Editing The Family International (section)

=== The Family International (2004–present) ===

The Love Charter is The Family's set governing document that entails each member's rights, responsibilities and requirements, while the ''Missionary Member Statutes'' and ''Fellow Member Statutes'' were written for the governance of TFI's Missionary member and Fellow Member circles, respectively. FD Homes were reviewed every six months against a published set of criteria. The Love Charter increased the number of single family homes as well as homes that relied on jobs such as self-employment.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Gary |last1=Shepherd |first2=Gordon |last2=Shepherd |date=August 2005 |title=Accommodation and Reformation in the Family/Children of God |journal=[[Nova Religio]] |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=67–92 |doi=10.1525/nr.2005.9.1.067}}</ref>

==== Recent teachings ====
TFI's recent teachings are based on beliefs which they term the "new [spiritual] weapons". TFI members believe that they are soldiers in the [[spiritual warfare|spiritual war]] of [[conflict between good and evil|good versus evil]] for the souls and hearts of men.

==== Spirit Helpers ====
"Spirit Helpers" include [[angel]]s, other religious and mythical figures, and departed humans, including celebrities; for example the goddess [[Aphrodite]], the Snowman, [[Merlin]], the [[Sphinx]], [[Elvis]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pubs.xfamily.org/text.php?t=3059 |title=Pre-Release of "Who Said They're Dead?" Part 1 |website=The xFamily.org Publications Database |date=April 3, 2003 |access-date=2016-07-24 |archive-date=January 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106041340/http://pubs.xfamily.org/text.php?t=3059 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Marilyn Monroe]], [[Audrey Hepburn]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pubs.xfamily.org/text.php?t=3060 |title=Pre-Release of "Who Said They're Dead?" Part 2 |website=The xFamily.org Publications Database |date=April 3, 2003 |access-date=2016-07-24 |archive-date=January 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106041337/http://pubs.xfamily.org/text.php?t=3060 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Richard Nixon]], and [[Winston Churchill]].

==== The Keys of the Kingdom ====
TFI believes that the Biblical passage "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19), refers to an increasing amount of spiritual authority that was given to [[Saint Peter|Peter]] and the [[First disciples of Jesus|early disciples]]. According to TFI beliefs, this passage refers to keys that were hidden and unused in the centuries that followed, but were again revealed through Karen Zerby as more power to pray and obtain miracles. TFI members call on the various Keys of the Kingdom for extra effect during prayer. The Keys, like most TFI beliefs, were published in magazines that looked like comic-books in order to make them teachable to children.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.xfamily.org/docs/fam/mlk/mlk_190.pdf |title=Using The Keys Part 1 |website=archive.xfamily.org |access-date=2016-07-24 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073228/http://archive.xfamily.org/docs/fam/mlk/mlk_190.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Loving Jesus ====
"Loving Jesus" is a term TFI members use to describe their intimate, sexual relationship with [[Jesus]]. TFI describes its "Loving Jesus" teaching as a radical form of [[bridal theology]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefamily.org/dossier/statements/lj.htm |title=About The Family International |website=The Family International |access-date=2016-07-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429093717/http://www.thefamily.org/dossier/statements/lj.htm |archive-date=2009-04-29 }}</ref> They believe the church of followers is Christ's bride, called to love and serve him with wifely fervor; however, this bridal theology is taken further, encouraging members to imagine Jesus is joining them during [[sexual intercourse]] and [[masturbation]]. Male members are cautioned to visualize themselves as women, in order to avoid a homosexual relationship with Jesus. Many TFI publications, and spirit messages claimed to be from Jesus himself, elaborate this intimate, sexual relation they believe Jesus desires and needs. TFI imagines itself as his special "bride" in graphic poetry, guided visualizations, artwork,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xfamily.org/index.php?title=File:Tamar_558.jpg&filetimestamp=20050609225658 |title=File:Tamar 558.jpg – XFamily – Children of God |website=XFamily |access-date=2016-07-24 |archive-date=February 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214214255/http://www.xfamily.org/index.php?title=File:Tamar_558.jpg&filetimestamp=20050609225658 |url-status=live }}</ref> and songs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/Loving_Jesus_album |title=Loving Jesus album – XFamily – Children of God |website=XFamily |date=2008-06-11 |access-date=2016-07-24 |archive-date=October 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026155628/http://xfamily.org/index.php/Loving_Jesus_album |url-status=live }}</ref> Some TFI literature is not brought into conservative countries for fear it may be classified at customs as pornography.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/Love_words_to_Jesus |title=Love words to Jesus – XFamily – Children of God |website=XFamily |date=2008-09-12 |access-date=2016-07-24 |archive-date=October 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026125532/http://xfamily.org/index.php/Love_words_to_Jesus |url-status=live }}</ref> The literature outlining this view of Jesus and his desire for a sexual relationship with believers was edited for younger teens,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/Loving_Jesus#For_minors |title=Loving Jesus – XFamily – Children of God |website=XFamily |date=2012-03-16 |access-date=2016-07-24 |archive-date=February 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204042746/http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/Loving_Jesus#For_minors |url-status=live }}</ref> then further edited for children.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.xfamily.org/docs/fam/mlk/mlk_168.pdf |title=Mlk 168 |website=archive.xfamily.org |access-date=2016-07-24 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054606/http://archive.xfamily.org/docs/fam/mlk/mlk_168.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>