Jim Jones and the People's Temple

[humble soul]

If you follow this guy's story, he started a Christian ministry but actually morphed into a social justice themed revolution. Especially for blacks. Blacks seemed to love him.
What an awful tragedy is Jonestown.
Jones was a narcissistic control freak drug addict in the end.
How easily manipulated we humans can be. How easily brainwashed. How we can give away our power to someone else.
Some of us don't really want to think for ourselves. We would rather someone else ask and answer the hard questions.
For me the conclusion here is, better to be a sad loner than a sad groupie. Sad loners at least have some freedom to live their life the way they choose.

 

[Quantrill]

If you follow this guy's story, he started a Christian ministry but actually morphed into a social justice themed revolution. Especially for blacks. Blacks seemed to love him.
What an awful tragedy is Jonestown.
Jones was a narcissistic control freak drug addict in the end.
How easily manipulated we humans can be. How easily brainwashed. How we can give away our power to someone else.
Some of us don't really want to think for ourselves. We would rather someone else ask and answer the hard questions.
For me the conclusion here is, better to be a sad loner than a sad groupie. Sad loners at least have some freedom to live their life the way they choose.

From the beginning Jones was starting a social justice movement. Not a Christian ministry. He of course used religion, the christian religion, to further that end.

Yes, blacks loved him, as they are prone to love anyone who promotes their cause.

To draw a conclusion as you have, that it is better to be a loner then be part of a groupie, is fine if you are not talking about being a Christian and part of a church. The Christian needs to be part of a local fellowship.

Have you listened to any of Jones's sermons or speeches. It would take about 15 seconds to know this man is a nut.

Quantrill

 

[humble soul]

Have you listened to any of Jones's sermons or speeches. It would take about 15 seconds to know this man is a nut

I listened to the final tapes at Jonestown yesterday. Frightening how he tells the parents to kill their kids first by giving them Kool aid cyanide poisoning drink.
Unbelievable.

 

[Quantrill]

I listened to the final tapes at Jonestown yesterday. Frightening how he tells the parents to kill their kids first by giving them Kool aid cyanide poisoning drink.
Unbelievable.

Yes, but I was talking about any of his speeches or sermons earlier. He was a nut the whole time.

Quantrill

 

[humble soul]

Yes, but I was talking about any of his speeches or sermons earlier. He was a nut the whole time.

Quantrill

Ican imagine

 

[Quantrill]

This brings up an interesting point to me. What was the purpose of a Jim Jones and the death of all of his followers? What was going on in the spirit realm concerning this? satan was most definitely involved. So why did he do it?

I remember when this occurred. I was going to a Bible study on Wed. night at Church. I got there and went to get a cup of coffee. An older man and woman were there talking about it. And I heard her say, " that just shakes your faith to the core". I couldn't believe an elderly Christian would say that. Is ones faith in Christ that shallow as to allow this to shake your faith, I told her.

It is this, I believe, that is the purpose of satan. To attack the faith of believers. To mimic a church and then destroy it, causing the real church to doubt whether or not they are right in what they do. And it works with many.

It is not a new tactic of satan's. See (Acts 5:34-37). The disciples are about to be killed by the Jews for preaching Christ. Gamaliel steps in and warns them. He reminds them of one called Theudas who made himself to be someone and got a following, but was later killed with all his followers. Then there was a Judas of Galilee who did the same. (5:37) And the same occurred. He and his followers were killed.

But, note the time when this Judas of Galilee gathered his following. (Acts 5:37) "in the days of the taxing" What else was taking place during the 'days of the taxing'? (Luke 2:1) The birth of Christ.

So while Christ is being born satan is busy raising up one and a following to mimic the coming Christ. And satan's man and following are killed and all is brought to nothing. satan's purpose is to create skepticism against any who claim to be someone, if not hatred, and to attack them and destroy them. In other words, to mimic the real, so that when the real comes along, it is viewed as just another one of those.

Shakes the faith of believers. Creates and supports a skepticism to non-believers. But we are not ignorant of his devices. (2 Cor. 2:11)

Quantrill