Religion and Cults Led to Abuses of Power
Cults have become popular since the 1950s—a major factor in abuse of power. Cults target vulnerable people who are depressed or going through hard times in their lives (e.g., those with addiction or teens who were kicked out of their homes). What makes cults successful is when they ask their members for money and make them feel appreciated at all times.
Cult leaders often push their followers to commit crimes—isolate themselves from friends and family, engage in nonconsensual sex, give up their possessions and wealth—and recruit more victims. These actions may cause decades-long psychological trauma.
The Peoples Temple, the Most Deadly Cult in American History
James Warren Jones, a preacher and religious cult leader pictured below, led the Peoples Temple Church cult in the United States from 1954 to 1978. His charisma, staged healing sessions, and connections to politicians and religious leaders—raised him $8.5 million.
In the US, Jones donated clothes, medical supplies, food, and rehab services at several charitable events. He took his followers' monthly paychecks—forced them to leave their families and homes—and worked for him for free inside the Peoples Temple Church cult. He claimed to be "the voice of God." His cult had more than 900 members.
Several of Jones's members left the cult and reported alleged abuse in the Peoples Temple to the FBI. However, no investigation was conducted because Jones was friends with several politicians and law enforcement officials who supported religious freedom under the First Amendment.
Many newspapers, magazines, radio, and television covered the victim stories of new journalists. Jones felt threatened as more victims came forward and wanted to relocate his cult to avoid legal action following his allegations, which included abuse of power.
In 1978. He convinced 900 followers to leave the US and move to Guyana, South America, where he founded “Jonestown” in a remote jungle. Jones claimed that Jonestown was paradise and holy. He said the area has plenty of nutrient-rich food planted, no mosquitoes or snakes, and the weather is always 72 degrees every single day—but it's all a hoax.
Going Through Jonestown’s “Gate of Hell”
Nothing could grow in the jungle's thin soil in Guyana. The air was thick—scorching hot—and full of snakes and bugs. Jones ordered his followers to work outside in the heat to maintain Jonestown from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.—with an hour for lunch and two hours of sleep.
Food supplies were low. Jones collected rotten food from nearby markets and returned it to Jonestown to feed the hungry. People were served small portions of food (e.g., rice soup, rotten vegetation, unsafe water). Children and weak elderlies starved in bed at night while Jones hoarded all the high-quality food in his cabin to eat to keep his blood pressure in order.
According to Tracy Parks, Jonestown's youngest survivor, Jones's cult followers had no money to return home—were forced to burn their passports—and signed false child molestation confessions for blackmail—before "entering into the gate of hell" to Jonestown.
Jones—While High on Drugs—Screamed and Preached About God
Everyone was mandated to attend Jones' nightly meetings to hear him scream—preach about God—and threaten the Jonestown population who wanted to leave. The meetings would last for hours. Members who fell asleep were beaten with a cane. Children who couldn't stay awake slept on the ground. Each meeting was patrolled by armed guards.
Because all communication with the outside world was blocked, Jones was the only one receiving radio tower information. He falsely claimed that the US was against them. Jones threatened to fight with—"claws, guns, and dynamite!"—while high on heavy drugs.
Jones also held inappropriate lectures and speeches—like having sex in bed with his cult followers of young women and men to "maintain" his supernatural powers while forcing their spouses to watch. He told his followers they were all homosexual, and he was the only "strong" heterosexual on Earth. Jones had narcissistic personality disorder.
It Was Forbidden to Criticize Jones in Jonestown
It was forbidden to criticize Jones in Jonestown. Jones separated families and children into cabins, saying it was unholy to reunite them, but he wanted them to divide and distrust each other. This caused families to report relatives who criticized Jonestown.
Jerry Parks, a member of Jonestown, said to his cousin, "He hated Jonestown." Jerry's cousin then turned him in—and men beat him on stage while everyone laughed. Tracy Parks, Jerry's 12-year-old daughter, yelled at them to get off from her father before being threatened by another member.
Tommy Bogue, 16, is pictured on the left. With the fear of his life, he stole food from the kitchen and ran into the jungle with his best friend to escape to Venezuela. Night fell in the jungle—making it so dark that they couldn't see anything. Jones' guards caught them and severely punished them.
Additional punishments included being spanked a hundred times with a paddle while everyone laughed—having their clothes stripped off in front of everyone while Jones made cruel remarks—being locked in a deep well for days—being brutally beaten, and so on. Jones said anyone who wanted to leave Jonestown could swim to the US and "go to hell."
U.S Families Are Concerned and Demand the FBI Investigate Jonestown
Meanwhile, families in the United States became worried about their family members who joined the cult and resided in Jonestown—after not hearing from them for seven months. Families demand the FBI do a full investigation of Jonestown to find their loved ones.
Congressman Leo Ryan, a California state representative, took on the task of investigating whether or not people in Jonestown were safe and happy. Jones felt threatened by Ryan's desire to visit. Before arriving in Jonestown, Ryan brought news reporters and new journalists—NBC film crews with cameramen—and seventeen relatives of the cult.
People were unhappy—they hadn't eaten in days—and no one slept in Jonestown. Jones knew that people wanted to return home to the US. He feared the truth would face a legal penalty. Jones rehearsed countless times with his followers—to say and act safe and happy.
Many Were Tired of Jones’s Nonsense and Wanted to Leave Jonestown
On November 17, 1978, Ryan and his crew arrived in Jonestown to find people smiling—singing—and dancing in colorful clothes. Jones' supporters told Ryan and his crew that they "eat lambs, steak, and chicken" and told new reporters on footage that "they love Jonestown."
