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The effects of cults on society
Cults and their influence in society
Cults and their influence in society
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November 18,1978, 913 members found dead in a mass suicide/ killing in Guyana South Africa. All were members of The Peoples Temple a cult that fled the US four years prior. There are many different cults around the world that have an impact on our society. A cult is defined as “a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious, also : its body of adherents.”Some cult leaders are known to have Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) and some members are known to have Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD). Cult leaders are also good at keeping members loyal to the cult once they are in. Cults have a strong impact on our society and they also reveal how our society works. The Peoples Temple was a cult lead by Jim Jones located in Jonestown, Guyana. On …show more content…
In 1956 he started his own church called The Peoples Temple and preached about equality and integration. In 1965 Jones feared the midwest was in danger of a nuclear attack and moved to California with one hundred forty church members and his family. While in California his church grew to have over 2,500 members in 1973. Jones convinced his members to get rid of their financial resources and preached a socialist lifestyle for his followers. His ultimate goal was to create a utopian society that did not judge people on their financial status or race. After receiving lots of negative publicity and feeling threatened by the United States government he made a plan for him and his church to flea the US to move to Guyana a small country in South Africa. To avoid detection throughout the late nights in the spring and summer of 1977 members of the Peoples Temple made the move to Guyana. By September 1977 the population of ‘Jonestown’ grew to over 1,000 people. By November the families and US Representative Leo Ryan became concerned about Jones and the Peoples Temple. Ryan published lots of articles and …show more content…
COG is a polygamous cult that both of her parents were in. COG emphasizes on communal living and traditional Christian beliefs it started in the late 1960’s, when ‘hippies’ left their middle class lifestyles to live a communal lifestyle in California. Members are encouraged to remove all contact to their outside families and give up all of their possessions to the group. David Berg (one of the leaders in COG) attempted to separate the group by having different ‘colonies’ from the cult move throughout the US. He later claimed that a comet would strike the US destroying all life forms, convincing the colonies to move to other countries throughout the world including Europe, South America, and Australia. Female members of the cult were sent out to seduce male members into joining the cult this tactic is called ‘flirty fishing’. The COG also disapproved of ‘the system’ which included the United States government along with the rest of society. They believed that sexual enjoyment from masturbation and intercourse were a gift from god and should be the main focus of their lives. While McGowan lived in the cult throughout her early life she felt as if she didn't fit in and was disgusted by her fellow ‘family’ members hippie lifestyles. Despite the fact she had no access to outside world including newspapers and television while in the cult and knew of no other lifestyles. When she was nine McGowan, her father, and one of
Everyone is in a consumer’s hypnosis, even if you think you are not. When you go to a store and pick one brand over the other, you are now under their spell. The spell/ hypnosis is how companies get you to buy there things over other companies and keep you hooked. Either through commercials or offering something that you think will make your life better by what they tell you. For example, you go to the store and you need to buy water, once you get to the lane and look, there is 10 different types of water you can buy. You go pick one either because the picture is better or you seen the commercial the other day and you want it. During the length of this paper we will talk about two important writers, Kalle Lasn the writer of “The Cult You’re in” and Benoit Denizet-Lewis writer of “ The Man Behind Abercrombie & Fitch”. They both talk about similar topics that go hand and hand with each other, they talk about the consumers “Dream”, how companies recruit the consumers, who cult members really are, how people are forced to wear something they don’t want, and about slackers.
Cults Each year, hundreds of North Americans join one of the increasing, estimated 3000 unorthodox religions that exist across North America. The increasing number of cults, to date in North America, is due to the fact that cults are a social movement that attempts to help people cope with their perceived problems with social interaction. Cult recruiters target those who perceive themselves as different from the rest of society, and give these individuals the sense of belonging that they crave. Cult literature lures potential cult members by appealing to their desperate need to socially fit in. Cults provide a controlled family environment that appeals to potential cult members because it is a removal from the exterior society.
Thirty-six years ago, on Nov. 18, 1978, 913 members of the People’s Temple Cult committed mass suicide in the Guyana jungle, under the direction of the Reverend Jim Jones. Most of the victims seem to have taken their own lives by ingesting grape Kool-Aid laced with cyanide, while a few had been shot. The grisly event was triggered by the ambush of U.S. Rep. Leo J. Ryan and other Americans who were attempting to investigate mistreatment of Rev. Jones’ followers; the cult apparently felt threatened by the potential repercussions of the ambush (Layton 3). In 1993, about 80 members of David Koresh's Branch Davidians died after cult members set fire to their own compound following a standoff with federal authorities. And within the past years, 74 members of a group calling itself the Order of the Solar Temple have gone to their death in Canada, Switzerland and France.
The Peoples Temple was an American, Christian cult under the leadership of reverend Jim Jones. The cult was started in Indianapolis, Indiana, preaching anti-racist sentiments, and attracting many African Americans. Subsequently, they moved to San Francisco, where they
I think the main aim of Jim Jones was to take the control of the people. Actually, he was frustrated by the incidents he faced in his life. He was not treated in a good manner for being born as a poor kid. So he learned a lesson that the only way to take control of the people is to start faith-healing. To make people trust him, he made up some characters as members in the temple, who will make up stories and share them with the rest of the crew. So for him to take the revenge of all the bad incidents he faced, the only way is only to take the control of the
Leadership can come from all different places and can manifest in many kinds of people. Many great leaders bring about positive change, but not all powerful leaders are good people. Notably, leaders of cults have continuously risen to a high state of power despite all the wrong reasons. David Koresh stands out as one of the most influential cult leaders. David Koresh was able to form such a strong following by instilling fear in his followers using abusive methods, manipulation, and having his followers adhere to strict rules; by using these leadership tactics David was able to remain in control and keep those around him too afraid to leave (Kingston 1).
