Leader Jim Jones and the People Temple cult
The People Temple religious organization, later called a sect, arose in 1955 in the state of Indiana, USA. Its founder was 24-year-old preacher Jim Jones. Jones preached ideas of social and racial equality, promising to help all his parishioners. In this organization, Jim Jones took in people from very different social statuses: alcoholics, drug addicts, homeless people, as well as many people with family problems or simply disappointed in the world around them. One-third of the organization's members were black, in Indiana at that time racial discrimination was rampant.
In 1956, Jim Jones bought a small church building in Indianapolis, where he held meetings. They often practiced “miraculous healing” on patients, which attracted a lot of public attention. On one occasion, Jim Jones, who was a talented actor, even played himself as if he had been “resurrected.”
In the 1960s, amid the Cold War, the fear of nuclear war was widespread in American society. Jim Jones cleverly exploited this context. He told his congregation that he had seen a vision of a nuclear apocalypse, that the entire city would be hit by a nuclear attack and completely destroyed. And, of course, only the elect would be saved, including members of the cult.
Over time, the cult grew. In the early years, there were only a few dozen members, but by the early 1970s, the People Temple had 3,000 to 5,000 members. Members of the cult traveled across the country, holding fundraising speeches in different cities. Jim Jones opened a soup kitchen to attract new supporters. In addition, the People Temple opened a daycare center, providing medical and legal services in exchange for benefits. Gradually, the cult became more totalitarian, with Jim Jones demanding that members of the organization transfer their assets and paying more attention to the cult than to his own family.
In 1965, after claiming that Indianapolis would be destroyed in an upcoming nuclear war, Jim Jones announced the relocation of the People Temple to California. A more important reason for the move was the growing criticism of the cult from members' relatives. In California, Jim Jones had won the support of several local politicians . At any given time, he could bring at least a few hundred of his followers to a rally to support them. Thus, once Jim Jones supported George Moscone in the San Francisco mayoral election, he later received a high position in the city government.
By the mid-1970s, Jim Jones was considered a highly respected person in California. Among his acquaintances was Governor Jerry Brown, and he even met the First Lady of the United States, Rosalyn Carter. By that time, the People Temple's operations had also grown. The organization had nine nursing homes and six private schools for children. Many documents were also printed, with a monthly circulation of 30,000 copies.
But along with the successes, new problems soon arose. Relatives of cult members began filing lawsuits, claiming that Jim Jones was defrauding their loved ones and swindling members of their money. Publications critical of the cult appeared in the press, with journalists claiming that people were being held there by force, and that brutal punishments would follow any violations. Unable to withstand the criticism, Jim Jones decided that he needed to make another move, this time outside the United States.
“City of dreams and shared happiness”
The chosen resettlement site was unusual: Guyana, located on the northern coast of South America. There, in the middle of the jungle, construction began on a rented plot of land for a new settlement. Jones named it after himself, Jonestown. In 1977, Jones, along with more than 900 other members of the People's Temple, moved to Jonestown. Here they worked 11 hours a day, building new buildings and expanding the territory. A kindergarten, a nursery, a clubhouse, and a sawmill were built in Jonestown.
In his speeches at the evening meetings, Jim Jones repeatedly said that the new settlement would soon become “heaven on Earth” and a place of “universal happiness.” Jim Jones assured them that here they were safely hidden from all the evils that existed in the rest of the world.
It is known that Jim Jones and his closest associates remained in contact with the Soviet ambassador to Guyana, Fedor Timofeev. It is assumed that Jim Jones’s goal was to move the entire cult to the Soviet Union to avoid further persecution from the US authorities and from the relatives of the cult members. Relatives became increasingly concerned, even forming their own organization, “Concerned Relatives,” and calling for a full investigation into Jones’ activities. Eventually, their request was heard by the authorities.
Congressman Leo Ryan began a serious investigation into the People Temple's activities. He decided to check things out on the spot. So on November 17, 1978, he personally went to Jonestown with a number of journalists.
When they arrived, they found that the residents were generally living peacefully. However, clashes were inevitable: one resident attacked Ryan, holding a knife to his throat. In addition, 16 residents wanted to leave Jonstown and return home. The next day, when they returned to the airport, the journalists who accompanied Ryan and residents who expressed their desire to return to the United States were attacked by Jonestown guards. Here is how Charles Krause, one of the surviving journalists, described this tragic moment:
“Hey, look!” Someone shouted, pointing from afar. A truck and a tractor with a platform were driving across the runway. Meanwhile, three unknown people were approaching the plane. They looked aggressive… But I wasn’t too worried because the local police were there…
Bob Brown and Steve Sang point their cameras at three men approaching and pushing some Guyanese away… They grab a rifle from a Guyanese policeman they push away…
And then the shooting began. The screams rang out. I ran around the tail of the plane, past the NBC crew filming and behind the wheel… Someone fell on top of me and rolled… I realized I was wounded… Another body fell on top of me and rolled… I lay helpless… Waiting for a shot in the back. The gunners had done their job of finishing off the wounded at close range… How I escaped death, I will never understand… There was another plane on the runway, supposedly carrying… “concerned relatives” and those who had left the cult. After the shots, the plane attempted to take off. But in the cabin, Larry Leighton opened fire. He wounded Monica Bagby and Vernon Gosnay. Then the gun jammed and Parks was able to knock it out of Leighton’s hands.”
Leighton was one of the settlers who wanted to return home. In total, five people were killed in the attack, including three journalists, one settler, and Leo Ryan.
Horrific mass suicide
That same evening, Jim Jones held his last meeting of the cult. He announced that now that the American congressman and the journalists were dead, there was only one way out: suicide. Surprisingly, out of the crowd of more than 900 people, only one girl was brave enough to oppose him, saying that suicide was not the way out, and that it was better to try to contact the Soviet ambassador again to escape to the Soviet Union. But Jones rejected the suggestion.
Several barrels were filled with grape juice, to which a mixture of potassium cyanide and diazepam had been added. Each resident was given a plastic cup containing the poisoned juice. Parents first gave it to their children, then they drank it themselves. It is believed that some were forced to drink it. Jones himself was later found shot through the head. In total, 918 people died in Jonestown, including 276 children.
Questions remain about the Jonestown suicide. This has since given rise to a number of conspiracy theories. For example, one of them says that the Jonestown cult members did not commit suicide but were murdered by CIA agents. However, all serious researchers of these events have rejected this version.
In fact, every People Temple meeting, including the last one, was recorded, so we know what was said. And Jones's last words were all about impending suicide. About 80 followers had left the settlement the night before and were not present at the last meeting, and were eventually rescued and sent home. It was not until 1979 that the People Temple was banned in the United States.
Jonestown became a ghost town. Because of its gloomy reputation, no one settled there and in the mid-1980s, much of the settlement was destroyed by fire. The ruins still remain and are uninhabited to this day.
Source: https://antg.cand.com.vn/Ho-so-mat/vu-tu-sat-tap-the-cua-giao-phai-people-temple-i696581/
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