The Family International - Flirty Fishing and the Theology of Abuse

In this unflinching episode of *Children of God: Faith, Abuse, and a Cult Unraveled*, host Ava Grey meticulously traces how David Berg's self-proclaimed prophetic authority enabled him to construct a systematic theology of sexual exploitation—from the deceptively named "Law of Love" and the institutionalized sexual recruitment practice of "flirty fishing" to the doctrinally sanctioned abuse of children within the movement. Drawing from the group's own published writings, court documents, and decades of survivor testimony, Ava Grey dismantles the precise mechanisms of progressive boundary dissolution, coercive control, and scriptural manipulation that transformed ordinary believers into participants in abuse on a global scale. This essential episode illuminates the recognizable patterns by which absolute authority corrupts and accountability is destroyed—a critical listen for anyone seeking to understand cult dynamics, spiritual abuse, and the enduring courage of survivors who found the words to name what was done to them. Loved this episode? Discover more original shows from the Quiet Please Network at QuietPlease.ai, explore our curated favorites here amzn.to/42YoQGI, and catch just a slice of our AI hosts in action on Instagram at instagram.com/claredelish and YouTube at youtube.com/@DIYHOMEGARDENTV This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.