Jonestown Suicide Essay

Everyday, there are many horrid acts that happen in our world in the name of religion. One of the most infamous of these cases of martyrdom in the postmodern world is Jonestown. Jonestown was the mass suicide of more than 900 members of the Peoples Temple cult in 1978. It is recalled today for its use of Kool-Aid in the mass suicide, the members actually drank the beverage mixed with cyanide. With it also being memorable for its involvement of mind control and dictatorship, Jonestown goes down as one of the most horrid events of postmodern society. Jonestown was led by a man known as Jim Jones. Jim Jones grew up in Crete, Indiana. With his father being an invalid and his mother working multiple jobs to support the family, “Jones was often alone as a child” (Gay 81). Seeing as Jones may have felt alone and possibly unsupported, he may have found his support in religion. “He would attend

However, that was definitely not the case. Those who were actually able to escape Jonestown will forever remember it as an image of brutality. Jones’ dictatorship was at its peak. “He still demanded pure loyalty from the congregation, forcing members to prove their loyalty by signing blank pieces of paper, blank power of attorney forms, as well as to actually make false confessions about molesting their children, conspiring to overthrow the U.S. government, and he even went to the length of premeditating framed crimes if a member wanted to leave the settlement” (Long 13). Jones also wanted devotion, so much at he would destroy personal relationships and would terrorize children into turning against their parents (Long 13). Jones also had sexual fantasies and perversions of his own. Both sexes were beaten and coerced into having sex with both Jones and other members, except for their own husbands and wives. They were actually forced to watch their spouses get sexually humiliated and abused (Long