This video was horrifying to say the least. When this catastrophe was mentioned in class I did not know what we were referring to, now I do, and I understand the conversation we had. Not to mention I was appalled that these tragedies happened in the 1960’s or a little later. The civil rights movements, Vietnam, and other factors play a part in this, however realizing what people would turn to for salvation in surprising (I am not sure surprising is the word for this). This man, Jim Jones, formed a group (The of People’s Temple) on false hope of a promise land. He was manipulative, abusive, and (let’s face) crazy! He promised Christian socialism within this acting crowd and soon people started to show his dark side. That public opinion forced them to move. One thousand people migrated with this man, who believed in him and a paradise. Torture, abuse, and fear is what he used to control this committed crowd he abused their faith in him and that is putting it mildly. I watched this twice because I couldn’t believe what I saw the 1st time. At the end of this was the real areal footage of the mass suicide, I will not lie I cried. Religion and faith should not have an outcome of children being murdered, it should not have an outcome of people being forced to go against their instincts. When certain individuals want to leave but are too scared to do so, that is a sign that whatever group that was formed is a toxic environment. Do I blame the people for choosing this life in the first place? This question is what I kept asking myself while watching this. It may sound harsh and unfair, but I really had to think about it. The answer that came to mind after deliberating was no, I don’t blame them. I feel as though they were looking for a way out not an easy route but something they could believe in that was solid and true. Like one man said they were working for something they believed in and the line kept being pushed and pushed. The rumors that spread made a congressman and a few concerned family members to go to Jonestown to investigate which in turn set into motion the mass suicide because of Jim Jone’s deteriorating control on reality. His son stated that his drug use was getting worse and each day Jone’s came closer and closer to killing himself. Jones used propaganda to shape a new reality for the people and when November 18th came he used it to tell them that the children shouldn’t be alive when the plane crashes and they parachute over them. He was trying to convince the followers that the children should die to achieve true tranquility. This moral panic he brought out in people contributed to the mass suicide that took place on November 18th. He held so much control over their lives by instilling fear and panic in their souls that they walked on egg shells every day. Little did they know that the social change they brought into their lives would be a deadly mistake. Rest in peace for all of those who passed that day, my brain still cannot wrap around this. Slimjim789
SLimJim, I cried as well. I could not believe what I was hearing, since I had never heard of this before class either. When they said that the children were the first to be administered the cyanide/tranquilizer mixture, I lost it. You mention that he was mentally ill, and his son attested to the fact that he was on drugs as well. This combination is scientifically proven to be dangerous in certain situations. As someone who deals with mental illness, I was told to tread very carefully if I were to ever indulge in that activity because it could affect me in a different way. What is even worse, is that Jones knew he was in the wrong, so he knew he was murdering those people. He knew he was a fraud and that he could not actually provide these people with the promise land. It is infuriating that he subjected his false reality onto these people. He could not even bear to die in the same way that he had killed the townspeople. He had someone else shoot him. His son did not even mourn his death. I agree that it was quite horrifying and I won’t be able to get these images out of my head. Catzfuhdays789
I will agree I also was flabbergasted what I was hearing. I remember the first time I heard of this I was in high school and now I having children of my own I feel so upset. What kind of monster doesn't want life for his children or children in general. I feel that Jim Jones was most likely suffering from a mental illness that he was trying to cover up by using drugs. He also knew how to get people where he wanted them. So to his advantage he moved out of America knowing people would follow him. Doing so he had more of an advantage to use the people for what he needed. He was known for physical and sexual abuse. He most definitely was a fraud. As time passed he realized people seen he was a fraud and did not fulfill the promise he made to deliver the promise land. Honestly if my father did these horrible things I don't think I could mourn over his death either. I mean could you imagine being a survive of that. It gave me goosebumps kind of like when you hear about the survives of the Holocaust. -Gander789
I have seen this video before, one with my uncle. We both a strong believers in the bible, and we came across a scriptures of Jesus warning people about false prophet who will claim to be God or Jesus, himself but not to believe them because when he comes the whole world will know it. I was only 18, when I first watched this. Back then I would ask myself "how can people be so stupid into following a man who was crazy" After watching it a second time, years later...I get it. There's certain tactics put into play to make people believe whatever you want them to believe. Fear is a very strong tactic. SLimJim, you asked yourself do you blame them for being there? My 18 year old self asked and answered that question. Now, as a person who believes in the Bible, I only wonder did these people truly believe in the message of God preached by the man or was it the belief in the man alone? It's truly sad...coming from a believers point of view and from a person just watching the video. OMiE789
I also was crying on most parts of the video. He agreed that kids should be alive when one of the ladies brought up children but what does Jim Jones do, he kills the children first before the parents. He really had some sort of mental illness or he was a psychopath, what person kills over 900 people without being mentally ill? Also the people looked up to him because they thought he was a very religious man but little did they know. I just couldn't imagine for the 2 people who survived how that tragedy would have brought so much trauma and maybe PTSD for them. Because I know, I wouldn't be able to sleep or eat for a very long time. Ria789
I am really surprised that I have not heard anything about this happening until now. This video depicted a very mortifying and saddening time in history. This video shows the public what all really happened the week of Jim Jones' mass cult suicide, starting with all hell breaking loose because people were starting to get suspicious of abuse and neglect of the people. he called it a mass suicide, however it was murder Jim Jones was an Evangelical preacher in 1977 who fled from California with a thousand followers to Guyana in South Africa. There, he created "The People's Temple", a place of Christian socialism. There was no means of communication to the outside world once they were there, and they were not allowed to leave. If anyone mentioned wanting to leave their lives were threatened, it simply was not an option. He made one exception when he let fifteen people leave to meet a plan that would take them home. However, he had it set up so that the pilot would be shot along with all of the other passengers. Eleven people were wounded including the pilot, and five people were killed in that incident. November 18th, 1978 was referred to as the day the dream died, that was the day Jim Jones killed 914 people. Most were poisoned with cyanide Kool-Aid, a lot were also slaughtered, very few went into hiding rather than going to the meeting when the final "White Knight" extreme emergency meeting was called. He used this to call extreme emergency meetings as well as keep control over all of those people and instill fear in them as well. Something that surprised me was that people were leaving their children behind in South Africa when they left to go back home. There was a specific story of a man who had a four-year-old African American child. He did not want to take him back to the United States because interracial dating and mating was not socially accepted at this time and neither were African Americans as a whole. His child would more than likely face a very hard life and he did not want that for his son. I think that regardless of the circumstances that are to follow in the U.S. I would still take my child with me. I do not think I could live with knowing my child was a part of that and is no longer alive. The man admits towards the end of the video that he does feel guilt and remorse for his decision and for his son. It has been an everyday factor in his life ever since. Speaking from a religious standpoint, I would say this was an act of pure evil. I do not think it was religion that drove Jim Jones to do all of this, however. Like his son said, I also believe that he probably suffered from severe mental illness that started very early on in his life which went untreated. It was obvious he had a hard time controlling his anger as well. He definitely was not in the right state of mind to be a ruler over people.White789
Same here, I never hear anything about this tragedy until we discussed it in class. When it got to the point with the man leaving his only son behind because of fear of racial discrimination and social outcasts he might receive crushed me. The fact that fear separated him and his son forever must have created the most devastating feeling in the world for him. I too agree that he had to have had a mental or psychological disorder/ disease that compelled him to completing such a horrific massacre. But not only him but his closest followers that helped him in killing all of his followers. Cassiopia789
Part 1: This video was honestly kind of hard to watch. After viewing the video, I felt uneasy. It was about a man, Jim Jones, who formed a cult called the People’s Temple. He joined them together preaching love and a promise land. They moved to Guyana, with the next closest town of Georgetown, although the settlement, which they named Jonestown, was very secluded in miles of forest. They were promised this sort of safe haven, where they were working towards the common cause. What they got, however, was a prison. At group meetings, some townspeople would guard the meetings, gun facing inward instead of outward. Some people did notice this, but most people didn’t seem to care. Jim Jones, as told by his son, was both mentally ill and abusing drugs. This type of leader knew he was in the wrong, but did not want anyone else to know it. However, his followers called him “Father” and believed in his preaching, also going along with the rest of the group members. The video tells of the days leading up to the tragic end of Jonestown. The beginning of the end began when Congressman Ryan came to investigate claims of abuse, including leaders taking your children or the threat of death on exit. He brought a small delegation, including family members and NBC. One man, Sherwin, came to see his daughter, Leann. There were no means of communication for Jonestown, other than a radio line to their halfway house in Georgetown, so visiting was the only way to contact them. Sherwin’s wife was actually the leader of the halfway house. Back in Jonestown, the Basketball team was one of the only selection of members allowed to leave for a game rivaling a team in Georgetown. Jones’ son was on the team and did not know why his father was anxious about his leaving at first. Congressman Ryan showed up to the halfway house around when Jones’ son did. At first, the radio line was the only way he was able to communicate with Jones. The lack of communication and miles of forest tipped Ryan off to the inaccessibility as well as difficulty level for those trying to leave. After the Congressman’s arrival, Jones called a “white night,” which is a distress call for emergencies and ordered the basketball team to come back. Catzfuhdays789
