jonestown

A detailed Summary of jonestown

Cults have existed throughout history since the beginning of time. A cult is defined in Webster's dictionary as a "system of religious worship with a devoted attachment to a person, principle, etc." Over the past thirty years numerous religious cults have caused " tens of thousands to abandon their families, friends, education's, and careers to follow the teaching of a leader they will never meet"(Beck 78).

Opinions vary as to why people are drawn to cults. "Martin Marty, professor of religious history at the University of Chicago, attributes the growth of cults to the frustrations of seemingly rootless people"(U.S. News and World Report 23). Marty's classification of a rootless person is a person who is overly frustrated by modern life and is at a loss for direction. Often the rootless individual will "short-circuit and try to hook their lives to any guiding spirit" (U.S. News and World Report 23).

The psychological classification of people who join cults are those who feel neglected by their society. "Cults are picking up on these people who feel their interests have been overlooked" (U.S. News and World Report 23).

The sociological studies on cults and those who join them h

The Jones family was financially in the lower class. Jim's father fell sick and died early in Jim's life leaving Lynetta to raise and support Jim on her own. Hard times and lack of money lead to Lynetta occasionally having to work in a factory twenty miles away from their home. Jim still being a youngster was left in the care of a neighbor. Even though Jim and his mother were separated frequently they still kept close ties with each other.

Jones graduated from Richmond High School just outside of Lynn, It took him ten years of off and on schooling to receive his Bachelor of Arts degree from Butler University. After graduation he worked for a short time as an orderly at a local hospital where he met his future wife, Marciline Baldwin.

November 24, 1978, the death toll count was 779. All the dead, with the exception of a Congressman, and a handful of reporters/pilots were residents of the former Peoples Temple, 200 were children as well as their leader Jim Jones. Why did Jones feel he had to resort to mass suicide? To this day that question is still unknown. One theory that has been accepted was a strong possibility is the visit of Congressman Ryan. On November 1, 1978, Ryan telegramed Jones "I am most interested in a visit to Jonestown and would appreciate whatever courtesies you can extend"(Oblsson 41). Jones's drugged and paranoid thoughts ran wild through his head. Jones had lost his mind and saw the outside world as an enemy that would bring the end to the world he had created and ruled.

1. Author unknown. "The Bizarre Tragedy in Guyana." U.S. News & World Report

"'Alert! Alert! Everyone to the pavilion!' The Rev. Jim Jones was on the loud speaker, summoning the members of his Peoples Temple to their last communion. Dutifully, they gathered round; some of them, without a doubt knew what was in store"(Oblsson 38). It was November 18, 1978 just before sunset tragedy feel upon Jonestown. Earlier that day Larry Schact, a medical-school graduate who was acting as the camp doctor was instructed by Jones to prepare a potion of death, mixed in Flavor-aide. Schact "dumped a quantity of pain killers and tranquilizers into the pinkish-purple brew. Finally Jones ordered Schact and Joyce Touchette, one of the leaders of the commune, to bring forth 'the potion'. Half-gallon jugs of cyanide was then poured into it"(Mathews 53). " 'Everyone has to die.' Said Jones. ' If you love me as I love you, we must all die or be destroyed from the outside.' "(Oblsson 38). Jones's words over the loud speaker echoed through the camp. "It is time to die with d!

In 1963 Jones visited Guyana eventually to be the site of his ultimate vision of a remote utopian settlement. In 1974, Jim Jones, along with a handful of followers, moved to build his dream a "Christian, socialist commune in the wilds of Guyana"(Steele 62). Jones's followers built a commune complete with housing and medical facilities advanced by Guyanese standards. Within the commune there was little racial tension and the children seemed content. "Maury Janaro 16, a member of Jonestown wrote in a letter to her mother who was living in San Francisco 'I love it here'" (Steele 62). For a year the commune ran smoothly. All those who lived in Jonesto

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Category: Religion