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On the Road

(20,783 posts)
23. "They committed suicide as a group, nearly 1000 people."
Tue Aug 19, 2014, 02:41 PM
Aug 2014

Well, not quite all of them...

To a certain extent, the actions in Jonestown were viewed as a mass suicide; some sources, including Jonestown survivors, regard the event as a mass murder.

Clayton said that Jones approached people to encourage them to drink the poison and that, after adults saw the poison begin to take effect, "they showed a reluctance to die."[143] Wikipedia article

There is also the question of how to characterize the nature of the community and the motive for the suicides:

Jones' recorded readings of the news were part of the constant broadcasts over Jonestown's tower speakers, such that all members could hear them throughout the day and night.[48] Jones' news readings usually portrayed the United States as a "capitalist" and "imperialist" villain, while casting "socialist" leaders, such as Kim Il-sung,[49] Robert Mugabe,[50] and Joseph Stalin[51] in a positive light.

On October 2, 1978, Soviet dignitary Feodor Timofeyev visited Jonestown for two days and gave a speech.[82] Jones stated before the speech that, "For many years, we have let our sympathies be quite publicly known, that the United States government was not our mother, but that the Soviet Union was our spiritual motherland."[82] Timofeyev opened the speech stating that the U.S.S.R. would like to send "our deepest and the most sincere greetings to the people of this first socialist and communist community of the United States of America, in Guyana and in the world."[82] Both speeches were met by cheers and applause from the crowd in Jonestown.[82]

On the tape, Jones urged Temple members to commit "revolutionary suicide".[136] Such "revolutionary suicide" had been planned by the Temple before and, according to Jonestown defectors, its theory was "you can go down in history, saying you chose your own way to go, and it is your commitment to refuse capitalism and in support of socialism."[140]

To use the logic currently in vogue, Jonestown should apparently be blamed on socialism. Certainly religion was not the issue. It's a perfect example of why the thought process is foolish and simpleminded.



If there were even a kernel of fact in your post, humans would have died out millenia ago. rug Aug 2014 #1
Not watching, but that looks like a dictator aka self imposed God amuse bouche Aug 2014 #3
Ah, Kim Jong Un was god and the KCP is a religion. rug Aug 2014 #6
Now you got it. Same mindeset amuse bouche Aug 2014 #8
You didn't. rug Aug 2014 #9
In North Korea, the poeple are indoctrinated to believe that Kim Jong, and now Kim Il, are gods. cleanhippie Aug 2014 #4
See # 6. rug Aug 2014 #7
So the Anti-Communists Were Right? On the Road Aug 2014 #16
His rofl smiley is a really, REALLY convincing argument. cleanhippie Aug 2014 #17
Would you like it back? rug Aug 2014 #36
They were right all right, right wing. rug Aug 2014 #35
Certainly They are Considered Gods` On the Road Aug 2014 #56
Um, no. I'm considering them as supernatural entities. rug Aug 2014 #57
I love when people call themselves deeply religious. amuse bouche Aug 2014 #2
I wish there was video of your posts. rug Aug 2014 #5
Well just pray for it real real hard amuse bouche Aug 2014 #10
I don't think you'd have made the cut for July. rug Aug 2014 #12
And possibly the most fiscally sound retirement plan, ever. AtheistCrusader Aug 2014 #11
Deeply religious? Htom Sirveaux Aug 2014 #13
All cults aren't religions but all religions are cults amuse bouche Aug 2014 #14
That's too simple. Htom Sirveaux Aug 2014 #18
You sir, are a very patient man. Starboard Tack Aug 2014 #28
Thank you for your kind words! Htom Sirveaux Aug 2014 #44
It actually doesn't matter much if you consider them religious or not. Warren Stupidity Aug 2014 #21
Htom, Htom. okasha Aug 2014 #22
Not all of the committed suicide. hrmjustin Aug 2014 #15
That's true, but most of them did. Mariana Aug 2014 #38
No it doesn't but they did not all commit suicide and they should be made clear. hrmjustin Aug 2014 #39
They were victims of a charismatic leader, who used religious themes in his social engineering. Maedhros Aug 2014 #19
Sure, completely agree. So indoctrination can result in mass delusions. Warren Stupidity Aug 2014 #20
I'm an atheist. As such, I don't appreciate your antagonism toward religion. Maedhros Aug 2014 #25
Ouch! Starboard Tack Aug 2014 #29
Your being an atheist has nothing to do with what you do and don't appreciate... MellowDem Aug 2014 #41
There seems to be a contingent of self-proclaimed atheists on this board that are intent Maedhros Aug 2014 #43
There is a self-proclaimed non-believer on this board who admitted to... trotsky Aug 2014 #46
You think pointing out... MellowDem Aug 2014 #48
im deeply offended. Warren Stupidity Aug 2014 #53
Start another thread about it. rug Aug 2014 #55
Apply what knowledge Warren? Starboard Tack Aug 2014 #30
"They committed suicide as a group, nearly 1000 people." On the Road Aug 2014 #23
What was their delusion? Leontius Aug 2014 #24
Their delusion would be that Jim Jones had supernatural knowledge of the universe Kablooie Aug 2014 #27
What? That their leader was a man of God? Yes, they were delusional when it came to that notadmblnd Aug 2014 #26
How'd that one work out Warren? Starboard Tack Aug 2014 #31
Its working out fine actually. Warren Stupidity Aug 2014 #32
Goody! Doesn't look too good from here. Starboard Tack Aug 2014 #33
I'm jealous. stone space Aug 2014 #37
Hmm! Lemme think!! Starboard Tack Aug 2014 #42
If they were religious they weren't deluded edhopper Aug 2014 #34
I'm going through the list one by one. Warren Stupidity Aug 2014 #51
I took intro to psychology, so I am an expert on all things related to the mind. ZombieHorde Aug 2014 #40
"Delusion" generally carries the additional information that the belief is held... trotsky Aug 2014 #47
As a software engineer I can assure you that delusions are commonplace. Warren Stupidity Aug 2014 #52
Nothing is beyond the realm of possibility, Warren Starboard Tack Aug 2014 #45
I guess the main take away from this thread Lordquinton Aug 2014 #49
plus communists! Warren Stupidity Aug 2014 #50
Yes. They believed the religious clap trap they were fed on point Aug 2014 #54
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