Part 2: He knew that things were tense and he could sense that some people did not want to stay; he was losing control. Jones’ son refused to come back, however, sensing the tension as well. When the Congressman went to Jonestown, a few people revealed their hopes to leave. Ryan promised they would be granted seats on the plane returning to the states. One man even left his son in Jonestown, which he thought he was protecting from American racism. I know he thought he was doing the right thing, but in his situation, if he could feel the danger that he was in, why didn’t he bring his son as well? Racism is not fair to subject to someone, no, but at least he would be alive. This surprised me a little bit and this is when everything went downhill. When Ryan talked to Jones before he left, a member held him at the throat with a knife, before he escaped to the truck leaving the settlement. When they got to the plane, Jones had sent a small group to gun down the defectors as well as the delegation that accompanied Ryan. Most were shot, but some did manage to get away into the tree line. Back in Jonestown, Jones radioed Georgetown, ordering to “get revenge” on the families of the delegation, which included Leann and Sherwin’s wife, and which Jones’ son knew meant for them to kill themselves. He left out of confusion and fear. Sherwin’s wife killed the children of the home as well as her daughter and herself. What kind of loyalty do you have to do to do something like this? This was horrifying to watch and it only got worse. In the settlement, Jones mixed together a mixture of cyanide and tranquilizers in a soft drinks, gave one last “white night” call, and dispersed the mixture to the members around him. I cried when I watched the children being forced to ingest the soft drinks. What is even worse, is that Jones could not even kill himself the way he has murdered the townspeople. He had someone shoot him in the head. The people thought they were going to a promise land, but really they had been murdered and lead by a drugged out man. Catzfuhdays789
The first time I heard about Jim Jones I was in my high school sociology class. It’s crazy how I don’t remember everything. I didn’t realize people were forced to drink the poison if they still refused they would be injected. As his son states his father was nuts and a drug addict. Looking now I believe he could have been suffering from a mental illness. He did not have a sense of reality. In the late 1960’s America was in an uproar during the Civil Rights Movement. This is when Jim Jones came alive. People said he was a Civil Rights leader. He formed a temple, he gave the people what they wanted and needed to hear. He was so worshiped they even called him father. Soon allegations started up that Jones was abusing, drugging and brainwashing his followers. In 1977, Jim Jones and 1000 of his follower fled America to Guyana in South America. The concept was to build a new world. They soon built what was called Jonestown by Georgetown. Leslie Wagner-Wilson was 19 when she moved to Guyana with her family.“We all are looking for a place to fit into the world. We're looking for love. We're looking for acceptance. And Jim Jones provided that,” she said. Everyone thought they finally met paradise but the abuse kept happening. People tried to escape but were beaten. It didn’t take long for some followers to grow disenchanted. They worked long days in the fields and failed to get enough food. "Jonestown was described as this paradise, and it was not,” Wagner-Wilson said. "As some time wore on, I realized there was no future in Jonestown.” In November 1978, U.S. Rep. Leo Ryan of California flew to Guyana to investigate claims that People’s Temple members were being held against their will. He arrived with a group of staff, journalists and worried relatives of Jonestown residents. After Congress Ryan showed up Jim’s paranoia grew worse. His son and the basketball team went to Georgetown to play ball. He received a message from his father that they needed to come home but Stephen said no. He talked to the Congress telling him there was nothing to worry about. When Congress got to Jonestown they were greeted to a sign that said, “Greetings People Temple Agricultural Project. While Congress was there people started passing notes saying they wanted to leave the People Temple. One man worried for his life fled and had to leave his 4 year old son behind. As they were leaving a man tried to cut Congress Ryan he realized that he was in danger and had to leave. When they were a boarding the plane Congress Ryan was shot and killed along with about 12 others. Back at the commune, Jones gathered his followers for a final sermon. "We've had as much of this world as you're going to get,” he can be heard saying in an audio recording. “Let's just be done with it. Let's be done with the agony of it." He then ordered his followers to drink a cyanide-spiked punch. More than 900 people died, about 300 of them children. "We know from autopsies conducted later that a considerable number of people were held and forcibly injected with poison,” A reporter said. It was said that day was the biggest loss of American civilian life until 9/11. Gander- 789
I agree he was suffering from something, probably what we would describe now as “mental illness”. Yes it was mentioned in the documentary by the journalist that Jim Jones was answering questions and then began to rant about and wasn’t making any sense. This was concerning to the man because Jim Jones had all of these people’s lives in his hands. I would like to believe that Jim Jones started something with great intentions but as we can clearly things didn’t go as planned. Steven Jones stated that these people that either drank the poison or were injected were demoralized, malnourished and exhausted people. They definitely had no compass on what was reality anymore. His son Steven was very blessed or lucky (however you choose to look at it), that he wasn’t present that day. Because he said himself that he had a strong will to live, but he isn’t so sure that he wouldn’t have been overcome and died that day. I didn’t catch that a reporter said it was the largest loss of American life until 9/11 that is so sad and disheartening and frankly makes me feel ill. I can’t image how the people who hid that day felt coming outside the next day and see all of the people were deceased. I think would torment you for the rest of your life. May they all rest in peace.
I think that the problem comes from the fact that ones he started to see that there was people following him and listening to his words and started to feel real taste of power things started to deteriorate and the abuses started to become more like his own fantasy and his own definition of paradise or even to believe that it was its own piece of heaven. the fact the he started to become irrational and making no sense could have been that he actually sick mentally and the pressure that the media was giving him about all the reports of abuse did no good to his mind and just decided to give them a lesson as way of retaliation for sticking their nose in to his business. Sadly all these poor children and people where mas murdered. Koi789
I can agree with you that he probably had some sort of mental illness, I do not think that anyone in their right mind would do any of the things that Jim Jones did. It probably began when he was a lot younger and then progressively got worse because it went untreated and for so long. I am sure the fact that he did a lot of drugs had something to do with the progression of his illness as well. Both of these factors make sense when you think about how little control he had over his emotions, especially his anger, and his disconnection to society and other individuals. He was doing this not only to strangers from his community, but also people he knew well, his own son was one of them in fact. It is just so mind boggling to me, but I also had no idea that this happened until we started talking about it in our class. I also thought it was crazy that Jim Jones tried to pass this off as a "mass suicide", it seems a little far-fetched that 900 people would commit suicide because one person told them to. I could see these people doing it due to the fear that Jim instilled in them, but that does not make it suicide.White789
Jim Jones – Charisma, Cult and Confusion….. This documentary was very difficult to watch. Suicide is a sensitive subject for me as my aunt and uncle both committed suicide. Jim Jones was as Evangelical preacher that started his congregation in California and quickly moved to South America to flee from accusations of abuse from former members of his congregation. Congressmen Ryan tried to meet with Jim Jones a year prior to the actual meeting; it’s unfortunate that Ryan and others didn’t realize how dangerous going to Jonestown was going to be. They knew things were not right there but they underestimated Jim Jones and his mental instability. I think Jim Jones definitely took advantage of what had been occurring in the late 1960’s, the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War protests. These events made people question lots of things in their lives and government, Jim Jones was there to make promises that he wouldn’t be able to keep. He definitely did a disservice to religion as a whole. I’m sure that over the years since then, religious people have questioned the motives of their preacher. I think that people in general might be paying more attention to make sure that they don’t fall victim to a preacher or a church that is being ran like a cult. He must have been a very convincing man, because I just don’t understand why 1000 people would leave with him willing and go leave everything they had ever know including family. It seems so unrealistic to me that I or anyone I know would fall such promises of “Christian Socialism” or a “Paradise”. I think his son Steven said it best, that his father had the ability to produce whatever his people needed to hear. He was a con-artist and using the church and religion as his platform. He chose Guyana, South America in the middle of a jungle because it was the perfect place to remain in control of his people at all times. One of the members that were interviewed stated that he wanted to leave as soon as he and his son arrived. He knew that wasn’t an option, he realized very quickly that he had made a terrible decision by going there. He used “white knight” which meant extreme emergency, and it created fear amongst the people. He was viewed as their protector and “Father” so they believed anything he said. And if you truly didn’t believe him, unfortunately there was no way out of the compound that had been created by “the people”. Fifteen brave people spoke out that they no longer wanted to be at the compound, I’m sure there were more but they were too scared to come forward. And too brain washed to leave, I think they had actually become ill themselves because they were subjected to Jim Jones all of the time. It was very difficult for me to watch all of the people feeding this poison to their children and then people fighting against the mission and not wanting to die. In that situation they injected the people with the poison. So horrific to watch and then knowing this isn’t a movie this really occurred in our history and it wasn’t that long ago. I definitely think this wasn’t a mass suicide this was a mass murder at the hands of a very sick and twisted man named Jim Jones. He most defiantly should be in hell forever for the things that he did.
Jim Jones is the reason that we had to learn the difference between a religion a sect. He masquerades behind religion, using it to draw people in, using it as a powerful tool to keep people under his control, when in fact his 'Christian Socialist Paradise' is neither Christian, nor Socialist. He took both religion and politics and used these Agents of Socialization to draw in like minded people unsatisfied with the current system which- it was the sixties. Revolution and rebellion fed the people like mother's milk. Then he used those two things to twist people to his own personal idea of what the world should be. He turned it into a Dictatorship. He became the 'father' of all these lost children, to the point that now, they couldn't so much as take a step outside the front door without Daddy's permission. They thought they were pursuing something great, because he told them they were pursuing something great. Much like any abusive situation, he started with a low heat, started out sounding like he was perfect for them, started out healing broken legs and telling them what they wanted to hear. What's the betting that the beating didn't start until everyone was so invested that they were signing over their own property, even their own children to Father dearest? He was a cult leader, indoctrinating them, pushing them slowly into a prison that they couldn't escape. Soon, he had some so deep that mothers were killing their children. Mothers, slitting their daughters throats. This man persuaded a woman to do that, twisted her mind to that point. He put the fear of God into a man to the point that he left his little boy behind just so he could get out and save himself. How did he do this? Some people think it was a mixture of the drugs, the blind passion for their cause, the mob mentality that got them all mixed up in it. The sheer charisma of their leader. I think it was the fact that in a vulnerable time, people start looking for help, and he offered a better way. A way out. People want so badly to believe in something. Faith is a strong, ineffable thing, and he brought together faith, social conditioning, politics, and total isolation from the rest of the world. To the point where they had nothing else to believe. Nothing else to influence them. No magazines with Rockstars on them, no family to shake them out of it, no schools to educate them, no government, there was only Jim Jones, and what Jim Jones had to say. I very strongly believe that was at least partly why his son got out. Because at least the basketball team spent some time travelling away from home, so he had some other influences in his life. Jim Jones was a sick man, and if he were really a Christian, he would've read the book, and he'd know that according to the bible suicide lands you right in the bad place, where I firmly believe he belongs.
