‘I Am God’: How This Cult Leader Convinced 912 Followers To Kill Themselves Within Minutes
Published By admin
On November 18, 1978, the world witnessed one of the darkest chapters in modern history. A total of 912 people, including 276 children, lost their lives in a mass suicide at Jonestown, a remote settlement in Guyana (a country on the northern coast of South America which was once part of the historic British West Indies). The tragedy was orchestrated by Jim Jones, a self-styled religious leader who called himself God and controlled his followers with fear, manipulation, and superstition.
The seeds of this catastrophe were sown more than two decades earlier. In 1956, Jim Jones founded the People’s Temple in the United States under the guise of helping the poor and marginalised. He presented himself as a saviour and protector of the downtrodden, speaking of equality, justice, and compassion. But behind the façade of charity, Jones was building a cult of personality. He repeatedly claimed he was the incarnation of God, and with sweet talk and hollow promises, he gained hundreds of loyal followers.
Jones openly opposed the American government, portraying himself as a revolutionary figure. His growing defiance drew attention from authorities, so he decided to move his congregation far from US soil. He chose Guyana, where he established a commune in the dense forests. This settlement came to be known as Jonestown.
Content retrieved from: https://www.news18.com/world/i-am-god-how-this-cult-leader-convinced-912-followers-to-kill-themselves-within-minutes-ws-kl-9532409.html.
