake all’. This refers to the belief that in order for them to be accepted as Family members, they must agree to sever ties with society, as much as is possible. They agree to liquidate all their assets, donating the financial returns to the Family. All money, all savings, all vehicles, all houses, all possessions, everything is to be either sold (with the proceeds going to the Family) or donated directly and permanently to the Family. Although many of the new member’s personal possessions and the bulk of his or her money may be given to the particular ‘Home’ he or she joins, he or she must renounce ownership of these things, giving them freely, ‘as unto the Lord’.

Official Family policy on full-time ‘disciples’ is that they do not hold secular employment (unless approved by their leadership). While there may be a few exceptions to this rule, in general no ‘full-time’ Family member continues in a ‘full-time’ secular job. The Family justifies this policy using carefully selected Bible verses (such as Matthew 6:24), implying that one cannot serve God while also working at secular employment. Therefore, as this is a policy determined by doctrine and justified by scripture, it rightly should be explained in the Statement of Faith. Practical applications based on scripture are given in other sections of the Statement of Faith, such as in section 22, which gives the scriptural references to support the Family’s ban on tobacco or illicit drugs, and section 27, which puts forth the Family’s stance on abortion, suicide and euthanasia.

Family ‘disciples’ are also exhorted from the Scriptures to be obedient to leadership, loyal to the Family, to work exclusively on Family projects, and to spend their time according to a schedule devised according to Family rules. This time schedule includes such things as required morning and evening meetings, frequency of physical exercise, the number of hours per week spent evangelising, and the number of hours per day spent in private study of Family publications.

Now while it may not be necessary to include so many details in an official Statement of Faith, it is obvious that the Family defines ‘discipleship’ in a far more regimented and strictly controlled manner than could ever be discerned from their Statement of Faith.

Incomplete topic: Marriage and Children

The 26^th section in the Statement of Faith describes the biblical ideal of  a “stable”, “healthy, loving, safe, and godly” Christian family.

There is an extremely important doctrinal point that has, unfortunately, been omitted from this section. This is the belief taught in the Family that one’s personal family is subservient to the Family organisation. All full-time Family members promise to give their loyalty to the Family and its leadership above and before their own personal marriage and children.

Full-time Family members pledge obedience to their leaders and in particular to the leader of the Family, in preference to the interests of their own personal family.

There are a number of ways in which this belief is applied practically:

First, the temporary or permanent separation of married couples ‘for the sake of the work’. It is impossible to ascertain accurate statistics on the number of separations in the Family, but all long term Family members would have personal knowledge of couples who separated in order that one of the spouses might continue in a particular position of responsibility. In many instances this separation was accomplished via the direct intervention of leadership, in others one of the separating spouses was a leader him or herself.

Another application of the subservience of the marriage unit to the Family as a whole can be found in the copious official encouragement to engage in extra-marital sexual relations in order to foster ‘unity within the Home’. While all sexual relations are officially voluntary, there is immense pressure on individual members to engage in sex (‘share’) with other members. This pressure comes primarily from the Family’s own official publications, regarded as the word of God by every member, in which the benefits of and procedures for sexual ‘sharing’ are enumerated in great detail. There is no difference drawn between married and unmarried members in this regard, with the exception that married members have been encouraged to have unprotected sex (without using birth control, unless there is a medical reason for doing so), and unmarried members have been given the freedom to choose whether or not to use condoms.

Also, all adults in a Family Home are taught that they are to some extent responsible for the discipline of all the children that reside therein, regardless of who their natural family is. Parents do have ultimate authority over decisions affecting their own children’s lives, but this parental authority is subservient to the collective authority of the Home in which they are resident. So, all Home members regularly meet to discuss any behavioural problems or needs that any of the children may have. Any action taken must have the approval of the Home.

Another example of the subordination of marriage is found in the financial dependence of each family unit on their Home. In general, all finances and assets are considered Home property. While a family may apply to retain some of their income for a particular purpose, they do not have individual rights over items they bring to a Home. Thus, if a family joins a Home, bringing a vehicle, this is done with the understanding that the vehicle becomes ‘Home property’, and if this family decides to leave the Home, they may or may not be permitted to take the vehicle with them.

Past Family practices have also included a form of polygamy (known as a ‘threesome’), and there is provision in current Family regulations for a husband to take on an unmarried woman as a temporary de facto second spouse if she falls pregnant to him.

