Is The Family International a Christian cult, or a pagan-like organization?
In another post there was mentioning of the term 'psychic vampire', which is a generic way to describe people who suck 'energy' from others. This 'energy' extraction takes place through manipulation and is manifested in a form of dependence, of feeling bad after interaction with the 'vampire', of feeling guilty that some unknown imminent threats.
There are psychological explanations but there are also pagan explanations. In fact, I came across something called christian-wicca, which sounded very much like the salad demon clan that hovers over TFI.
Most or all of us would not think of our initial inclinations, bible memorization and quoting, witnessing, and the general basic teachings we received when we first joined as being something pagan. We might even probably oppose that view but Berg was already writing some of his pagan ideas down. Even with the 'old church - new church' letter had indications of pagan doctrines obvious to anybody familiar with rites of passage: nakedness, submission, sex.
It would be untrue to say that Berg did not push the bible but it would also be equally false to say that Berg did not include a strong dose of pagan ideas which didn’t start with his visit to Madame M in London, or to the gypsy camp and Abrahim possessing him. He carried pagan beliefs even as he was in Huntington Beach planning to use his own family to build his empire.
Just because The Family International has some christian-like beliefs they do not make them Christian. We were being duped and slowly being brought to acquire a set of pagan beliefs, as current members are. The Family International is more like a christian-wicca coven.
Disclaimer: I am not passing judgment on any Christians or Wicca practitioners as a religion. I am only making a statement that the set of beliefs in TF disqualifies it as Christian and classifies them as pagan.