[katofmystery]

Cults: A Look Inside Jonestown

This is an essay about Jim Jones and how he affected the view of cults. This is my English final so I would appreciate comments so I can fix mistakes that I missed. Thank you!


The word "cult" has erroneously come to mean a group of people committing actions that others may fear, and this is chiefly because of the actions of some cults that occurred in our not too distant past. The People's Temple is just one example of religion gone wrong. Jim Jones began by preaching about Utopia and succeeded in convincing his followers that the only way for them to reach a Utopia was to commit suicide. Jim Jones has changed the way people look at religious gatherings in today’s society because they fear a repeat of such insanity.

Jim Jones was raised in Indiana. At sixteen, he preached “on street corners, believing that he had wisdom and knowledge that others needed” (Smitha). Jones formed the People's Temple in Indiana. The People's Temple believed in racial integration, fought for gay rights, and helped the poor as much as they could.

To many, Jones was exactly the kind of preacher needed during the 1960's. However, not everyone was happy with Jones. “He feared being murdered for his views on race. Someone who had seen his wife on the street with her children spat at her feet and had called her nigger lover” (Smitha). Jones also feared a nuclear attack. Because of his fears, coupled with a government investigation of Jones and the People's Temple, he decided to relocate his church to California.

Jones settled in San Francisco, but as his congregation grew, he started another church in Los Angeles. “The People's Temple peaked during the 70's to include perhaps as many as 8,000 members” (Ross). Jones’ home doubled as a meeting place, and the pool in the backyard was for recreation and for baptisms. Since Jones was growing in popularity, he also sought to gain political power. He got the politicians to listen to him by giving what they wanted, which was power. Jones used his followers to vote or gather for the politicans. Jones used his congregation at political gatherings to increase his popularity with certain politicians.

His followers thought of Jones as “very sexy” (Kohl). He was a charismatic leader, but not what people would call handsome. Interviews have shown that Jones used that charismatic and sexy side of himself to his advantage. “Jim often spoke about members-both men and women- who were about to stray, and how he had helped keep them in the fold by making a personal sacrifice and having sex with them” (Kohl). Jones also used sex to make himself even more powerful within the Temple.

Jones “. . . delivered sermons forecasting nuclear holocaust and an apocalyptic destruction of the world, promising his followers that they alone would emerge as survivors” (Osherow). Jones continued to preach about nuclear war, even though he moved to a place that was reportedly safe. The Cold War influenced Jones greatly because he feared a nuclear war.

He also preached to his followers ideas that were not common with other Christians. “Jones developed a belief called Translation in which he and his followers would all die together, and would move to another planet for a life of bliss. Mass suicides were practiced in which his followers pretended to drink poison and fell to the ground” (Robinson). One woman wrote home to her family saying that Jones would preach and pass out drinks. She went on to say that Jones said if there was poison in the cups; God would protect them from dying. They would all drink and she truly believed that there was poison in the cups and that God had protected her from dying.

Jones was forced to move his church once more when allegations were raised that Jones was doing illegal activities within the Temple. He wanted to make a jungle utopia in Guyana. The convenience of a jungle utopia was that he could watch over his followers more easily. Jones became very paranoid and started to abuse prescription drugs.

Congressman Leo Ryan was urged to investigate the People's Temple in Guyana because many family members and friends began to fear that the Temple resembled a concentration camp more than a utopia. Ryan and eighteen others went to Jonestown for interviews with the Temple members and to investigate their living conditions.

While they were there, most people talked about the charm of Jonestown. They grew their own food and took care of livestock. Ryan was overwhelmed with the number of members at the Temple and with the large number of Concerned Relatives (a group set up in California revolving around Jonestown). It seemed that perhaps Jonestown was all right after all.

Eventually, some people stepped forward to talk to the congressman and the people with him, and admitted that they wanted to leave with Ryan when he returned home. “Two families . . . slipped messages to Ryan. . . ” (Osherow). In the end about sixteen people admitted that they wanted to leave. The other members were shocked when they found out, not only because someone wanted to leave, but also because they felt they had to sneak messages to the congressman and his crew. The members who were happy where they were thought that they had a choice if they wanted to leave.

Jones said that if they wanted to leave, they could. However, he feared that if they left, others would want to follow and he did not want that to happen. Jones informed several of his closest allies that he wanted Congressman Ryan, his crew, and the traitors to be killed. Those several trusted members took up arms and raced to ambush the unsuspecting group headed to an airstrip close by. Ryan and four others were killed at the airstrip, and the others took off running into the jungle, fearing for their lives.