Clearly, one cannot get a true picture of the Family’s doctrines concerning marriage from reading their Statement of Faith.

Another point that must be clarified in this section is regarding the training of Family children. The Statement of Faith says that members “strive to impart to our children a deep appreciation, respect, and love for God and His Word”.

Unstated, however, is the fact that the “Word” referred to in this sentence usually means Family-produced materials, rarely Bible. Family children will memorise select Bible verses, but the vast majority of the “Word” they are taught is written by the Family’s publications unit specifically to teach children Family doctrines. Thus, young children read (as “Word time”) comics giving instructions on how to contact their own spirit helpers, or how to get their own prophecies etc. All Family children are taught that official Family publications are the ‘Word of God’ through which all else is to be understood. All Bible verses Family children read are filtered through Family publications.

Therefore, it would be closer to the truth to say that Family members “strive to impart” to their children a “deep appreciation, respect, and love for” their own publications, rather than the Bible.

Incomplete topic: Civil Government and Religious Liberty

Section 28 claims that the Family follows the scriptural admonitions to “be subject to the governing authorities”, yet there are a couple of points that must be made on this topic.

First, Family members believe that the Family itself is in effect a decentralised, de facto nation of which they are subjects. They note their unified belief system, culture, terminology and government, all of which are practically identical within the Family the world over. Loyalty belongs to the Family, not to the nation of which they are legally citizens.

Second, the Statement of Faith claims the liberty to “obey God rather than men”, but does not explain that this liberty is believed to extend itself to any and all areas of daily life. Any Family project can be considered a work of God and consequently may be operated without respect to law or community.

Third, the claimed subjection to local governing authorities is usually effected only when there is no other option. In general, Family members do not pay income tax unless they have been unable to avoid doing so. The officially promoted methods of raising money usually consist of hard-to-trace fundraising techniques such as the personal soliciting of donations or door-to-door sales.

Clearly, this section is overly abbreviated.

Incomplete Topic: the Fall of Man

The Statement of Faith briefly covers the fall of man resulting in our inherent sinful nature, following which the editors are content with a few general references. The 2004 Statement of Faith included a footnote warning against believers ‘willingly’ or ‘persistently’ sinning, however there was no definition given in the statement of what actually constitutes sin, and this footnote was removed for the 2009 edition.

Sin and morality is a separate issue from the regulations pertaining to Family membership, which are covered extensively in their ‘Charter of Rights and Responsibilities’. In other words, every organisation decides on a set of governing rules, whether it is a Christian church or a secular business. In the Family, that is the purpose of the Charter. A Statement of Faith, however, should describe the spiritual principles that form the foundation for the rules a church decides to accept. For a Christian, sin is something that is displeasing in God’s sight, something that separates the Christian from God, regardless of whether or not that particular action is legal in his or her country of residence.

It is true that some churches do not insert a list of sinful practices in their own Statement of Faith. This is because most churches take it for granted that its members accept the various ‘sin lists’ in the Bible. There is no need to define ‘murder’ or ‘theft’ as sin because these are clearly defined in the Bible as sin. Indeed, most Family members would agree that there is no real need to state categorically that ‘murder is sin’.

Unfortunately, at this point the Family’s belief system diverges from other churches in a subtle yet crucial manner. For example, although Family members would have no difficulty agreeing that murder is sin, most would dispute or qualify the statement that ‘adultery is sin’. This is due to the specific doctrines regarding sex in the Family, which are treated as ‘special dispensation’ for the Family, or ‘grace for the last days’, or simply a ‘matter for personal faith’. Likewise, any attempt to define specific sins in the Family would soon degenerate into a general discussion of ‘grace versus law’ or the ‘law of love’.

This is a doctrinal point in which the Family holds a dramatically different position from that of mainstream Christian churches, although the Statement of Faith gives no indication of that divergence. In fact, these are points which totally and permanently separate the Family from other churches.

This is where the Statement of Faith seems to be somewhat misleading. The impression is given that the Family is a small, Christian, albeit unconventional church. However, the redefinition of what is or is not pleasing in God’s sight goes immeasurably beyond the bounds of ‘unconventional Christian doctrine’. The doctrinal differences between the Family and mainstream Christianity when it comes to the definition of sin are absolutely irreconcilable.