There are quite few good points here. I think that the distinction between a cult and religion is important to recognize. One of the many differences between a cult and a religion is that religions are often pretty innocent and constructive in nature, they may find strength in times of conflict, but they don’t necessarily feed off of it, this cult however, does. The Peoples’ Temple was a beast that fed off of the conflict that it faced, becoming more insular and more radical the further it was driven. The sheer isolation of these people from outside influences was an important aspect of this isolated community that should not be understated. In a society extreme enough to leave their homes and family behind just to follow their leader, where are you going to find anyone who doesn’t agree with him? Jim Jones was a mentally unstable man with a number of psychological problems, and a knack for manipulating others. People gave their lives, piece by piece to his cult and its doctrine of irrational fear and authoritarian rule. He sought to create a little world in the palm of his hand that he could control, and chose to take that world with him when it was threatened to be taken away. -SoarSore789
Part One 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.(Matthew 7:15-20) Though this is a horrific event, and doesn’t really put a lot of faith on those who believe in the Holy Scriptures…this video doesn’t shock me. I’m a believer in the Truth of the Bible, and I don’t consider myself a Christian or a follower of any religion. From learning more and more about The Truth of the Bible, I noticed a lot of things that happens into of church doesn’t truly line up with the Word of the Most High. However, the Bible warns us about false prophets and we will know them by the fruits that they bare…and from watching this video, we can see that Jim Jones fruit wasn’t good. According to the video, he seemed to be very glued to the view of how the world viewed him and his teaching compared to looking to the scriptures and having that correct him. I don’t mean to preach, but being a believer seeing things like this truly upset me because it places a false identity of what being a believer truly looks like and how we should act towards other people. Jones, being a preacher suffered from the heaviest responsibility, according to the Bible, he would be responsible for every life that he led astray. The people of Jonestown followed a man, who hid behind a false religion, politics and the agents of socialization, to lure them into a deep dark hole and they believed he was the light. I believe Jim Jones suffered from some form of mental illness, but used his false “god” to appear sane. He practically behind this own “church” called the People’s Temple, but some believed it to be a prison. His son knew his father was crazy or unstable, and he knew the truth about his father more than anyone. OMiE789
Part One 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.(Matthew 7:15-20) Though this is a horrific event, and doesn’t really put a lot of faith on those who believe in the Holy Scriptures…this video doesn’t shock me. I’m a believer in the Truth of the Bible, and I don’t consider myself a Christian or a follower of any religion. From learning more and more about The Truth of the Bible, I noticed a lot of things that happens into of church doesn’t truly line up with the Word of the Most High. However, the Bible warns us about false prophets and we will know them by the fruits that they bare…and from watching this video, we can see that Jim Jones fruit wasn’t good. According to the video, he seemed to be very glued to the view of how the world viewed him and his teaching compared to looking to the scriptures and having that correct him. I don’t mean to preach, but being a believer seeing things like this truly upset me because it places a false identity of what being a believer truly looks like and how we should act towards other people. Jones, being a preacher suffered from the heaviest responsibility, according to the Bible, he would be responsible for every life that he led astray. The people of Jonestown followed a man, who hid behind a false religion, politics and the agents of socialization, to lure them into a deep dark hole and they believed he was the light. I believe Jim Jones suffered from some form of mental illness, but used his false “god” to appear sane. He practically behind this own “church” called the People’s Temple, but some believed it to be a prison. His son knew his father was crazy or unstable, and he knew the truth about his father more than anyone. OMiE789
I understand this because it does not put a good look on Christians or the religion as a whole. And it is really sad that he used the church and the time of unrest to hurt people even more then they were probably already hurt and that he took them and used them when all they needed was a safe haven in a time where no where was truly safe and everytime you read the newspaper or watched the news all you saw was death and war. He used their weaknesses and used it for selfish gains. And honestly he made it seemed like he was a safe haven for them and then led them to their deaths. And he took mothers away from their children, Fathers and children alike they also killed themselves. And I imagine this must be hard for his son because while at the time he was watching all of this and now he has to live with the things his father did as well as people probably look down on him because of who his father is. He knows the horrible things his father has done and he probably finds it hard to forget which how could we expect him to that is something hard to watch even now. Buttercup789
I dont know how somebody could sit here and believe and something like that but when you dont really have to many options in life to make things better and no sort of hope then people in that type of position would gravitate to it because it gives them some sort of hope that things will get better.That Jim Jones guy was basically a terrorist. He didn't even have a heart to let the babies and kids survive he wanted everyone dead and thats what he got .That was a horrifying thing to do to innocent people.That church was far from a "peoples" church.-collegekid789-
1977 was when everything got started, when the preacher Jim jones left the United States with about a thousand followers to Guyana in a place near by George Town. He called this camp/Jones Town, here where he was with all of his followers with the fake promise of salvation and that this place/Jones Town was so called the Promised Land for his followers. Some of his former followers had reported all kinds of physical, sexual. Psychological and more kinds of abuse committed by Jim Jones. This brought the attention of CBS and a US congress man to go to Jones town to see what was happening since Jim Jones and his followers basically left the US to have the promised land at Jones town. It was pretty evident that Jim Jones didn't want the outside world to know about the things that where happening at Jones Town, but when the CBS reporters and the congress Man went to Jones Town then they people that where trying to leave town found a way to let them know that they wanted out of this town.
In the other hand Jones was not going to let anyone got anywhere without putting up a fight. I think that Jones was definitely insane and I think at some point he got to think that he was a god himself and that he could to wherever he wanted and whenever he wanted to whomever he wanted because he was their god in his mind. When he felt that his kingdom was crumbling down in to pieces, he knew that it was a matter of hours or days before he had the Authorities taking apart his followers and discover all the atrocities that where happening there he didn't want leave behind any witnesses and he took the lives of many kids first and then forced the adults to drink the poison.
Sometimes sects can be covered as the real deal as we know, but these self-proclaimed ambassadors of God’s kingdom present themselves a white sheep but they are actually black evil wolves preying on those that are vulnerable. Koi789
I remember hearing about this and I did more research on it and most of what people were saying about Jim Jones abusing, drugging them and things like that were of course true. But what I think is during that time it was a lot of unrest happening in America and Jim saw that as an oppruituinty to be the people's hope and something for them to believe in and he used their Christianity as a way to get them in the door so to speak. And then he told them every single thing they wanted to hear and made himself look almost godlike in their eyes and by doing that even when the things came out of him abusing and drugging and sexually assultiing people came out. They had been so brainwashed into beileveing he was god that they did not want to believe and even if they did they were willing to look past it because they needed something to hang their hopes on. So when he took them to their own society it was like a fresh start and they could shape this society however they wanted well just because it was a fresh start for them did not mean that Jim Jones was not going to continue what he was doing. Which was drugging people why would he do that you may ask it is easier to brainwash a person under the influence or an emotionally unstable one then it is a person not. And the drugs clouded their judgement and when they woke up they only remembered what they were told so it really made it all simpler for him. Well of course this was not going to work forever even Jim knew that and while his society he had built sounded so good he knew he could not keep brainwashing these people and no one was going to catch on. It was going to crumble at some point because every society does but especially one built on lies and deceit. This story really shows how easily us as human beings can be influenced by one person to believe that something they say is completely and utterly true no matter how crazy it may sound we will allow them to shape us because we have given them control over us. There are many stories like this out there where people do control groups and groups of people and tell them to go and kill people or commit suicide the sad part about it is often times the people in those societies are normally the ones pushed to the edge of society or the people who are trying to escape something so they fall into these traps because this people make promises that they want to hear and tell them they will be protected they love them and care for them when that could not be anymore far from the truth. But their judgement is blinded because of the brainwashing and like in this case they are often drugged and weather they know it or not they slowly begin to follow this person like a mindless zombie. And people may think this is a hard thing to do but it really is not. Like we talked about in class when people are in crowds they act totally different then they might if they were alone and they often times take on the mentality of the crowd. So since this crowd was all following Jim Jones they had a leader and when they were in the crowd everyone was agreeing with what he was saying so they followed his instructions. Which often times though those people on their own would have never done some of those things. But you look around and see everyone else doing it and nobody says anything then you will start to do it too. And on top of all this Jim Jones was a really charismatic guy who could fool you into thinking oh he does not mean me any harm and he only wants to see me do good. Well that was not the case but because those people had clouded judgement they could not tell they were being led to a slaughter. And really it could have been anyone of us because us as human beings want something to hold our hopes on and that is exactly what Jim gave them at that time he was their safe haven and he promised a paradise where they did not have to deal with the things they were running away from. Buttercup789
I love how in depth this blog went into the crowd aspect of Jonestown's social hierarchy. Jim Jones' son even says that if he were t the site of the mass murder in Jonestown, he may have acted differently, because of how the people in the town perceived him, and because he wanted to keep his status intact. One acts completely differently when surrounded by a mob than one does as an individual. When they started handing out cups of Kool-aid, people had no choice, and it's hard to tell exactly who went willingly (or maybe more accurately, quietly) to their deaths, and who separated from the crowd and fought tooth and nail against their fellows for their freedom. But it seems that one of the few things that could break a person out of that hold of the crowd was survival instinct, and their will to stay alive. A strong leader was what rallied the crowd in the first place, and when that leader fell off the rails, so did his followers. They really are just like this blogger says, mindless zombies, trailing after their 'Father' like he's got them on a leash. Why did they do it? Paradise. Jim Jones promised them a paradise totally different than the racism and political stigma of America, somewhere where everyone was equal and everything was good. They should've read the warning label before drinking the Kool-aid, because it turns out Paradise is accessed with a painful dose of cyanide, according to Jim Jones.
