Mass Suicide of Peoples Temple Cult at Jonestown Turns 35- The Christian Post
The Christian Post reporter, Michael Gryboski posted this article on November 19, 2013 at 3:17PM. The link to the entire article is found here. There is more insight into Peoples Temple that is worth sharing in this article. He features the reflections and insights of Rebecca Moore. Ms. Moore is a Professor of Religion at San Diego State University and site manager for the Jonestown Institute. She is also a survivor who lost relatives at Jonestown. Ms. Moore has written extensively about Peoples Temple and Jim Jones. I found an article here where she was being honored for her work.
Mr. Gryboski begins with a brief overview of the events and then begins quoting Ms. Moore. I will take a few of her comments and make comparisons to my experience at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). It is not my intent to reprint the entire article. Please, take time and enjoy it in its entirety.
From the article: Moore also told CP that it was “difficult to say what the legacy of Jonestown is,” as many messages could be taken from the tragic events.
“Certainly some people view it as symbolic of the danger of cults and new religions. I think it is evidence of the ability of good people to be led astray by their own aspirations to be good,” said Moore.
“It is painful to say this, but the victims were also the perpetrators in Jonestown. Jim Jones did not administer the physical abuse, the punishments, the tortures: it was the residents themselves who believed the rhetoric that they repeated, and thus perpetrated abuses on each other.”
In comparison, many folks see different sides of WOFF-life and take away many different perspectives. That is true in part because in order to know the entire experience – you must spend time living inside the group and witness the ongoing changing social dynamics for yourself. It is a learned experience over time. To grasp the depth and magnitude of WOFF-life, it takes more than a visit or two to a service or wedding or baby shower. Likewise, if you just view the horrible pictures from the last day of Peoples Temple in the jungle, you won’t know the entire scope of that experience.
Ms. Moore then makes a statement that I can understand as being true of Peoples Temple as it was true during my time inside of WOFF. “I think it is evidence of the ability of good people to be led astray by their own aspirations to be good,”. Yes. Good people get caught up in bad groups. They are often led astray by their own desires and aspirations to be good and do the right thing. My experience includes this as my life during the days leading up to and including the years inside of WOFF. Desiring to do right and be right at any cost can allow one to come under undue duress and situations that skew one’s judgments. What will you trade to be right or be “good”? Will you sacrifice your individual freedoms if someone you respect and admire said you must “do this” and you will make it with God and walk in holiness? Many have done so and will continue to do so in the name of religion.
Ms. Moore truthfully acknowledges that the abuse inside Peoples Temple were not solely at the hand of Jim Jones. He had help. Likewise, the abuses inside WOFF were/are not solely at the hand of Jane Whaley. She has help. “…it was the residents themselves who believed the rhetoric that they repeated, and thus perpetrated abuses on each other.” We spied on each other, we told on each other, we shunned each other, we “prayed” over each other with physical force and “helped one another” submit to God. We did everything we were asked to do to ourselves and to each other because others were doing the very same thing. To go against Jane was to admit you were “not walking with God” or “refusing the call of God” or “full of rebellion” when in actuality it could have been something as simple as you did not agree with her. Not often did someone express an opinion contrary to what Jane expressed. To do so was asking for the wrath of Jane labeled in religious terms as the “wrath of God.”
As in Peoples Temple so likewise in WOFF, these abuses were done not so much with fore-thinking or intent to “hurt” or harm your fellow member, these things were done with the expectation that the desired changes would come. The catch was that if others desired these “changes” for you – you may end up having the “correction” whether you said you wanted it or not. Because there was the understood notion that since you said you “wanted God” by being a part of WOFF, that regardless of your words at the moment, (your backtalk or sassy mouth…) you really “want God” and this is just a “devil” talking through you. So, let’s help this person get a breakthrough! “Hit it!” This “reasoning” or something similar would be used to enlist the help of leadership and other members to restrain in one location or hold down or keep someone from running away to get help and/or pray hard over a seemingly unwilling recipient. We were all convinced that everyone wanted a breakthrough no matter what they were saying at the time. Most of the time, a breakthrough meant finally settling down, admitting you were wrong and Jane was right.