Therefore the Statement of Faith, which purports to display the guiding doctrinal beliefs of the Family, if it is to be taken seriously, must address the issue of those items which are and are not considered to be ‘sin’. There are a number of ‘sin lists’ in both the Old and New Testaments, giving details of numerous actions which are displeasing to God. The Family considers some of these actions to apply to Family members, others are said to apply with certain qualifications, and yet others are completely dismissed.

Another example of the Family's disdain for the things are displeasing to God may be found in the section 'the Fruits of the Spirit.' "Christians," says the text, "should manifest the fruits of the Spirit as detailed in Scripture: love, joy, peace longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance," which is a quote from Galatians 5:22-23. However, very few Family members are aware that the same Bible passage also contains a strict warning not to practice "the deeds of the flesh," which are listed as being "immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these" (Gal 5:19-21 NASU). It is a sad fact that although the Family boasts about its love and joy, it also indulges systemically in practices which in Bible times would have been described as immorality, impurity, sensuality and sorcery.

Without a clear statement on what constitutes sin in the Family, this Statement of Faith cannot be taken as an accurate or honest document.

Unscriptural topic: Departed Spirits

Section 15 gives a brief justification of the Family’s practice of communicating with the “spirits of departed believers”. Unstated is the prevalence of this practice. In fact, the practice of ‘hearing from departed saints’ is officially sanctioned, energetically promoted and has become a mandatory belief for full-time Family members.

The paragraph in the Statement of Faith cites the Transfiguration and an incident in the book of Revelations to support this doctrine. However there are a number of specific Bible passages which forbid any such calling on the dead, and the message of the Transfiguration in fact gives no hint of condoning a practice so utterly condemned in the Old Testament. Moreover, the specific incidents in the book of Revelations have also been misinterpreted by the Family in order to give credence to a doctrine which must be categorically rejected as completely unscriptural.

The reason why this unscriptural doctrine has been so readily accepted among Family members is that most are almost completely ignorant of what the Bible actually contains. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the founder of the Family, who almost certainly wilfully and maliciously manipulated the scriptures in order to deceive his followers.

This web site examines the doctrine in detail, including analyses of the stories of the Transfiguration and the ‘messenger’ in Revelations.

Unscriptural topic: the ‘Keys of the Kingdom’

As mentioned above, this section is an addition to the 2004 version, which stated in the section ‘Spiritual Warfare’ that the ‘keys of the kingdom’ were a ‘powerful spiritual weapon’ that ‘soldiers in the Lord’s army’ should ‘learn to skilfully wield’.

This extra-biblical doctrine is viewed as a special revelation given solely to the Family as a reward for their complete consecration to the Lord. Although there is only one Scripture that mentions this phrase (Matt. 16:19), Family members see nothing unusual about believing that the keys of the kingdom are a spiritual reality, in the same manner that many Christians view the Bible to be a spiritual sword, based on Ephesians 6:17.

The Family, however, has taken this concept to far greater lengths, to the extent where the keys are seen as one of the most important revelations given by God to mankind in recent years. The keys are seen as a weapon with which to fight the attacks of Satan, yet the Family also believes them to be far more than that. The keys are thought to be divine in themselves, to be a manifestation of the word of God. They are seen as the power of God manifested in a new way, and as such have replaced the traditional role ascribed to the Holy Spirit by most Christian churches. Family members are taught the names of an enormous number of ‘keys’ which they use in prayer. For example, a Family member will pray, ‘I claim the keys of supply for our new car’, or ‘I claim the keys of healing for my headache’ and so on.

In short, the ‘keys of the kingdom’ have been given tremendous prominence in the Family’s doctrines of the Godhead, an important place in current Family teaching, and affects the way each Family member prays.

Note that the biblical foundation for this doctrine is examined in the page ‘The Keys of the Kingdom’.

Unscriptural topic: Jesus’ Law of Love

Section 29 summarises the Family’s reasoning behind their rejection of several Old Testament prohibitions. According to this doctrine, Jesus came to earth to release Christians from the Mosaic Old Testament laws with His “higher law” of love. Family doctrine holds that any action, when done in ‘love’ is “lawful in the eyes of God”.

In particular, this ‘law of love’ (according to the Family) negates the commandment against adultery, and any such Old Testament references to adultery or fornication, thus freeing adult Christians to engage in sexual relations with each other.