This is my very first time hearing about this sad even that happened in the 1960s. It was very hard to watch this because it was very horrifying and saddening time in history. was an American religious leader, who initiated, and was responsible for a mass suicide and mass murder in Jonestown, Guyana. He believed communism was the correct social order, in compliance with God's will. Jones was ordained as a Disciples of Christ pastor, and he achieved notoriety as the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple, which was often described as having cult-like qualities. Though he was considered a religious man, what he did was one of the most harrowing tragdies in the american history and very sickening. Not only was the drink provided to drink but he also had injections for those who refused to have the drink. Those people were forced to drink the poisoned, they did not have a choice which is very cruel for someone who is religious to do. Though Jim Jones’ son states that his father was nuts and a drug adict but there so much more than just being nuts and a drug adict. His action resembled as a psychopath and someone who was suffering from a mental illness which is probably what he had going on for him. He killed over 900 people who were innocent and children. He abused the people he called as his “follers”. Ryan arrived in Jonestown with a group of journalists and other observers. At first the visit went well, but the next day, as Ryan’s delegation was about to leave, several Jonestown residents approached the group and asked them for passage out of Guyana. Jones became distressed at the defection of his followers, and one of Jones’ lieutenants attacked Ryan with a knife. The Congressman escaped from the incident unharmed, but Jones then ordered Ryan and his companions ambushed and killed at the airstrip as they attempted to leave. The Congressman and four others were murdered as they boarded their charter planes. Back in Jonestown, Jones commanded everyone to gather in the main pavilion. The youngest members of the Peoples Temple were the first to die, as parents and nurses used syringes to drop a potent mix of cyanide, sedatives and powdered fruit juice, similar to Kool-Aid, into children’s throats. Adults then drank the concoction while armed guards surrounded the pavilion. A lot of horrifying things has happened in the United States that were similar to this but this tragedy I have never heard of it even though I took US history in high school. Ria789
There are few words that can describe the event that occurred on that day, and I think even if the words could be found, they would not do it justice. Everyone reading this comment has seen the recreation of the events of that day. Seeing that sheer amount of death, the natural question is: why? Why did an event like this happen? We see a number of explanations, looking deep into the roots of the situation. To understand how such a tragic event can happen, a micro-level approach is needed. Starting from the top, the whole situation began with cult indoctrination (thought reform), which, to be put very simply, is the process of gradually desensitizing others to deviant and/or dangerous behavior. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of indoctrination, I heavily recommend doing some research on it, to fully understand how people enter such a mindset. The concept is pretty interesting. Anyway, the process of indoctrination, as described by the video at 9:16 to 9:33, is built to gradually pull people into a cause by slowly introducing them to extreme beliefs and actions. The time that this cult appeared was a rather tumultuous period of the United States’ history; society was primed and ready for change, and some people seeking change found it in the charismatic man, Jim Jones. In times of irrational violence and fear, people seek answers for the things around them, some seek answers from the flaws of society, and some from the age-old doctrine of religion. The Peoples’ Temple and Jonestown were both ideas in one package. One way of putting it, I suppose, is that in extreme times people seek extreme answers. The social conflicts of the time were the perfect stage for Jim Jones’ egotistic doctrine. He fed off of the desires of others to feed his obsession for power and control. The Peoples’ Temple was fueled by the escapist philosophies of those who felt powerless and alienated by the world to create attitudes of rebellion. Jones amplified this sense of alienation, using it to distance those of his cause from the world, and indoctrinating them to become dependent on his authoritarian rule. Looking at the personality of Jim Jones, it’s obvious that he sees himself as a god amongst men, ruling with divine right. I don’t think it is a coincidence that Jones had a drug problem, something often associated with retreatism. The invisible villain that the people of Jonestown referred to as the “outside world” was little more than a fabrication; they get used to this villain being their foe, their enemy around every corner, and they forget what they have experienced themselves, seeing only through the eyes of others, who themselves are blind. Jones created a society where he was the ultimate authority for every aspect of the lives of these people. In the end, Jones was the crumbling pillar of a doomed society. The Peoples’ Temple was a hypocritical cause that had long traded in its self-righteous rebellion against a cruel world for conformism in an authoritarian dictatorship. -SoarSore789
This sad and shocking video reveals how dangerous may be a sickly-mind and highly CHARISMATIC religious leader. In the case of this evangelical preacher, Jim Jones, this combination of his personality was as mortal as the poison that he forced to his followers to drink. A church, a sect, and a CULT those are only names of type of religious organizations, but people usually see cults as evil because of his unconventional practices. Religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism began as cults. The problem is not the type of religions; the real problem is what kind of message about a new and very different way of life a religious leader is offering. Jim Jones was a fraud, a sick, mentally deranged person with high-skills to create a massive CONFUSION in the belief, and the convictions of the nearly a thousand followers of his people’s temple cult. His weapon to kill that innocent people it was not only the poison in the kool-Aid. It was also his compelling attractiveness and his charming to inspire devotion to his followers who blindly followed him to built a new community and live in a false paradise in the middle of nowhere in the isolated, inhospitable South American Guyana’s jungle. This new community called Jonestown was not the paradise on earth offered to that innocent people; it was literally the hell, where over 900 hundred of members of this cult, a congressman of the United States, and an investigating journalist died. We cannot call this apocalyptic day a mass suicide it was literally a mass murder, a true genocide. “And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray (Matthew 24:11)”. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 john 4:1)”. the_soccer_league789
Wow this dude was crazy!!!! I couldn't imagine being in a situation like this. He took advantage of people that had no hope at all. These were people that didn't have much at all. They looked at this dude like he was god and he definitely wasn't. They were told that they where going to live in a place of paradise. Jim knew what he was dong in the beginning that what he was going to do would be beyond terrible. To me Jim was so paranoid that someone would find out what he was doing he had to instill fear and hopelessness so they would fear any and everything if they didn't follow whatever he said to do. He didn't want people to show up and see what exactly was happening. There was no phones TV no nothing. So they had no way to communicate to anyone to get out and return to safety. Jim started to get on drugs i think to sedate himself from the reality that he was losing control and it was about go nowhere but downhill. That camp was designed to keep everyone away from civilization so no one had anyway to leave. All the people thought they would be safe and eventually come home. But the no idea this would be they re last place they would ever be alive. Vernon tried to give a note to one of the delegations and he almost was caught. I know his heart was pounding 1000 miles per min. But he get out safely ..wow!!!! They knew it was dangerous but had no idea he was escaping death pretty much. More than one person wanted to get out .Once word got around trying to leave it changed the whole mood of the camp. The interview with NBC was very awkward .Jim Jones appeared to be nervous and i think he realized what was going to happen and it wasnt good. He basically begged them to leave them alone in fear and didnt want everyone to know. The guy that left his son..idk what to say about him.How could you leave your own son behind to basically die. Congress really couldn't protect them while they were leaving. Jim Jones i think had a demonic spirt within him and he couldn't shake it. Getting rid of the people that had turned against him was definitely his first priority. This place was basically a death zone. He used "white night" to lt people know the fear was around the corner so he ended up making a kool aid with poison. He was so much of a coward that he couldn't let everyone else live. So when must of the people tried to leave on the plane most of them were killed. Once he realized he waned to die....he kept telling his people that he wanted to take his own life. Stephen Jones to me was the only one that had any kind of sense. He told the people the best thing they could do is basically die.People like this deserve a special place in hell. -collegekid789-
I want to start by saying it is horrible how many people died and how they died. The fact that one man can get one thousand followers to not only live in this community, but also to leave the United States and build a new civilization that they believed to be paradise amazing. When we discussed this in class I did not know what it was other what was said in class and that that a lot of people died. I never learned about this massacre in high school so it was interesting to learn more about Jim Jones and his followers. The use of creating a new label for his followers aided into the masses creating him as a god among men. The fact that religion and faith can be used in such a violent and cruel way to control people’s actions, thoughts, and possessions is just sickening. When you think of religion one may think of the big ones like Catholicism, Judaism, Islam however this religion grew fast and throughout different races and cultures. Throughout the video it is mentioned how Jim Jones was sick from very early on. When looking from a psychological standpoint Jim Jones could of had a multitude of different disorders which led him to his mental break and to ordering such a widespread massacre. The fact that the big thing in culture at the time was drug use and the abuse of them. Jim Jones’s son Stephen Jones said in the video that if the mass suicide hadn’t took place, at the rate his father was going with the amount of drugs he was taking. Jim Jones only had about four more months to live before he died from a drug overdose or from poisoning himself. At about midway in the video one father decides to leave his four year old son in Jonestown since he is of an interracial birth. He was trying to return to the United States and at the time of this massacre interracial dating/ marriage was frowned upon if not illegal in some of the states. The father made the heart breaking decision of leaving his four year old son in such a horrible place because of the fear of discrimination and racial abuse that his son may have received in exchange for the freedom from the mental, physical and emotional abuse they were receiving in Jim Jones cult town, Jonestown. Later in the video a message comes across the radio ordering Leanne and the other members in the house to kill themselves. She was so engrossed into the belief system of this cult that she took the news alarmingly calm and even asked if she should go back and finish dinner as if nothing had happened. The fact that any kind of brainwashing/ mind manipulating cult got so big with those beliefs is terrifying. To think that someone could say the word and so many people would blindly follow them into the jungle and even into death is the worst thing that anyone could do to a faith and or belief system. Cassiopia789
Set in the Civil War era, Evangelical preacher Jim Jones led his group of one thousand followers to a small, remote town not too far from George Town in South Africa in November of 1978. The town he later named Jonestown was a newly built community in the vast rainforest it was the ideal location for what was to happen next. While religion and sect have two completely different definitions, they stand on the same religious/faith driven foundations. In this case Jones utilized the current state of affairs in the United States as a mean to form his own church and for lack of better words brainwash many individuals who were looking for an out! The faces of the people involved came in a variety lf colors. What I found ironic and surprising is how this people were able to get along with one another under different circumstances in a different environment. Sure he forcefully drugged these people, abused them even, conducted fake healings, and lied plenty...does that make him charismatic as the title suggest?? No, this man had a way with words and was a true opportunist, pure hatred and evil is what it is. With no means of communication via telephone or television he continued to control these individuals emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Some people admitted that it wasn’t until they arrived to Jonestown that they knew they had made a mistake, but they were not able to leave without consequences. A heavy drug user who begin to lose his edge In the five days leading up to the “mass murder/suicide” showcased signs of desperation and an act of control til’ the end. After family members and Congress got wind of the situation they headed over for answers and in hopes of saving there loved ones. Some individuals were given the okay to leave in a botched plan set up by the preacher, an emergency call (White knight) was sent out and on November 18th 1978 over 900 people either knowingly or forcefully died by way of a toxic concoction of potassium cyanide mixed with kool-aid. Children were the first to die, over 300 of them in fact. The congressman, news anchors, and photographers alike were shot down by people within the cult as ordered by Jones. This was definitely a caustrophic event and goes to show just how much power there is in your words. mummyoftwo789
This video was horrifying to say the least. When this catastrophe was mentioned in class I did not know what we were referring to, now I do, and I understand the conversation we had. Not to mention I was appalled that these tragedies happened in the 1960’s or a little later. The civil rights movements, Vietnam, and other factors play a part in this, however realizing what people would turn to for salvation in surprising (I am not sure surprising is the word for this). This man, Jim Jones, formed a group (The of People’s Temple) on false hope of a promise land. He was manipulative, abusive, and (let’s face) crazy! He promised Christian socialism within this acting crowd and soon people started to show his dark side. That public opinion forced them to move. One thousand people migrated with this man, who believed in him and a paradise. Torture, abuse, and fear is what he used to control this committed crowd he abused their faith in him and that is putting it mildly. I watched this twice because I couldn’t believe what I saw the 1st time. At the end of this was the real areal footage of the mass suicide, I will not lie I cried. Religion and faith should not have an outcome of children being murdered, it should not have an outcome of people being forced to go against their instincts. When certain individuals want to leave but are too scared to do so, that is a sign that whatever group that was formed is a toxic environment. Do I blame the people for choosing this life in the first place? This question is what I kept asking myself while watching this. It may sound harsh and unfair, but I really had to think about it. The answer that came to mind after deliberating was no, I don’t blame them. I feel as though they were looking for a way out not an easy route but something they could believe in that was solid and true. Like one man said they were working for something they believed in and the line kept being pushed and pushed. The rumors that spread made a congressman and a few concerned family members to go to Jonestown to investigate which in turn set into motion the mass suicide because of Jim Jone’s deteriorating control on reality. His son stated that his drug use was getting worse and each day Jone’s came closer and closer to killing himself. Jones used propaganda to shape a new reality for the people and when November 18th came he used it to tell them that the children shouldn’t be alive when the plane crashes and they parachute over them. He was trying to convince the followers that the children should die to achieve true tranquility. This moral panic he brought out in people contributed to the mass suicide that took place on November 18th. He held so much control over their lives by instilling fear and panic in their souls that they walked on egg shells every day. Little did they know that the social change they brought into their lives would be a deadly mistake. Rest in peace for all of those who passed that day, my brain still cannot wrap around this.
