The People's Temple In Jonestown, Guyana
On November 18, 1978, in Jonestown, Guyana, over nine hundred members of a religious sect called the Peoples Temple died along with their leader Jim Jones. In a related incident, a California congressman and some news reporters died after visiting the religious compound. Jim Jones created and governed The Peoples Temple in Jonestown. Jones was a preacher who started his church group in Indiana, moved to California, and then moved to Jonestown, Guyana. Jones had a “vision of a Communist community” in Jonestown, where each individual could live free of racism, poverty, and social injustice. Some members loved living in Jonestown, while others hated being there and wanted out. However, Jones did not want anyone to leave. California congressman,
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To them, he was God. He promised them a better life in Jonestown. He made them believe he could heal people who were sick or injured. He did not have these healing powers. He faked all his miracles. Again, his people believed him. Jones seemed to hypnotize them. Jones also kept his people living in fear. He tried to keep individuals from leaving the People’s Temple, because he did not want them to report the truth of Jonestown. Instead of allowing his people to move freely, Jones controlled them. The people followed Jones’ commands without hesitation or questions. Jones was a narcissistic individual, only interested in himself and how much power he had over his people. He was also mentally ill.
Before Jones and his followers went to Guyana, he told them about how Jonestown was a better place to live. He said it was away from the United States. Since it would be out of the United States this meant they would be free from capitalism, free from racial inequality, and they would get to live in a socialistic society. People liked the sound of all those promises Jones was making. He incorporated presentations to demonstrate the effect Jonestown had on others. He commercialized in order to get followers down to …show more content…
Jones preached to them constantly on the merits of revolutionary suicide. He told them that ordinary suicide would be selfish, but revolutionary suicide would send a message to the rest of the world. Over and over the residents practiced their drills to the point of accepting whatever Jones wanted them to do without question. The people of Jonestown sacrificed their lives, their time, and their love to Jim Jones. They believed everything Jones was doing was for the best. They never gave up hope, until the last day when death flashed before their very own eyes. Jim Jones betrayed them horribly. These people just wanted the best lives for themselves and their children. They wanted to live in a socialistic society, free from capitalism and racial inequality and free from the violence they believed was occurring in the United States. They believed Jones when he promised to take them away from this violence. It turned out in the end they did not escape from it at all. They all died because of the violence perpetrated on them by their God, Jim Jones. Without Jim Jones, most of those people would still be alive
To them, he was God. He promised them a better life in Jonestown. He made them believe he could heal people who were sick or injured. He did not have these healing powers. He faked all his miracles. Again, his people believed him. Jones seemed to hypnotize them. Jones also kept his people living in fear. He tried to keep individuals from leaving the People’s Temple, because he did not want them to report the truth of Jonestown. Instead of allowing his people to move freely, Jones controlled them. The people followed Jones’ commands without hesitation or questions. Jones was a narcissistic individual, only interested in himself and how much power he had over his people. He was also mentally ill.
Before Jones and his followers went to Guyana, he told them about how Jonestown was a better place to live. He said it was away from the United States. Since it would be out of the United States this meant they would be free from capitalism, free from racial inequality, and they would get to live in a socialistic society. People liked the sound of all those promises Jones was making. He incorporated presentations to demonstrate the effect Jonestown had on others. He commercialized in order to get followers down to …show more content…
Jones preached to them constantly on the merits of revolutionary suicide. He told them that ordinary suicide would be selfish, but revolutionary suicide would send a message to the rest of the world. Over and over the residents practiced their drills to the point of accepting whatever Jones wanted them to do without question. The people of Jonestown sacrificed their lives, their time, and their love to Jim Jones. They believed everything Jones was doing was for the best. They never gave up hope, until the last day when death flashed before their very own eyes. Jim Jones betrayed them horribly. These people just wanted the best lives for themselves and their children. They wanted to live in a socialistic society, free from capitalism and racial inequality and free from the violence they believed was occurring in the United States. They believed Jones when he promised to take them away from this violence. It turned out in the end they did not escape from it at all. They all died because of the violence perpetrated on them by their God, Jim Jones. Without Jim Jones, most of those people would still be alive