Jim Jones and the peoples temple

The peoples temple in many ways resembles a cult. They are commonly referred to as the classic cult. But like the people that were involved say, no one joins a cult. People join religious movements because they feel strongly about the message the group is sending or believing in. The people’s temple was no exception. Jim Jones reached out to all kinds of people and touched their hearts. He made them feel as if they belonged to something and gave them a feeling of self gratification and accomplishment. These people were vulnerable to anything he wanted them to do, think hear, say or whatever for that matter. They became his puppets and he was the puppet master. Jim Jones changed the lives of many people. Both good and bad. But I can assure you that regardless of their feelings about Jim Jones, They will never forget the impact he had on their lives.

When you think of a cult you think of people who do outrageous things. Cults are thought of almost always in a negative way. But the people’s temple was not thought of negatively by its members. One of the main reasons you can classify them as a cult is because they constantly were trying to separate themselves from the rest of society. First in Ukiah, then San Francisco, and then ultimately Jonestown. Cults feel that the rest of society is inferior toward it and its members. The people’s temple shared this feeling. They strived to break away from a world thought by them to be inhumane and awful. They always wanted to form there own separate society at all costs and I think that was there main goal.

Another reason why they resemble a cult is because of the fact that Jim Jones on several occasions claimed to be of divine power or god like. And that is how his people saw him. This is very common in a lot of cults. The leader will claim to be God or have authority from God. But the fact that one man is doing this doesn’t make them a cult. It is the fact that the people believed it and followed him and his believes. The people’s temple members saw Jim Jones as more than just a man and that is a defining characteristic of a cult.

Also the members of the people’s temple for the most part saw those who were not believers or members as inferior or wrong. Many of the members broke off communications with friends and family. They saw there fellow cult members as their only family and the only friends they needed. Often times when Cults reach the point were the leader has enough control over his members to control every aspect of there life the end is near.

And finally the main reason why the People’s Temple resembles a Cult is because at a certain point the members were not making there own decisions any longer. Jim Jones decided every aspect of there life for them. They let Jim Jones think for them and make choices for there lives. He was in complete and total control of almost every single member of that cult and they would do whatever he said no matter how heinous or dramatic the task. This defining characteristic obviously lead to the end of the people’s temple and its members.