ReplyDeleteSlimjim789
SLimJim, I cried as well. I could not believe what I was hearing, since I had never heard of this before class either. When they said that the children were the first to be administered the cyanide/tranquilizer mixture, I lost it. You mention that he was mentally ill, and his son attested to the fact that he was on drugs as well. This combination is scientifically proven to be dangerous in certain situations. As someone who deals with mental illness, I was told to tread very carefully if I were to ever indulge in that activity because it could affect me in a different way. What is even worse, is that Jones knew he was in the wrong, so he knew he was murdering those people. He knew he was a fraud and that he could not actually provide these people with the promise land. It is infuriating that he subjected his false reality onto these people. He could not even bear to die in the same way that he had killed the townspeople. He had someone else shoot him. His son did not even mourn his death. I agree that it was quite horrifying and I won’t be able to get these images out of my head. Catzfuhdays789
DeleteI will agree I also was flabbergasted what I was hearing. I remember the first time I heard of this I was in high school and now I having children of my own I feel so upset. What kind of monster doesn't want life for his children or children in general. I feel that Jim Jones was most likely suffering from a mental illness that he was trying to cover up by using drugs. He also knew how to get people where he wanted them. So to his advantage he moved out of America knowing people would follow him. Doing so he had more of an advantage to use the people for what he needed. He was known for physical and sexual abuse. He most definitely was a fraud. As time passed he realized people seen he was a fraud and did not fulfill the promise he made to deliver the promise land. Honestly if my father did these horrible things I don't think I could mourn over his death either. I mean could you imagine being a survive of that. It gave me goosebumps kind of like when you hear about the survives of the Holocaust. -Gander789
DeleteI have seen this video before, one with my uncle. We both a strong believers in the bible, and we came across a scriptures of Jesus warning people about false prophet who will claim to be God or Jesus, himself but not to believe them because when he comes the whole world will know it. I was only 18, when I first watched this. Back then I would ask myself "how can people be so stupid into following a man who was crazy" After watching it a second time, years later...I get it. There's certain tactics put into play to make people believe whatever you want them to believe. Fear is a very strong tactic. SLimJim, you asked yourself do you blame them for being there? My 18 year old self asked and answered that question. Now, as a person who believes in the Bible, I only wonder did these people truly believe in the message of God preached by the man or was it the belief in the man alone? It's truly sad...coming from a believers point of view and from a person just watching the video.
DeleteOMiE789
I also was crying on most parts of the video. He agreed that kids should be alive when one of the ladies brought up children but what does Jim Jones do, he kills the children first before the parents. He really had some sort of mental illness or he was a psychopath, what person kills over 900 people without being mentally ill? Also the people looked up to him because they thought he was a very religious man but little did they know. I just couldn't imagine for the 2 people who survived how that tragedy would have brought so much trauma and maybe PTSD for them. Because I know, I wouldn't be able to sleep or eat for a very long time.
DeleteRia789
I am really surprised that I have not heard anything about this happening until now. This video depicted a very mortifying and saddening time in history. This video shows the public what all really happened the week of Jim Jones' mass cult suicide, starting with all hell breaking loose because people were starting to get suspicious of abuse and neglect of the people. he called it a mass suicide, however it was murder Jim Jones was an Evangelical preacher in 1977 who fled from California with a thousand followers to Guyana in South Africa. There, he created "The People's Temple", a place of Christian socialism. There was no means of communication to the outside world once they were there, and they were not allowed to leave. If anyone mentioned wanting to leave their lives were threatened, it simply was not an option. He made one exception when he let fifteen people leave to meet a plan that would take them home. However, he had it set up so that the pilot would be shot along with all of the other passengers. Eleven people were wounded including the pilot, and five people were killed in that incident. November 18th, 1978 was referred to as the day the dream died, that was the day Jim Jones killed 914 people. Most were poisoned with cyanide Kool-Aid, a lot were also slaughtered, very few went into hiding rather than going to the meeting when the final "White Knight" extreme emergency meeting was called. He used this to call extreme emergency meetings as well as keep control over all of those people and instill fear in them as well.
ReplyDeleteSomething that surprised me was that people were leaving their children behind in South Africa when they left to go back home. There was a specific story of a man who had a four-year-old African American child. He did not want to take him back to the United States because interracial dating and mating was not socially accepted at this time and neither were African Americans as a whole. His child would more than likely face a very hard life and he did not want that for his son. I think that regardless of the circumstances that are to follow in the U.S. I would still take my child with me. I do not think I could live with knowing my child was a part of that and is no longer alive. The man admits towards the end of the video that he does feel guilt and remorse for his decision and for his son. It has been an everyday factor in his life ever since.
Speaking from a religious standpoint, I would say this was an act of pure evil. I do not think it was religion that drove Jim Jones to do all of this, however. Like his son said, I also believe that he probably suffered from severe mental illness that started very early on in his life which went untreated. It was obvious he had a hard time controlling his anger as well. He definitely was not in the right state of mind to be a ruler over people.White789
Same here, I never hear anything about this tragedy until we discussed it in class. When it got to the point with the man leaving his only son behind because of fear of racial discrimination and social outcasts he might receive crushed me. The fact that fear separated him and his son forever must have created the most devastating feeling in the world for him. I too agree that he had to have had a mental or psychological disorder/ disease that compelled him to completing such a horrific massacre. But not only him but his closest followers that helped him in killing all of his followers. Cassiopia789
DeletePart 1: This video was honestly kind of hard to watch. After viewing the video, I felt uneasy. It was about a man, Jim Jones, who formed a cult called the People’s Temple. He joined them together preaching love and a promise land. They moved to Guyana, with the next closest town of Georgetown, although the settlement, which they named Jonestown, was very secluded in miles of forest. They were promised this sort of safe haven, where they were working towards the common cause. What they got, however, was a prison. At group meetings, some townspeople would guard the meetings, gun facing inward instead of outward. Some people did notice this, but most people didn’t seem to care. Jim Jones, as told by his son, was both mentally ill and abusing drugs. This type of leader knew he was in the wrong, but did not want anyone else to know it. However, his followers called him “Father” and believed in his preaching, also going along with the rest of the group members. The video tells of the days leading up to the tragic end of Jonestown. The beginning of the end began when Congressman Ryan came to investigate claims of abuse, including leaders taking your children or the threat of death on exit. He brought a small delegation, including family members and NBC. One man, Sherwin, came to see his daughter, Leann. There were no means of communication for Jonestown, other than a radio line to their halfway house in Georgetown, so visiting was the only way to contact them. Sherwin’s wife was actually the leader of the halfway house. Back in Jonestown, the Basketball team was one of the only selection of members allowed to leave for a game rivaling a team in Georgetown. Jones’ son was on the team and did not know why his father was anxious about his leaving at first. Congressman Ryan showed up to the halfway house around when Jones’ son did. At first, the radio line was the only way he was able to communicate with Jones. The lack of communication and miles of forest tipped Ryan off to the inaccessibility as well as difficulty level for those trying to leave. After the Congressman’s arrival, Jones called a “white night,” which is a distress call for emergencies and ordered the basketball team to come back. Catzfuhdays789
ReplyDeletePart 2: He knew that things were tense and he could sense that some people did not want to stay; he was losing control. Jones’ son refused to come back, however, sensing the tension as well. When the Congressman went to Jonestown, a few people revealed their hopes to leave. Ryan promised they would be granted seats on the plane returning to the states. One man even left his son in Jonestown, which he thought he was protecting from American racism. I know he thought he was doing the right thing, but in his situation, if he could feel the danger that he was in, why didn’t he bring his son as well? Racism is not fair to subject to someone, no, but at least he would be alive. This surprised me a little bit and this is when everything went downhill. When Ryan talked to Jones before he left, a member held him at the throat with a knife, before he escaped to the truck leaving the settlement. When they got to the plane, Jones had sent a small group to gun down the defectors as well as the delegation that accompanied Ryan. Most were shot, but some did manage to get away into the tree line. Back in Jonestown, Jones radioed Georgetown, ordering to “get revenge” on the families of the delegation, which included Leann and Sherwin’s wife, and which Jones’ son knew meant for them to kill themselves. He left out of confusion and fear. Sherwin’s wife killed the children of the home as well as her daughter and herself. What kind of loyalty do you have to do to do something like this? This was horrifying to watch and it only got worse. In the settlement, Jones mixed together a mixture of cyanide and tranquilizers in a soft drinks, gave one last “white night” call, and dispersed the mixture to the members around him. I cried when I watched the children being forced to ingest the soft drinks. What is even worse, is that Jones could not even kill himself the way he has murdered the townspeople. He had someone shoot him in the head. The people thought they were going to a promise land, but really they had been murdered and lead by a drugged out man. Catzfuhdays789
DeleteThe first time I heard about Jim Jones I was in my high school sociology class. It’s crazy how I don’t remember everything. I didn’t realize people were forced to drink the poison if they still refused they would be injected. As his son states his father was nuts and a drug addict. Looking now I believe he could have been suffering from a mental illness. He did not have a sense of reality. In the late 1960’s America was in an uproar during the Civil Rights Movement. This is when Jim Jones came alive. People said he was a Civil Rights leader. He formed a temple, he gave the people what they wanted and needed to hear. He was so worshiped they even called him father. Soon allegations started up that Jones was abusing, drugging and brainwashing his followers. In 1977, Jim Jones and 1000 of his follower fled America to Guyana in South America. The concept was to build a new world. They soon built what was called Jonestown by Georgetown. Leslie Wagner-Wilson was 19 when she moved to Guyana with her family.“We all are looking for a place to fit into the world. We're looking for love. We're looking for acceptance. And Jim Jones provided that,” she said.