At the time, it all seemed plausible, during those times of intense drama – the “flow” of the events seemed to make sense in the context Jane explained them. However, looking back in retrospect- it was at times all very surreal and dream-like. It was at times as if you were living a “delightful nightmare” with twists and turns none of which were under your control. The plot was totally in Jane’s control- though we would never admit it. To admit that Jane had total control was equal to saying she was bigger than God, and though we were required to act like it in our daily lives, we were never allowed to say it.
As I am hearing recently, the dynamics have evolved to include more physical abuses inside of WOFF. Young people and even children are hitting and punching one another. It is a sad comment, but, as you can tell not unique when it comes to control groups such as Peoples Temple and WOFF. It is the entire culture of fear and abuse that makes living in such a group a danger to society. When WOFF members treat Jane as Jane-God and set aside their rational thinking and God-given individual freedoms then dangerous fanatical behaviors can and do emerge. There is a precipice of decisions – a point of seldom return which many have crossed that allows them to rationalize extreme behaviors as the norms of “the people of God.” Applying common sense and decency are not required for many in WOFF when “driving out the devil in someone who has been taken over.” Individuality as a unique creature is sacrificed and the greater good of the “Body of Christ” as lived the WOFF-way is all that counts.
As Moore says- good people driven by the desire and aspirations to be good and right. I agree with that description for WOFF members. Many are trying to work out their personal salvation while at the same time being caught in the vortex of the WOFF-culture. WOFF contains many sincere people who are living for an elusive cause which ends up in practice being the total support of Jane’s religion and her life-style. To justify their extremism, they continue to tell themselves and others who may doubt, that they are “happy.” I remember putting on the WOFF-face to relatives and showing the “happy face.” Do others remember that required move? At times, it was sincere, but many times it was only a front while deep inside I wrestled with the many paradoxes which pervade WOFF-life.
The question is not happiness while inside WOFF for that is a mind-set contrived and defined by the leader of the group. “You are happy when you are in the will of God. You are in the will of God here at WOFF among ‘God’s people’, right? Then you are happy. If you are not happy then check your heart. Why would you not be happy here in the will of God at WOFF? What devils have you been listening to?” It was a circular logic loop which did not allow for a valid critique of the questions or a discussion of doubts one may have. After all, who would admit to “listening to the devil?” All the while, there were for many the inner struggles surrounding the questions of personal freedoms, choices and personal safety.
In the days ahead we will continue to look at other resources about Jim Jones, Peoples Temple and Jonestown. In reply to a comment left on another post, I wrote this about a conversation I had on Monday, November 18th. It is worth repeating here.
I stopped in a store on the way home from work to get a snack and struck up a conversation with the clerk. She told me she was in school, working and taking care of her children. I asked her what she was taking in school. She said Psychology. I asked her what today was and she looked at me with a blank stare. I mentioned the massacre at Jonestown 35 years ago and she had no knowledge about it. Her looked turned to a grimace as I briefly described the events and the outcome and then briefly told her about this blog. She then proclaimed that her husband was taking religion and would soon be studying cults. She was excited to be able to tell him about this blog. I had a warm feeling about the verbal exchange as well. How many people don’t know about the events at Jonestown- yet?
More specifically, how many folks don’t realize the same manipulation goes on everyday here in North Carolina?
And with that, let us remember:
“It is never too late to wake up and leave and reclaim your life!” Steve Hassan
Thank you, for taking time to visit and read this blog. Please, consume the information on this site responsibly. The author is not a licensed mental health professional and encourages those that need professional help to seek it. The intent of the material is to inform and be a resource. Be sure to tell every member that you know at WOFF about this blog. There are readers at WOFF. Jane told me. Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.
Look on the right side of any post for the option to subscribe by email for notifications or RSS feeds notifying of new postings. It is a great feature. Also, find more posts by selecting “Categories”.
Guest posts reflect the opinions of the writers. Their opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of John Huddle or any other persons affiliated with this blog.
Please, take time to read the Terms of Use for this personal blog. As mentioned, for posts written by John Huddle, any information about WOFF is from his memories and recollections as perfect as that may be or not be. Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted. (Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation ) This is post number 448.