Our Mission Statement

RISE International works to protect children from abuse in cults. We advocate for children's rights and support those who seek justice for crimes committed against them while growing up in these groups.

More About Us
RISE International works to raise awareness amongst the public, government and charity organizations over the dangers and difficulties children face growing up in cults.

We provide a unique perspective on the potential dangers and challenges faced by those born into and/or raised in cults or 'High Demand Organizations' (HDOs). We hold that for HDOs to gain credibility, they must be transparent with their internal guidelines and policies and must ensure a child protection policy is instituted and practiced. RISE actively campaigns for justice for those who were abused and violated as children in cults and champions the rights of children as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We believe that children have an equal right to:

Quote:

'Freedom of expression' and 'the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds…. ' Education that allows them to develop their personality and talents to their fullest potential, and prepares them for 'responsible life in free society in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples.

Children should be protected 'from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.

(from UN Rights of the Child)

A balance must be found between protecting the right to religious freedom, while at the same time protecting children from damaging or criminal behavior that is justified by religious doctrine. While we recognize that parents and guardians have certain rights, including the right of religious freedom, those rights must not be exercised in a manner that violates the inherent rights of children as set out in the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.

For more information, please go to http://www.riseinternationalcic.org/

Michael Krasny talks with Don Lattin, journalist and author of "Jesus Freaks: A True Story of Murder and Madness on the Evangelical Edge." Lattin covered religion for the San Francisco Chronicle for two decades.

Because Mom spent an eternity outside on the balcony, just out of pellet-gun range, chatting with a strange old man in a brown blazer whom I later found out was a recruiter for The Family-- formerly known as the Children of God.

Because Mom spent an eternity outside on the balcony, just out of pellet-gun range, chatting with a strange old man in a brown blazer whom I later found out was a recruiter for The Family-- formerly known as the Children of God.

Here's a package of eight music videos from the Children of God, the notorious, apocalyptic sex-cult. Toe tappers like "Watch out for 666!" and "20 Minutes to Go!" show in hilarious detail what will happen in the "last days." See the anti-Christ put barcodes on everyone's foreheads! See atomic war stock footage! See Christians persecuted by the one-world government! See what happens when delusional paranoids make music videos!

And when the videos are not filling empty-headed idiots with apocalyptic visions, it is proudly extolling the virtues of being a hussy for Christ! The Children of God cult is most famous for its practice of "flirty fishing," where the women of the cult were pimped out for the lord. The policy of fucking people into the arms of the Christ ended in the late 1980's, but the spirit lived on, as demonstrated in videos like "Fire and Ice!" and "Why is that Tear in Your Eye?" You will note that there is much, much more physical teen affection in these videos than would be expected in any other "Christian" video. All the sweaty make-out sessions are accompanied by unbearable Christian rock that would make even the most virile man limp as a platter of Jello.

And when they're not being carnal for Christ, they're providing ludicrous visions of heaven and hell. One video is a hilarious peek into what these losers believe heaven will be like: "I never felt so happy before," exclaims the vacuous little girl. "Everyone is so pretty! So much to see! That flower smiled at me!" Uggg. They even wear capes and fly (!). Spending eternity with these unimaginative boobs is enough to terrify me more than 100 burning hells.

And hell, for some inexplicable reason, is located "Behind the Green Door." (?) It also has a terrifying lack of scantily clad women and cloud make-out sessions.

The System

The Children of God came in at number 7, right between the Unification Church and the Ku Klux Klan on this "Top 10 cults" list.