ReplyDeleteEveryone thought they finally met paradise but the abuse kept happening. People tried to escape but were beaten. It didn’t take long for some followers to grow disenchanted. They worked long days in the fields and failed to get enough food. "Jonestown was described as this paradise, and it was not,” Wagner-Wilson said. "As some time wore on, I realized there was no future in Jonestown.” In November 1978, U.S. Rep. Leo Ryan of California flew to Guyana to investigate claims that People’s Temple members were being held against their will. He arrived with a group of staff, journalists and worried relatives of Jonestown residents. After Congress Ryan showed up Jim’s paranoia grew worse. His son and the basketball team went to Georgetown to play ball. He received a message from his father that they needed to come home but Stephen said no. He talked to the Congress telling him there was nothing to worry about. When Congress got to Jonestown they were greeted to a sign that said, “Greetings People Temple Agricultural Project. While Congress was there people started passing notes saying they wanted to leave the People Temple. One man worried for his life fled and had to leave his 4 year old son behind. As they were leaving a man tried to cut Congress Ryan he realized that he was in danger and had to leave. When they were a boarding the plane Congress Ryan was shot and killed along with about 12 others. Back at the commune, Jones gathered his followers for a final sermon. "We've had as much of this world as you're going to get,” he can be heard saying in an audio recording. “Let's just be done with it. Let's be done with the agony of it." He then ordered his followers to drink a cyanide-spiked punch. More than 900 people died, about 300 of them children. "We know from autopsies conducted later that a considerable number of people were held and forcibly injected with poison,” A reporter said. It was said that day was the biggest loss of American civilian life until 9/11. Gander- 789
I agree he was suffering from something, probably what we would describe now as “mental illness”. Yes it was mentioned in the documentary by the journalist that Jim Jones was answering questions and then began to rant about and wasn’t making any sense. This was concerning to the man because Jim Jones had all of these people’s lives in his hands. I would like to believe that Jim Jones started something with great intentions but as we can clearly things didn’t go as planned. Steven Jones stated that these people that either drank the poison or were injected were demoralized, malnourished and exhausted people. They definitely had no compass on what was reality anymore. His son Steven was very blessed or lucky (however you choose to look at it), that he wasn’t present that day. Because he said himself that he had a strong will to live, but he isn’t so sure that he wouldn’t have been overcome and died that day. I didn’t catch that a reporter said it was the largest loss of American life until 9/11 that is so sad and disheartening and frankly makes me feel ill. I can’t image how the people who hid that day felt coming outside the next day and see all of the people were deceased. I think would torment you for the rest of your life. May they all rest in peace.
DeleteAnimalLover789
I think that the problem comes from the fact that ones he started to see that there was people following him and listening to his words and started to feel real taste of power things started to deteriorate and the abuses started to become more like his own fantasy and his own definition of paradise or even to believe that it was its own piece of heaven. the fact the he started to become irrational and making no sense could have been that he actually sick mentally and the pressure that the media was giving him about all the reports of abuse did no good to his mind and just decided to give them a lesson as way of retaliation for sticking their nose in to his business. Sadly all these poor children and people where mas murdered. Koi789
DeleteI can agree with you that he probably had some sort of mental illness, I do not think that anyone in their right mind would do any of the things that Jim Jones did. It probably began when he was a lot younger and then progressively got worse because it went untreated and for so long. I am sure the fact that he did a lot of drugs had something to do with the progression of his illness as well. Both of these factors make sense when you think about how little control he had over his emotions, especially his anger, and his disconnection to society and other individuals. He was doing this not only to strangers from his community, but also people he knew well, his own son was one of them in fact. It is just so mind boggling to me, but I also had no idea that this happened until we started talking about it in our class. I also thought it was crazy that Jim Jones tried to pass this off as a "mass suicide", it seems a little far-fetched that 900 people would commit suicide because one person told them to. I could see these people doing it due to the fear that Jim instilled in them, but that does not make it suicide.White789
DeleteJim Jones – Charisma, Cult and Confusion…..
ReplyDeleteThis documentary was very difficult to watch. Suicide is a sensitive subject for me as my aunt and uncle both committed suicide. Jim Jones was as Evangelical preacher that started his congregation in California and quickly moved to South America to flee from accusations of abuse from former members of his congregation. Congressmen Ryan tried to meet with Jim Jones a year prior to the actual meeting; it’s unfortunate that Ryan and others didn’t realize how dangerous going to Jonestown was going to be. They knew things were not right there but they underestimated Jim Jones and his mental instability.
I think Jim Jones definitely took advantage of what had been occurring in the late 1960’s, the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War protests. These events made people question lots of things in their lives and government, Jim Jones was there to make promises that he wouldn’t be able to keep. He definitely did a disservice to religion as a whole. I’m sure that over the years since then, religious people have questioned the motives of their preacher. I think that people in general might be paying more attention to make sure that they don’t fall victim to a preacher or a church that is being ran like a cult.
He must have been a very convincing man, because I just don’t understand why 1000 people would leave with him willing and go leave everything they had ever know including family. It seems so unrealistic to me that I or anyone I know would fall such promises of “Christian Socialism” or a “Paradise”. I think his son Steven said it best, that his father had the ability to produce whatever his people needed to hear. He was a con-artist and using the church and religion as his platform. He chose Guyana, South America in the middle of a jungle because it was the perfect place to remain in control of his people at all times. One of the members that were interviewed stated that he wanted to leave as soon as he and his son arrived. He knew that wasn’t an option, he realized very quickly that he had made a terrible decision by going there. He used “white knight” which meant extreme emergency, and it created fear amongst the people. He was viewed as their protector and “Father” so they believed anything he said. And if you truly didn’t believe him, unfortunately there was no way out of the compound that had been created by “the people”. Fifteen brave people spoke out that they no longer wanted to be at the compound, I’m sure there were more but they were too scared to come forward. And too brain washed to leave, I think they had actually become ill themselves because they were subjected to Jim Jones all of the time. It was very difficult for me to watch all of the people feeding this poison to their children and then people fighting against the mission and not wanting to die. In that situation they injected the people with the poison. So horrific to watch and then knowing this isn’t a movie this really occurred in our history and it wasn’t that long ago. I definitely think this wasn’t a mass suicide this was a mass murder at the hands of a very sick and twisted man named Jim Jones. He most defiantly should be in hell forever for the things that he did.
AnimalLover789
Jim Jones is the reason that we had to learn the difference between a religion a sect. He masquerades behind religion, using it to draw people in, using it as a powerful tool to keep people under his control, when in fact his 'Christian Socialist Paradise' is neither Christian, nor Socialist. He took both religion and politics and used these Agents of Socialization to draw in like minded people unsatisfied with the current system which- it was the sixties. Revolution and rebellion fed the people like mother's milk. Then he used those two things to twist people to his own personal idea of what the world should be. He turned it into a Dictatorship. He became the 'father' of all these lost children, to the point that now, they couldn't so much as take a step outside the front door without Daddy's permission. They thought they were pursuing something great, because he told them they were pursuing something great. Much like any abusive situation, he started with a low heat, started out sounding like he was perfect for them, started out healing broken legs and telling them what they wanted to hear. What's the betting that the beating didn't start until everyone was so invested that they were signing over their own property, even their own children to Father dearest? He was a cult leader, indoctrinating them, pushing them slowly into a prison that they couldn't escape. Soon, he had some so deep that mothers were killing their children. Mothers, slitting their daughters throats. This man persuaded a woman to do that, twisted her mind to that point. He put the fear of God into a man to the point that he left his little boy behind just so he could get out and save himself. How did he do this? Some people think it was a mixture of the drugs, the blind passion for their cause, the mob mentality that got them all mixed up in it. The sheer charisma of their leader. I think it was the fact that in a vulnerable time, people start looking for help, and he offered a better way. A way out. People want so badly to believe in something. Faith is a strong, ineffable thing, and he brought together faith, social conditioning, politics, and total isolation from the rest of the world. To the point where they had nothing else to believe. Nothing else to influence them. No magazines with Rockstars on them, no family to shake them out of it, no schools to educate them, no government, there was only Jim Jones, and what Jim Jones had to say. I very strongly believe that was at least partly why his son got out. Because at least the basketball team spent some time travelling away from home, so he had some other influences in his life. Jim Jones was a sick man, and if he were really a Christian, he would've read the book, and he'd know that according to the bible suicide lands you right in the bad place, where I firmly believe he belongs.
ReplyDeleteBuwowski222
There are quite few good points here. I think that the distinction between a cult and religion is important to recognize. One of the many differences between a cult and a religion is that religions are often pretty innocent and constructive in nature, they may find strength in times of conflict, but they don’t necessarily feed off of it, this cult however, does. The Peoples’ Temple was a beast that fed off of the conflict that it faced, becoming more insular and more radical the further it was driven. The sheer isolation of these people from outside influences was an important aspect of this isolated community that should not be understated. In a society extreme enough to leave their homes and family behind just to follow their leader, where are you going to find anyone who doesn’t agree with him? Jim Jones was a mentally unstable man with a number of psychological problems, and a knack for manipulating others. People gave their lives, piece by piece to his cult and its doctrine of irrational fear and authoritarian rule. He sought to create a little world in the palm of his hand that he could control, and chose to take that world with him when it was threatened to be taken away.