Ryan quickly believed the lie that everyone was safe and happy. Until nightfall, in a gathering with music and dancing, one of Jones's followers approached Ryan and slipped a note in his pocket. The note read—"Help." A day later—on November 18, 1978—sixteen more people told Leo Ryan they wanted to return to the US and were being held against their will.
New reporters questioned Jones about the people's desire to leave Jonestown—leaving him speechless and sweating. Jones told a cult member to attack Ryan with a knife before releasing him—and other Jonestown members shouted "traitors" at those who wanted to leave. Ryan, his crew, and 16 others went to the planes while being followed by cult members.
US History (Part 1): Jonestown Massacre, November 18, 1978
Jones cult members ambushed them with guns and shot Ryan—his crew—and the other sixteen people. Leo Ryan was the first congressman to be assassinated while in office. Others were injured or killed—while the survivors hid in the jungles or faked their deaths.
Congresswoman Jackie Speier was wounded and pretended to be dead to avoid being killed. NBC's cameraman recorded the shooting before his death. After witnessing their mother shot in the head—Tracy Parks, 12, and her sister Brenda, 18, jumped out of the plane and ran into the jungle to hid with three other kids—for three days—before being rescued.
US History (Part 2): Jonestown Massacre, November 18, 1978
After Congressman Leo Ryan was assassinated, Jonestown's intercom announced "White Knight" to signal his cult members to drink cyanide-laced Kool-Aid and execute themselves—calling it "the revolutionary suicide." He then told them that if they can't live in peace, "then let's die in peace." He stated that children and babies must be executed first. Jones intended to kill the children first to lose the parents' will to live.
Then—Christine Miller— an elderly black woman with a lot of courage, stood up against Jones, telling him—“I don't see it like that. I mean, I feel like that—as long as there's life, there's hope. That's my faith—(when) I look at all the babies, and I think they deserve to live!" Christine was unable to persuade Jones—and she was attacked and poisoned with cyanide.
Jones intended to kill the children first to lose the parents' will to live.
Jones brought out a barrel filled with cyanide-laced Kool-Aid—and a type recorder to document the event—which is now known as the death type. Kool-Aid was injected into babies' and children's mouths from syringes without needles. Children can be heard gasping for air and screaming "no" in the death-type recording—baby mouths foamed. The mothers screamed in terror and cried out helplessly as Jones preached about death.
While the rest of the cult members drank the Kool-Aid, some were either willing or unwilling to drink. And those who refused to drink the Kool-Aid were either shot or given poison injections by Jones' guard. Jones was found dead from a bullet wound to the head. It's still unclear who shot Jones in the head—himself or someone else; that remains a mystery.
A Summary of Jonestown's Massacre and Its Aftermath
Jones led a cult of over 900 people who he convinced to relocate from the U.S to South America in Guyana and live at a settlement he built called "Jonestown." The weather was scorching hot—the air was thick—and Jones ordered his followers to work outside to maintain the settlement from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a few breaks. Human rights were violated, and unjust disciplines were used.
On November 18, 1978, 918 people were killed in the settlement—nearly 300 children—to be poisoned by drinking cyanide-laced Kool-Aid or given poison injections; those who tried to escape were shot down by armed men. Jones committed the massacre to avoid any legal penalties—and he was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head. The photo below shows the aftermath.
Children were holding their parents—parents were laying on top of babies in their arms—and Jones's guards were all dead—laying on the ground in broad daylight. The heat in Guyana was so intense that the flesh of over 300 people melted—burned into a crisp—leaving them unidentified.
Babies Were Crying—Children Screaming “No!”—in The Death Type
This case study was extremely disturbing. I even listened to the Jonestown Massacre's "death type" recording, in which Jones recorded the horror screams. I had to pause and take a break at times while listening to it—because it was so heartbreaking and traumatizing.
Because babies were crying—children screaming "No!"—mothers were sobbing—all can be heard in the recording. Church music played while Jones preached about death. Christine Miller—an elderly black woman, was the only cult member who spoke out against Jones—and her voice was filled with fear.
A letter, displayed on the left, was discovered in Jonestown after the massacre—inspired me to do research and write about it. The letter was basically from a cult member; he poured his heart out, telling the world not to forget about them—telling us to "collect all the tapes, all the writing, all the history"—and remember them to avoid repeating a bad history.
The rest of the dead cult members were buried in the U.S. Religious ministries disgraced Jones, labeling him a demonic being—he was cremated and tossed into the Atlantic Ocean. And the survivors who went home to the US—many of them—did not recover from the trauma event. Some resort to violence, addiction—or still follow Jones's religious practices.
Jonestown Survivors' Stories
Here are some survivors' stories with a pattern of violence: Lawrence E. Mann murdered his family and committed suicide in 1981; Tyrone Mitchell opened fire on an elementary school in 1984—before killing himself; and Chris O'Neal—who was a child when he escaped Jonestown—was killed by police in 2014 after a domestic dispute.
However, not all survivors resort to violence. Tracy Parks, the youngest survivor in the photo on the left, raised a wonderful family and was determined to live her best life for her late mother. Congresswoman Jackie Speier wrote and displayed her book, Undaunted, about how "people can take their heartache and turn it into hope" in an interview with Today New on November 6, 2018. (which I will be buying her book.)
In late 1970s—Families demanded answers about why the FBI did not conduct a thorough investigation into Jonestown earlier. Because the FBI received numerous reports of abuses in the Peoples Temple church cult—no investigations were conducted until the Jonestown massacre. To this day, families still blame the U.S justice department for not acting sooner after losing loved ones in a preventable tragedy.
Jones used religion to abuse power for sex—wealth—power. He was then diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder, which left him emotionless, unable to empathize, and obsessed with death and religion—his only source of confidence came from receiving validation from his cult following.
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