While Ryan was being gunned down, Jones was speaking for the last time. He told the people that it was impossible to have a utopia in a world where they were not left alone. It was time, he said, for a revolutionary suicide. Many were ready to go on to the utopia that Jones had repeatedly preached about. Some, however, were not prepared to die. They tried to escape through the forest or by refusing to take the poison-laced drink in front of them. Those who refused were either shot or injected with poison.

Jones took the children first because he said it would be easier for them and for the parents. As the children were crying, he told everyone that they just didn’t like the bitter taste and that they were not actually suffering. As others began to drink the poison (or were injected with it), they held loved ones close. Jones refused to take the poison himself and was shot in the head because of the orders he gave to his closest followers.

“The People's Temple did not survive the mass suicide/murder in Guyana” (Robinson). The building in San Francisco that served as their headquarters was destroyed by an earthquake. Interviews with survivors indicated that they still believed in what Jones preached. “Adult survivors who were interviewed still seem blinded by a charismatic madman and a broken promise of Utopia” (Devin). One survivor wrote a book about her experience with Jim Jones. In her book “Seductive Poison”, Deborah Layton says, “People do not knowingly join ‘cults’ that will ultimately destroy and kill them. People join self-help groups, churches, political movements, college campus dinner socials, and the like, in an effort to be a part of something larger than themselves” (Layton 299). All the People's Temple was looking for was something bigger.

The massive suicide/murder instigated by Jim Jones is something to remembered, so that similar incidents can be prevented from occurring in the future. Jonestown was just one example of religion gone wrong; however, we can hope that Jonestown will serve as a warning to us all to be careful of what we wish for, and that utopia may just be wishful thinking.



Works Cited
Devin, Jane. “Jonestown, Guyana: Effect & Reflections, 29 Years Later”. janedevin.com. 28 April 2008. 11 December 2007. <http://janedevin.com/2007/12/11/jonestown-guyana-effect-reflections-29-years-later/>.

Kohl, Laura Johnston. “Sex in the City? Make That, The Commune”. jonestown.sdsu.edu. 3 May 2008. 2004. <http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/JonestownReport/Volume6/reflkohl-sex.htm>.

Layton, Deborah. Seductive Poison. New York: Anchor Books, 1998.

Osherow, Neal. “An Analysis of Jonestown”. guyana.org. 28 April 2008. 24 June 2000. <http://www.guyana.org/features/jonestown.html>.

Robinson, B.A. “Destructive Cults”. religioustolerance.org. 28 April 2008. 9 April 2007. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/dc_jones.htm>.

Ross, Rick. “The Jonestown Massacre”. culteducation.com. 28 April 2008. February 2001. <http://www.culteducation.com/jonestown.html>.

Smitha, Frank E. “Jim Jones”. fsmitha.com. 28 April 2008. 1998. <http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch30.htm>.

[Zoidberg]

I have read a little bit about Jim Jones before, and all the information they gave me was pretty vague. All they said was that Jim Jones had led a massive suicide pact. Great Job on all the information you gave.

I noticed one mistake, but I don't know if that even needs to be corrected or not.

Jones was forced to move his church once more when allegations were raised that Jones was doing illegal activity within the Temple.

Shouldn't activity be activities?

I don't know what kind of documentation you are using, because I only really use APA.

Thank you for all the information, and Great Job on the essay.

[katofmystery]

Gee! Thanks! I didn't catch the mistake and I think that you are right I'll fix it! I wrote this essay so I could find more out about Jim Jones myself because my great aunt was there and died. Thanks for replying! I didn't know if anyone would!

[Jimbalaya]

Wow. You really did your homework, Kat. I recall hearing about this, vaguely. It is one of those things that you remember and wish you would forget. Other than a few punctuation errors I though it was very well written and informative. I would go over it again, slowly to catch the punctuation, and I don't think you have anything to worry about with your final. This is very good.

[Vorcla]

Originally Posted by DnDDmDb642 ;

I don't know what kind of documentation you are using, because I only really use APA.

That's a form of MLA documentaion, which is used almost all of the time on college essays. My students are required to use it.

Great job, Kat. This is a nice overview for someone unfamiliar with the whole Jonestown fiasco. Well written, and an interesting read.