Delete-SoarSore789
Part One
ReplyDelete15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.(Matthew 7:15-20)
Though this is a horrific event, and doesn’t really put a lot of faith on those who believe in the Holy Scriptures…this video doesn’t shock me. I’m a believer in the Truth of the Bible, and I don’t consider myself a Christian or a follower of any religion. From learning more and more about The Truth of the Bible, I noticed a lot of things that happens into of church doesn’t truly line up with the Word of the Most High. However, the Bible warns us about false prophets and we will know them by the fruits that they bare…and from watching this video, we can see that Jim Jones fruit wasn’t good. According to the video, he seemed to be very glued to the view of how the world viewed him and his teaching compared to looking to the scriptures and having that correct him. I don’t mean to preach, but being a believer seeing things like this truly upset me because it places a false identity of what being a believer truly looks like and how we should act towards other people. Jones, being a preacher suffered from the heaviest responsibility, according to the Bible, he would be responsible for every life that he led astray. The people of Jonestown followed a man, who hid behind a false religion, politics and the agents of socialization, to lure them into a deep dark hole and they believed he was the light. I believe Jim Jones suffered from some form of mental illness, but used his false “god” to appear sane. He practically behind this own “church” called the People’s Temple, but some believed it to be a prison. His son knew his father was crazy or unstable, and he knew the truth about his father more than anyone.
OMiE789
Part One
ReplyDelete15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.(Matthew 7:15-20)
Though this is a horrific event, and doesn’t really put a lot of faith on those who believe in the Holy Scriptures…this video doesn’t shock me. I’m a believer in the Truth of the Bible, and I don’t consider myself a Christian or a follower of any religion. From learning more and more about The Truth of the Bible, I noticed a lot of things that happens into of church doesn’t truly line up with the Word of the Most High. However, the Bible warns us about false prophets and we will know them by the fruits that they bare…and from watching this video, we can see that Jim Jones fruit wasn’t good. According to the video, he seemed to be very glued to the view of how the world viewed him and his teaching compared to looking to the scriptures and having that correct him. I don’t mean to preach, but being a believer seeing things like this truly upset me because it places a false identity of what being a believer truly looks like and how we should act towards other people. Jones, being a preacher suffered from the heaviest responsibility, according to the Bible, he would be responsible for every life that he led astray. The people of Jonestown followed a man, who hid behind a false religion, politics and the agents of socialization, to lure them into a deep dark hole and they believed he was the light. I believe Jim Jones suffered from some form of mental illness, but used his false “god” to appear sane. He practically behind this own “church” called the People’s Temple, but some believed it to be a prison. His son knew his father was crazy or unstable, and he knew the truth about his father more than anyone.
OMiE789
I understand this because it does not put a good look on Christians or the religion as a whole. And it is really sad that he used the church and the time of unrest to hurt people even more then they were probably already hurt and that he took them and used them when all they needed was a safe haven in a time where no where was truly safe and everytime you read the newspaper or watched the news all you saw was death and war. He used their weaknesses and used it for selfish gains. And honestly he made it seemed like he was a safe haven for them and then led them to their deaths. And he took mothers away from their children, Fathers and children alike they also killed themselves. And I imagine this must be hard for his son because while at the time he was watching all of this and now he has to live with the things his father did as well as people probably look down on him because of who his father is. He knows the horrible things his father has done and he probably finds it hard to forget which how could we expect him to that is something hard to watch even now. Buttercup789
DeleteI dont know how somebody could sit here and believe and something like that but when you dont really have to many options in life to make things better and no sort of hope then people in that type of position would gravitate to it because it gives them some sort of hope that things will get better.That Jim Jones guy was basically a terrorist. He didn't even have a heart to let the babies and kids survive he wanted everyone dead and thats what he got .That was a horrifying thing to do to innocent people.That church was far from a "peoples" church.-collegekid789-
Delete1977 was when everything got started, when the preacher Jim jones left the United States with about a thousand followers to Guyana in a place near by George Town. He called this camp/Jones Town, here where he was with all of his followers with the fake promise of salvation and that this place/Jones Town was so called the Promised Land for his followers. Some of his former followers had reported all kinds of physical, sexual. Psychological and more kinds of abuse committed by Jim Jones. This brought the attention of CBS and a US congress man to go to Jones town to see what was happening since Jim Jones and his followers basically left the US to have the promised land at Jones town. It was pretty evident that Jim Jones didn't want the outside world to know about the things that where happening at Jones Town, but when the CBS reporters and the congress Man went to Jones Town then they people that where trying to leave town found a way to let them know that they wanted out of this town.
ReplyDeleteIn the other hand Jones was not going to let anyone got anywhere without putting up a fight. I think that Jones was definitely insane and I think at some point he got to think that he was a god himself and that he could to wherever he wanted and whenever he wanted to whomever he wanted because he was their god in his mind. When he felt that his kingdom was crumbling down in to pieces, he knew that it was a matter of hours or days before he had the Authorities taking apart his followers and discover all the atrocities that where happening there he didn't want leave behind any witnesses and he took the lives of many kids first and then forced the adults to drink the poison.
Sometimes sects can be covered as the real deal as we know, but these self-proclaimed ambassadors of God’s kingdom present themselves a white sheep but they are actually black evil wolves preying on those that are vulnerable. Koi789
I remember hearing about this and I did more research on it and most of what people were saying about Jim Jones abusing, drugging them and things like that were of course true. But what I think is during that time it was a lot of unrest happening in America and Jim saw that as an oppruituinty to be the people's hope and something for them to believe in and he used their Christianity as a way to get them in the door so to speak. And then he told them every single thing they wanted to hear and made himself look almost godlike in their eyes and by doing that even when the things came out of him abusing and drugging and sexually assultiing people came out. They had been so brainwashed into beileveing he was god that they did not want to believe and even if they did they were willing to look past it because they needed something to hang their hopes on. So when he took them to their own society it was like a fresh start and they could shape this society however they wanted well just because it was a fresh start for them did not mean that Jim Jones was not going to continue what he was doing. Which was drugging people why would he do that you may ask it is easier to brainwash a person under the influence or an emotionally unstable one then it is a person not. And the drugs clouded their judgement and when they woke up they only remembered what they were told so it really made it all simpler for him. Well of course this was not going to work forever even Jim knew that and while his society he had built sounded so good he knew he could not keep brainwashing these people and no one was going to catch on. It was going to crumble at some point because every society does but especially one built on lies and deceit. This story really shows how easily us as human beings can be influenced by one person to believe that something they say is completely and utterly true no matter how crazy it may sound we will allow them to shape us because we have given them control over us. There are many stories like this out there where people do control groups and groups of people and tell them to go and kill people or commit suicide the sad part about it is often times the people in those societies are normally the ones pushed to the edge of society or the people who are trying to escape something so they fall into these traps because this people make promises that they want to hear and tell them they will be protected they love them and care for them when that could not be anymore far from the truth. But their judgement is blinded because of the brainwashing and like in this case they are often drugged and weather they know it or not they slowly begin to follow this person like a mindless zombie.
ReplyDeleteAnd people may think this is a hard thing to do but it really is not. Like we talked about in class when people are in crowds they act totally different then they might if they were alone and they often times take on the mentality of the crowd. So since this crowd was all following Jim Jones they had a leader and when they were in the crowd everyone was agreeing with what he was saying so they followed his instructions. Which often times though those people on their own would have never done some of those things. But you look around and see everyone else doing it and nobody says anything then you will start to do it too. And on top of all this Jim Jones was a really charismatic guy who could fool you into thinking oh he does not mean me any harm and he only wants to see me do good. Well that was not the case but because those people had clouded judgement they could not tell they were being led to a slaughter. And really it could have been anyone of us because us as human beings want something to hold our hopes on and that is exactly what Jim gave them at that time he was their safe haven and he promised a paradise where they did not have to deal with the things they were running away from. Buttercup789
I love how in depth this blog went into the crowd aspect of Jonestown's social hierarchy. Jim Jones' son even says that if he were t the site of the mass murder in Jonestown, he may have acted differently, because of how the people in the town perceived him, and because he wanted to keep his status intact. One acts completely differently when surrounded by a mob than one does as an individual. When they started handing out cups of Kool-aid, people had no choice, and it's hard to tell exactly who went willingly (or maybe more accurately, quietly) to their deaths, and who separated from the crowd and fought tooth and nail against their fellows for their freedom. But it seems that one of the few things that could break a person out of that hold of the crowd was survival instinct, and their will to stay alive. A strong leader was what rallied the crowd in the first place, and when that leader fell off the rails, so did his followers. They really are just like this blogger says, mindless zombies, trailing after their 'Father' like he's got them on a leash. Why did they do it? Paradise. Jim Jones promised them a paradise totally different than the racism and political stigma of America, somewhere where everyone was equal and everything was good. They should've read the warning label before drinking the Kool-aid, because it turns out Paradise is accessed with a painful dose of cyanide, according to Jim Jones.
