How Did Children of God Members Support Themselves?
There was a lot of humiliation involved
Someone recently asked me how members of the cult, The Children of God, supported themselves. Here is my answer:
In the Children of God, having a regular job was considered a waste of time. True believers needed to dedicate all of their time to doing “the Lord’s work” — not working for money. The Bible says, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24) “Mammon” means wealth or money. This verse was believed to indicate that disciples should not work for money, but instead spend all of their time “working for God,” a vague catch-all that included whatever each day’s survival entailed — as well as the required two-hours of reading cult publications.
Jesus told his disciples to take no thought about their futures nor their physical needs for food, clothing, etc., as God would provide for them. (Matthew 6:25–34) This is what Children of God disciples believed and followed. When there was a lack of money, the fact that no one had jobs was never considered, but rather members were told it was their own fault — it was because they had either displeased the Lord or were lacking in faith for God to supply their needs.
Having jobs would have allowed members to thrive, grow as individuals, and even develop…
