Peoples Temple Essay

* He was a persuasive speaker who used his charisma and honesty to gain the trust of the nation.

Lastly, in the incident with Jonestown, showed the most extreme case of conformity and obedience. Jim Jones was a pastor at Peoples Temple, he was the leader of an interracial church. For its time, Jim Jones was pushing past race and ethnicity and introducing a new church that welcomed all people. Jones was the type of man that made people feel comfortable and at home; maybe that is why so many people followed him when he moved his temple across the county and then to Guyana. I think what made people interested in Jonestown was how the community seemed very close and simple, but who would have guessed that those 900 townspeople would all commit mass suicide just because one man said to. The question that remains is, why did so many people obey

Unfortunately white authority shut down the church for violating slave laws related to times and purpose of gatherings. However, anger grew upon the church members and they decided to

Jim Jones gave the people what they wanted to hear. He would help them try and find their better self. That is why he had such a rapid following. Many at the moment thought that the government were not taking care of them so he made them felt like they were going to be take care of. Also he made them feel like they had a community that they were not alone. He would manipulate people by using jesus name. That jesus wanted them to be a certain way or do certain things. His followers are usually vunerable people. Like for example people with addictions and the elderly. He was so persuasive that he told these elderly people to sell

The first step being the mental preparation and physical reenactment, also known as the “white nights”. The second and third step can be considered the investigation by the US government through congressman Leo Ryan and the Jonestown defects that tried to escape with Ryan. The last and final step would be the final speech given by Jones in the center pavilion where he encouraged his people to drink the poison, which seemed to be a way out of the inevitable government prosecution Jones would receive after assassinating Ryan and his party. After his convincing speech, about 900 people, including 276 children, took their lives by drinking poison. However, this “suicide” can be considered a murder because many of the people who died (the children) did not have a say and/or did not fully understand what was happening and why they were doing what they were doing. The future of Peoples Temple does not look prosperous at all, considering almost a thousand members took their life in Guyana and after the tragedy, the existing members in the United States formally disbanded and continued to live their life, but faced prejudice and

The Klan’s attacks enraged many people including Jim Williams from York County, South Carolina. Jim escaped slavery in the last year of the war and fought with the Union. He was a Captain of an all-black militia and lived

Several members of the Cult began to ask to leave with Leo Ryan and when he finally began to leave he and 4 others were attacked and killed by Cult Loyalists (Layton 2). After this Jones organized one final Sermon and

Throughout Jim Jones childhood and adulthood Jim Jones was a very religious person which changed his experience towards many things in his lifetime. Jim Jones was born on May 13, 1931 and throughout his childhood “he was a strong student, especially in public speaking, but he had few friends. His overpowering zest turned off some, and he, in turn, disliked many typical teenage boy activities such as sports, and objected what he believed to be sinful behavior, such as dancing and drinking” (Biography.com Editors). Ever since his childhood, his religious beliefs had taken over his body and viewed many things against him throughout his

Many studies about Jehovah Witnesses state that they are the strictest religion out there. They have rules that should be followed or the person ends up condemned. They do not believe in other religions whatsoever, in any shape or form. Jehovah Witnesses God’s name to them is Jehovah. The sociological concepts discussed will be social class and norms, a function and a dysfunction of Jehovah Witness religion, a symbolic ritual, and an aspect of this religion that entails conflict.

By the time of the final ritual, opposition or escape had become almost impossible for most of the members. Yet even then, it is doubtful that many wanted to resist or leave. Most had come to believe in Jones -- one woman's body was found with a message scribbled on her arm during the final hours: "Jim Jones is the only one" (Cahill, 1979). They seemed to have accepted the necessity, and even the beauty, of dying -- just before the ritual began, a guard approached Charles Garry, one of the Temples hired attorneys, and exclaimed, "Its a great moment... we all die" (Lifton, 1979). A survivor of Jonestown, who happened to be away at the dentist, was interviewed a year following the deaths:

: The structures that make up the Temple of Heaven are meant to signify the relationship between heaven and earth, more importantly the connection between the emperors and God. The through in It was believed that offerings made by the emperor to the Gods, would bring a flourishing harvests, as he was believed to be the closest being to god. The structure itself was built so majestically to represent it descending into heaven. The main ceremonies that were held within the hall were all on the basis of worshipping heaven and so it was believed by doing so, it would be seen as favorable to the gods, enough to be blessed with an abundance supply of harvests such as grain. The ceremonial interior of the hall was built in such a way as to emphasize

Jehovah’s Witnesses are a people known widely throughout the world. They are well-dressed people who come knocking at your door on different occasions offering religious literature for sale or trying to introduce their beliefs through carefully prepared conversation. People young, old, rich, poor, well educated and non-educated have embraced them. Their enthusiasm as proclaimers of God’s Kingdom has impressed even their harshest critics. Their love toward one another makes some non-witnesses hope and pray that more people would act in that manner. Yet, some may still wonder, who really are the Jehovah’s Witnesses? What is their history, their practices and their beliefs? Why are they the most attacked new religious

I feel that all of this fighting and violence is completely unnecessary. A religious shrine should have no requirements to go and pray. So in other words, religious places to pray should be free to everyone to avoid these types of unneeded violence. I don’t think that any other countries should be getting involved with their private affairs. I mean, it’s a fight in their country and everyone else should stay out to avoid an unneeded fight over something that doesn’t affect them. I definitely feel that this should just stay a nation affair to keep some type of order in the world. I learned from this article that religion is so important to some people that they feel the need to kill to protect a holy shrine from other people praying there. I

This allowed him to gain their obedience; they knew that they had to obey him to avoid punishment. There was no way to escape Jones, he seemed to be everywhere. He had them spying on one another and anything not acceptable would be immediately reported to Jones. He also had loud speakers everywhere that he would send messages through, this let the followers know that he was everywhere no matter what they were doing. Because everyone was obedient and thankful to Jones it was difficult to think he was wrong. In 1972 he staged his own death to sow panic then relief among his followers; he also staged attacks on his temple to further heighten fear, this also increased solidarity (Russell, pg 40). Jones also had his followers practice suicide drills and stated that “the proper thing to do was to kill yourself before they get you”(paraphrase article). The mass suicide/murder that happened on November 18, 1978 consisted of about 1,000 people drinking lethal cyanide punch. This included small children, women, and men; a total of 912 people died. Both obedience and conformity played a role in this tragedy. If they did not obey his command of drinking it then they would be shot in the head. Others complied with the drinking of the poison because they had to believe what was in accordance with others including Jones. Prisons are also similar to cults, they include obedience and compliance.

The Old Testament ends with the Minor Prophets. These prophets provided insight on many issues the Jews were facing. All of the prophets had the same ideas of a warning of impending judgment because of the nations’ sinfulness, the coming judgment, a call for repentance, and a promise of future deliverance of God’s grace. Idolatry, social injustice and religious ritualism are three issues that the prophets emphasized on in their teachings and can be inspired in the minds and hearts of believers today. The prophets’ teachings are just as important today as they were in the past. The teachings about God, the way man lived, social issues, and religious rituals are all relevant in the today’s society.