DeleteBuwowski222
This is my very first time hearing about this sad even that happened in the 1960s. It was very hard to watch this because it was very horrifying and saddening time in history. was an American religious leader, who initiated, and was responsible for a mass suicide and mass murder in Jonestown, Guyana. He believed communism was the correct social order, in compliance with God's will. Jones was ordained as a Disciples of Christ pastor, and he achieved notoriety as the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple, which was often described as having cult-like qualities. Though he was considered a religious man, what he did was one of the most harrowing tragdies in the american history and very sickening. Not only was the drink provided to drink but he also had injections for those who refused to have the drink. Those people were forced to drink the poisoned, they did not have a choice which is very cruel for someone who is religious to do. Though Jim Jones’ son states that his father was nuts and a drug adict but there so much more than just being nuts and a drug adict. His action resembled as a psychopath and someone who was suffering from a mental illness which is probably what he had going on for him. He killed over 900 people who were innocent and children. He abused the people he called as his “follers”. Ryan arrived in Jonestown with a group of journalists and other observers. At first the visit went well, but the next day, as Ryan’s delegation was about to leave, several Jonestown residents approached the group and asked them for passage out of Guyana. Jones became distressed at the defection of his followers, and one of Jones’ lieutenants attacked Ryan with a knife. The Congressman escaped from the incident unharmed, but Jones then ordered Ryan and his companions ambushed and killed at the airstrip as they attempted to leave. The Congressman and four others were murdered as they boarded their charter planes. Back in Jonestown, Jones commanded everyone to gather in the main pavilion. The youngest members of the Peoples Temple were the first to die, as parents and nurses used syringes to drop a potent mix of cyanide, sedatives and powdered fruit juice, similar to Kool-Aid, into children’s throats. Adults then drank the concoction while armed guards surrounded the pavilion. A lot of horrifying things has happened in the United States that were similar to this but this tragedy I have never heard of it even though I took US history in high school.
ReplyDeleteRia789
There are few words that can describe the event that occurred on that day, and I think even if the words could be found, they would not do it justice. Everyone reading this comment has seen the recreation of the events of that day. Seeing that sheer amount of death, the natural question is: why? Why did an event like this happen? We see a number of explanations, looking deep into the roots of the situation. To understand how such a tragic event can happen, a micro-level approach is needed. Starting from the top, the whole situation began with cult indoctrination (thought reform), which, to be put very simply, is the process of gradually desensitizing others to deviant and/or dangerous behavior. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of indoctrination, I heavily recommend doing some research on it, to fully understand how people enter such a mindset. The concept is pretty interesting. Anyway, the process of indoctrination, as described by the video at 9:16 to 9:33, is built to gradually pull people into a cause by slowly introducing them to extreme beliefs and actions. The time that this cult appeared was a rather tumultuous period of the United States’ history; society was primed and ready for change, and some people seeking change found it in the charismatic man, Jim Jones. In times of irrational violence and fear, people seek answers for the things around them, some seek answers from the flaws of society, and some from the age-old doctrine of religion. The Peoples’ Temple and Jonestown were both ideas in one package. One way of putting it, I suppose, is that in extreme times people seek extreme answers. The social conflicts of the time were the perfect stage for Jim Jones’ egotistic doctrine. He fed off of the desires of others to feed his obsession for power and control. The Peoples’ Temple was fueled by the escapist philosophies of those who felt powerless and alienated by the world to create attitudes of rebellion. Jones amplified this sense of alienation, using it to distance those of his cause from the world, and indoctrinating them to become dependent on his authoritarian rule. Looking at the personality of Jim Jones, it’s obvious that he sees himself as a god amongst men, ruling with divine right. I don’t think it is a coincidence that Jones had a drug problem, something often associated with retreatism. The invisible villain that the people of Jonestown referred to as the “outside world” was little more than a fabrication; they get used to this villain being their foe, their enemy around every corner, and they forget what they have experienced themselves, seeing only through the eyes of others, who themselves are blind. Jones created a society where he was the ultimate authority for every aspect of the lives of these people. In the end, Jones was the crumbling pillar of a doomed society. The Peoples’ Temple was a hypocritical cause that had long traded in its self-righteous rebellion against a cruel world for conformism in an authoritarian dictatorship.
ReplyDelete-SoarSore789
This sad and shocking video reveals how dangerous may be a sickly-mind and highly CHARISMATIC religious leader. In the case of this evangelical preacher, Jim Jones, this combination of his personality was as mortal as the poison that he forced to his followers to drink. A church, a sect, and a CULT those are only names of type of religious organizations, but people usually see cults as evil because of his unconventional practices. Religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism began as cults. The problem is not the type of religions; the real problem is what kind of message about a new and very different way of life a religious leader is offering. Jim Jones was a fraud, a sick, mentally deranged person with high-skills to create a massive CONFUSION in the belief, and the convictions of the nearly a thousand followers of his people’s temple cult. His weapon to kill that innocent people it was not only the poison in the kool-Aid. It was also his compelling attractiveness and his charming to inspire devotion to his followers who blindly followed him to built a new community and live in a false paradise in the middle of nowhere in the isolated, inhospitable South American Guyana’s jungle. This new community called Jonestown was not the paradise on earth offered to that innocent people; it was literally the hell, where over 900 hundred of members of this cult, a congressman of the United States, and an investigating journalist died. We cannot call this apocalyptic day a mass suicide it was literally a mass murder, a true genocide.
ReplyDelete“And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray (Matthew 24:11)”. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 john 4:1)”.
the_soccer_league789
Wow this dude was crazy!!!! I couldn't imagine being in a situation like this. He took advantage of people that had no hope at all. These were people that didn't have much at all. They looked at this dude like he was god and he definitely wasn't. They were told that they where going to live in a place of paradise. Jim knew what he was dong in the beginning that what he was going to do would be beyond terrible. To me Jim was so paranoid that someone would find out what he was doing he had to instill fear and hopelessness so they would fear any and everything if they didn't follow whatever he said to do. He didn't want people to show up and see what exactly was happening. There was no phones TV no nothing. So they had no way to communicate to anyone to get out and return to safety. Jim started to get on drugs i think to sedate himself from the reality that he was losing control and it was about go nowhere but downhill. That camp was designed to keep everyone away from civilization so no one had anyway to leave. All the people thought they would be safe and eventually come home. But the no idea this would be they re last place they would ever be alive. Vernon tried to give a note to one of the delegations and he almost was caught. I know his heart was pounding 1000 miles per min. But he get out safely ..wow!!!! They knew it was dangerous but had no idea he was escaping death pretty much. More than one person wanted to get out .Once word got around trying to leave it changed the whole mood of the camp. The interview with NBC was very awkward .Jim Jones appeared to be nervous and i think he realized what was going to happen and it wasnt good. He basically begged them to leave them alone in fear and didnt want everyone to know. The guy that left his son..idk what to say about him.How could you leave your own son behind to basically die. Congress really couldn't protect them while they were leaving. Jim Jones i think had a demonic spirt within him and he couldn't shake it. Getting rid of the people that had turned against him was definitely his first priority. This place was basically a death zone. He used "white night" to lt people know the fear was around the corner so he ended up making a kool aid with poison. He was so much of a coward that he couldn't let everyone else live. So when must of the people tried to leave on the plane most of them were killed. Once he realized he waned to die....he kept telling his people that he wanted to take his own life. Stephen Jones to me was the only one that had any kind of sense. He told the people the best thing they could do is basically die.People like this deserve a special place in hell. -collegekid789-
ReplyDeleteI want to start by saying it is horrible how many people died and how they died. The fact that one man can get one thousand followers to not only live in this community, but also to leave the United States and build a new civilization that they believed to be paradise amazing. When we discussed this in class I did not know what it was other what was said in class and that that a lot of people died. I never learned about this massacre in high school so it was interesting to learn more about Jim Jones and his followers. The use of creating a new label for his followers aided into the masses creating him as a god among men. The fact that religion and faith can be used in such a violent and cruel way to control people’s actions, thoughts, and possessions is just sickening. When you think of religion one may think of the big ones like Catholicism, Judaism, Islam however this religion grew fast and throughout different races and cultures. Throughout the video it is mentioned how Jim Jones was sick from very early on. When looking from a psychological standpoint Jim Jones could of had a multitude of different disorders which led him to his mental break and to ordering such a widespread massacre. The fact that the big thing in culture at the time was drug use and the abuse of them. Jim Jones’s son Stephen Jones said in the video that if the mass suicide hadn’t took place, at the rate his father was going with the amount of drugs he was taking. Jim Jones only had about four more months to live before he died from a drug overdose or from poisoning himself.
ReplyDeleteAt about midway in the video one father decides to leave his four year old son in Jonestown since he is of an interracial birth. He was trying to return to the United States and at the time of this massacre interracial dating/ marriage was frowned upon if not illegal in some of the states. The father made the heart breaking decision of leaving his four year old son in such a horrible place because of the fear of discrimination and racial abuse that his son may have received in exchange for the freedom from the mental, physical and emotional abuse they were receiving in Jim Jones cult town, Jonestown. Later in the video a message comes across the radio ordering Leanne and the other members in the house to kill themselves. She was so engrossed into the belief system of this cult that she took the news alarmingly calm and even asked if she should go back and finish dinner as if nothing had happened. The fact that any kind of brainwashing/ mind manipulating cult got so big with those beliefs is terrifying. To think that someone could say the word and so many people would blindly follow them into the jungle and even into death is the worst thing that anyone could do to a faith and or belief system. Cassiopia789
Set in the Civil War era, Evangelical preacher Jim Jones led his group of one thousand followers to a small, remote town not too far from George Town in South Africa in November of 1978. The town he later named Jonestown was a newly built community in the vast rainforest it was the ideal location for what was to happen next. While religion and sect have two completely different definitions, they stand on the same religious/faith driven foundations. In this case Jones utilized the current state of affairs in the United States as a mean to form his own church and for lack of better words brainwash many individuals who were looking for an out! The faces of the people involved came in a variety lf colors. What I found ironic and surprising is how this people were able to get along with one another under different circumstances in a different environment. Sure he forcefully drugged these people, abused them even, conducted fake healings, and lied plenty...does that make him charismatic as the title suggest?? No, this man had a way with words and was a true opportunist, pure hatred and evil is what it is. With no means of communication via telephone or television he continued to control these individuals emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Some people admitted that it wasn’t until they arrived to Jonestown that they knew they had made a mistake, but they were not able to leave without consequences. A heavy drug user who begin to lose his edge In the five days leading up to the “mass murder/suicide” showcased signs of desperation and an act of control til’ the end. After family members and Congress got wind of the situation they headed over for answers and in hopes of saving there loved ones. Some individuals were given the okay to leave in a botched plan set up by the preacher, an emergency call (White knight) was sent out and on November 18th 1978 over 900 people either knowingly or forcefully died by way of a toxic concoction of potassium cyanide mixed with kool-aid. Children were the first to die, over 300 of them in fact. The congressman, news anchors, and photographers alike were shot down by people within the cult as ordered by Jones. This was definitely a caustrophic event and goes to show just how much power there is in your words.
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