- FREECOG
FREECOG, or Free the
Children of God , originally named The Parents' Committee to Free Our Children from the Children of God, was an anti-cult group which was founded in1971 . FREECOG eventually merged with theCult Awareness Network , which is now owned by theChurch of Scientology .Overview
FREECOG was the first organized "anti-cult" group, formed in large part in response to the total commitment required by the Children of God. One of the founders of FREECOG is
Ted Patrick , widely considered the "Father ofDeprogramming ".FREECOG accused the Children of God of
brainwashing and used various methods includingconservatorship anddeprogramming to counter the group. By the mid 1970s, as the Children of God and othernew religious movement s grew and expanded around the world, a wider anti-cult movement developed in North America, Western Europe, and elsewhere. In the early 1980s many of the parent groups merged into what became known as theCult Awareness Network , which is now owned by theChurch of Scientology .ThankCOG
In response to FREECOG, a smaller group called ThankCOG (Thankful Parents & Friends of the Children of God) emerged, founded by parents of Children of God members who were pleased that their children had found religion and were free from drugs.
References
* [http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/FREECOG FREECOG on xFamily.org] , a
wiki about theChildren of God See also
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
