Jonestown remembered

[Peter John]

I am from the UK, & remember back in the 70's, to this catastrophic event, without knowing the full story. I have just watched over 2 nights on TV, 'Storyville: Terror in the jungle'.

With testimonies from survivors, who escaped being part of 918 men, women & children, murdered, because of one man, Jim Jones, who feared that authorities had discovered his motives, & would have found out that he had already arranged the deaths of a few who wanted to escape.

I have written this, because I see parallels to various similar seeming cultish followings, that could result in people being indoctrinated into believing their leader's beliefs, over all else. Having felt this, watching it, at the very end, one survivor, who had written a book, said the same, & felt there would be a repeat.

Having seen how actress Leah Remini, escaped Scientology, & made 3 series, so far, on TV, to show us, the abuses that are continuing to go on, behind closed doors, & having the protection of being a charitable organisation, & how ex-followers are harassed, & shamed & filmed by the cohorts of Scientology, & lauded by the likes of Tom Cruise & John Travolta, shows how gullible people can be, & be stripped of their money & lives.

Having studied with the Jehovah's witnesses 35yrs ago, there are people that are separated from family members, who are not part of the cult, & similarly to Scientology, there is an indoctrination, that they are not allowed to accept literature from other faiths, but try & give you theirs, that holds the Watchtower society's publications, to be true, over all else.

I am grateful that I am in the UK, yes we have faults, but at least, when it comes to guns, there are very few around, & what cultish groups there are, in smaller numbers, like JW's & Scientology & Mormons, hopefully we don't follow too much, the US lead on these cultish groups, but we are in the last days, where iniquity gains a greater pace, so each of us should pursue God's Truth, WITHOUT the reliance on leaders, who have their own agenda, to achieve a mass following.

 

[bèlla]

I think I saw that. He was very disturbed. I’ve read a lot about cult leaders, escapees, and brainwashing to understand how someone succumbs to their influence. I watched Waco on television and it was troubling.

There are many who are adept at targeting and dismantling their victims. They may not have a large following like Jonestown. But their cleverness and diabolical thirst for power and control are equally bad. One life is too many.

I undertook the study for several reasons. Religion attracts a certain type. Oftentimes belief overrides facts and discernment. You get an odd mixture of lambs and wily wolves. We’re told to be wise as serpents and I took that message to heart.

~Bella

 

[SkyWriting]

I am from the UK, & remember back in the 70's, to this catastrophic event, without knowing the full story. I have just watched over 2 nights on TV, 'Storyville: Terror in the jungle'.

With testimonies from survivors, who escaped being part of 918 men, women & children, murdered, because of one man, Jim Jones, who feared that authorities had discovered his motives, & would have found out that he had already arranged the deaths of a few who wanted to escape.

I have written this, because I see parallels to various similar seeming cultish followings, that could result in people being indoctrinated into believing their leader's beliefs, over all else. Having felt this, watching it, at the very end, one survivor, who had written a book, said the same, & felt there would be a repeat.

Having seen how actress Leah Remini, escaped Scientology, & made 3 series, so far, on TV, to show us, the abuses that are continuing to go on, behind closed doors, & having the protection of being a charitable organisation, & how ex-followers are harassed, & shamed & filmed by the cohorts of Scientology, & lauded by the likes of Tom Cruise & John Travolta, shows how gullible people can be, & be stripped of their money & lives.

Having studied with the Jehovah's witnesses 35yrs ago, there are people that are separated from family members, who are not part of the cult, & similarly to Scientology, there is an indoctrination, that they are not allowed to accept literature from other faiths, but try & give you theirs, that holds the Watchtower society's publications, to be true, over all else.

I am grateful that I am in the UK, yes we have faults, but at least, when it comes to guns, there are very few around, & what cultish groups there are, in smaller numbers, like JW's & Scientology & Mormons, hopefully we don't follow too much, the US lead on these cultish groups, but we are in the last days, where iniquity gains a greater pace, so each of us should pursue God's Truth, WITHOUT the reliance on leaders, who have their own agenda, to achieve a mass following.

I wouldn't rely on the publishing of news to give accurate totals for different countries.
Just assume you are in the same boat as people across any body of water.
Because not all problems are banned from boat crossings.

 

[Peter John]

I wouldn't rely on the publishing of news to give accurate totals for different countries.
Just assume you are in the same boat as people across any body of water.
Because not all problems are banned from boat crossings.

I can rely on the words coming from the mouth of Jim Jones, & all the film from his temple & in Guyana, where he said 'beside me, there is no God', plus the surviving sons of Jones testimonies. Unless you have seen these recent programmes, you shouldn't guess on their content!

Yes, wherever we are, we should not rely on one person, who has worked out their own doctrine, that appears, at first, to have good intentions, when they are intrinsically selfish, for reasons of money, power & control. We should discover truth from our own studies, & discern truth from others, who may have a false doctrine, but still have elements of truth.

 

[SkyWriting]

I can rely on the words coming from the mouth of Jim Jones, & all the film from his temple & in Guyana, where he said 'beside me, there is no God', plus the surviving sons of Jones testimonies. Unless you have seen these recent programmes, you shouldn't guess on their content!

Yes, wherever we are, we should not rely on one person, who has worked out their own doctrine, that appears, at first, to have good intentions, when they are intrinsically selfish, for reasons of money, power & control. We should discover truth from our own studies, & discern truth from others, who may have a false doctrine, but still have elements of truth.

What about in the 42 years since then?
Any good cults we should investigate?

 

[Peter John]

What about in the 42 years since then?
Any good cults we should investigate?

Adding to those I've said (JW's & Scientology & mormons), people will either agree, or disagree, especially if they are still in them, but there are the prosperity gospel preachers, most of whom have got luxury homes, planes & boats, by taking from the poor, to line their own pockets. I won't name them, as supporters might be on here, & have my posts taken away, but most are on various so-called Christian TV.
There are other current ones, where they show tendencies to want to be exclusive, & discount all other doctrines, but again, I'm not going to name them, but will debate with them on platforms, like this one. Obviously, it will be contentscious for some, going by what I believe to be true gospel, as I, as well as others, are growing in faith, & truth doesn't come all at once, but over our lifetime of study.

 

[Chrystal-J]

Jim Jones was an atheist and Marxist, as were many of his followers.

 

[Daniel Marsh]