Date: Thu, 29 Feb 1996 00:02:57 EST

From: Larry Horn LHORN[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]YALEVM.CIS.YALE.EDU

Subject: Re: child of god



In response to Beth's query,





Is the assertion, "I'm a Child of God" new? Does it mean baptized?

Reborn? Is it limited to Protestants? Subgroups of Protestants?

Is it only American?



The Children of God were a cult group, a Christian sect with as I recall

rather idiosyncratic doctrines and practices, back in the '70's. My memory of

them is mostly due to a linguist friend who linked up with them and then

died under somewhat mysterious circumstances, so I might be being

uncharitable, although I should acknowledge that I don't trust even mainstream

religious groups all than much. "Child of God" sounds like a back-formation

to me, but then that would be the singular, wouldn't it? I don't know if the

asserter in question was in fact (purporting to be) a member of this group or

just meant s/he was in fact a (lower-case) child of God.



Larry