However, the truth is that the law of love cannot be used as license to disobey God’s explicit biblical commands, regardless of how ‘loving’ a Christian feels him or herself to be. Christians have been commanded to walk in love, to love another, to live with Christ’s love in us, yet at no time does this love give us the freedom to wilfully break God’s laws. God is truth and cannot change. The principle on which He formed the Mosaic law is His unchangeable eternal nature, of light and righteousness. When Jesus commanded us to be loving, He was indeed bringing us to a “higher law”, yet this was never to be at the expense of what God had already proclaimed as inherently sinful.

The section states that loving actions "are not intentionally hurtful to others" yet a direct result of the sexual aspects of the Family's teaching on the Law of Love has been the destruction of countless marriages, pressure on women to submit when raped by other Family members, the alleged abuse of children, and a tremendous number of single mothers/ fatherless children. The application of the Law of Love has been extremely "hurtful to others" if not by intent, then certainly by negligence.

See the ‘Law of Love in the Gospels’.

Unscriptural topic: Perspective on Sexuality

Section 30 touches on the application of the law of love to sexual matters. Interestingly, the 2004 Statement of Faith was titles "Theological Perspective on sexuality." Perhaps the word "theological" was deleted in recognition of the personal nature of the interpretations in this section. For example, although the Bible makes no such claim, the Family believes that sexuality is a "physical need." That is, according to the Family, sex is a "need" on the order of food, clothing and shelter. This is, of course, ludicrously untrue.

This brief section portrays human sexuality as “a natural emotional and physical need” which is “designed, ordained, and commanded by God”. Therefore, most Family members feel they are perfectly justified when they engage in "heterosexual relations" between "consenting adults of legal age." They feel no qualms about discarding the seventh commandment (“You shall not commit adultery” Exodus 20:14) or other Old Testament prohibitions against sexual licentiousness.

However, most Family members do not realise the number of times the New Testament condemns sexual sins, or even that Jesus Christ Himself listed adultery as sin. This doctrine is examined in full elsewhere on this site, including an examination of what Jesus said about adultery, and studies from Galatians, Corinthians and Thessalonians, and from other places in the New Testament.

Also deleted from the 2004 Statement of Faith was the clause that Family members may "interact sexually with other adults within the Family." In other words, the prohibition against sex with outsiders was removed from the Statement of Faith.

Likewise in section 22 "Consecration," Family members are exhorted to abstain from "illicit drugs, tobacco, or harmful substances" as well as refraining from "overindulging in the consumption of alcohol, or unhealthy food and beverages" (a 2009 addition). However, although the Bible is very clear that personal consecration necessarily includes sexual purity, the Family chooses to ignore and omit such biblical directives.

When section 23 "Non-conformity to the World" states that believers should "avoid pursuits and practices of secular society that are incompatible with Christianity, as well as conformity to worldly attitudes and values contrary to God's teachings," most Christians would understand that God's word teaches that sexual impurity is indeed "incompatible with Christianity". Family members, however, believe that the official writings of the founder of the Family and his successors are "God's teachings" which define the things that are compatible or incompatible with Christianity. The founder declared that sexual profligacy was a godly trait, and in so doing led his followers into sin.

Unscriptural topic: the Bride of Christ

Section 31 discusses the metaphorical image of Christ as the Bridegroom with His people as the bride. However, far from taking this as a picture of the love Christ has toward us, the Family believes this to be an actual reality of “intimate spiritual unity” between Christ and Christians, or more particularly, between Jesus and Family members.

Unstated in section 31 is the belief that this is no metaphor, and that the “loving union of heart, mind, and spirit” espoused in the Statement of Faith also includes physical sexual unity between individual Family members and Christ.

Thus, Family members have been officially encouraged to praise and worship Jesus through acts of masturbation or when having sex with another Family member. They are taught that Jesus Himself experiences the sexual pleasures when they do so.

This utterly unscriptural doctrine is covered in the studies on ‘Marriage’, and ‘Married to Each Other’.

Conclusion

The Statement of Faith as a document explaining the Family’s position on key issues is seriously flawed. A number of doctrines essential for Family membership are completely omitted. Some doctrines are written so as to appear as though they conform to mainstream Christianity in an apparent attempt to hide decidedly unorthodox views. Other doctrines are included that can be described as completely unbiblical or even blatantly sinful.

It is probably true that the Family’s Statement of Faith is used more as a public relations tool than as a summary of the actual scriptural beliefs of its own members.

Therefore, it cannot be said that the Statement of Faith is complete, accurate or honest.

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