On the other hand, the fear of nuclear war was justified and widespread during the time, so his followers were not questioning his concern. On the contrary, Jones behavioral issues began to be noticed be the public. He knew that if he stuck around in the United States for too long he would be the target of some criminal investigations for improper use of funds and fraud. Jones decided to evacuate to Guyana due to the weak and indulgent government. As a result, Jones and hundreds of his followers traveled to a town called Jonestown in the late summer of 1977.
He knew the way to obtain a strong influence over his followers was to move them from their urban American environment to a remote South American jungle, generating uncertainty in their new surroundings. When people are uncertain, they look to others for cues on what to do, leading them to be vulnerable when they are in new surroundings, feel lonely or disconnected. As other cult leaders have done, Jim Jones used this "power of the crowd" influence in controlling others' behavior, intellect, thoughts and emotions. Within the Peoples Temple, and especially at Jonestown, Jim Jones controlled the information to which members would be exposed. He effectively stifled any dissent that might arise within the church and instilled a distrust in each member for contradictory messages from outside. Seeing no alternatives and having no information, a members capacity for dissent or resistance was minimized. These members were primarily the poor, minorities, elderly people who were happy to exchange personal autonomy for security, brotherhood, the illusion of miracles, and the promise of
Jim Jones could finally start his own church with all of the followers he had gained in 2 years. The first church was opened in Indianapolis in 1956 which he called the “peoples temple”. Jim thought that there was a bad balance in the world that the rich were way to rich and the poor were working way too hard for the little that they got. So the people’s temple helped get homes for the mentally ill and the elderly and also helped people find jobs. The temple grew larger and larger as the days went by, in 1966 Jim Jones decided ...
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
He would hold his own services preaching to other children in his community. Jones preached about spiritual healing, wisdom, healing and brotherhood. When he first founded his church, it was named Wings of Deliverance, later known as the Peoples Temple. One of the ways he would attract followers was through his healings. He would perform healings showing his congregation he had the power to magically cure all illnesses, however, it turned out to be fake. For example, Jones healed people of cancer, where he would remove rancid-smelling objects that were supposedly cancerous tissue, when in fact, were rotten chicken liver. Not to mention, Jones influenced some of his subordinates to deceive the congregation to believe he had healing powers; "secretaries dressing up as old women, and the same woman coming out of wheelchairs on different nights" (McGehee III, Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple). Jones implanted people in different locations of his assembly. When it was time for healings, these women would walk to the pulpit and he would magically heal them. By Jones using his subordinates to deceive the congregation, he was able to convince them that he had healing powers. The congregation believed he could heal all of them of their illnesses and diseases because of his healing powers. The people in the congregation would also spread the news to others, presenting them a Savior. This fantasy entices more people to join his congregation. In view of this, we see that Jones resorted to deceitful means to acquire more
“I can lead you into that kingdom level above human. That can’t happen unless you leave the human world that you’re in and come and follow me. Time is short. Last chance.”
Jim Jones, a man of Irish and Welsh decent, was born in Crete, Indiana in 1931, forced to grow up in the Great Depression and live in poverty. Although Jim Jones and his family were poor, that did not stop Jones from dedicating his life to religion and graduating high school with honors. A year after Jones graduated high school, he married Marcelin Baldwin, “showing his high maturity for his age” (Wunrow, 2016). Jones was a scholar, continuing his education to Butler University and doing graduate work at Indiana University (Wunrow, 2016). During his postsecondary education, Jones accepted the position of student pastor at Somerset Methodist Church (Wunrow, 2016). Jones was a graduate student and a pastor all in one, proving how important the two occupations were in his life. Although, Jones grew up to be a very manipulative man, leading the followers of Peoples Church to Jonestown, Guyana and forcing over 900 people to commit suicide.
The establishment that Jones had dreamed of was finally coming true. “Jones found a remote location in the South American country of Guyana that fit his needs. In 1973, he leased some land to the Guyanese government and had workers begin clearing it of jungle.” However, the construction of the new compound was rather slow, due to the fact that “all building supplies needed to be shipped in to the Jonestown Agricultural Settlement.” At first, there were very few people living in the new settlement, but as soon as an “exposé article” was printed, “Jim Jones and several hundred People’s Temple members flew to Guyana” (Rosenberg).
Over 900 people took their own lives in result to the corruption and brainwashing of their leader Jim Jones. This event is a perfect example of how one greater power can have great influence and brainwash a huge following ultimately resulting in the mass suicide. “Jones frequently used his “abilities” during sermons and “healing services” to heal the sick and prove his omnipresence. However, these events were often staged specifically to boost Jones’ appeal and to promote devotion from his followers” (https://jonestown.sdsu.edu). This quote shows that the members of the cult were brainwashed into believing that Jim Jones was all knowing and actually a god himself due to his “healing services”.