By Valerie Garcia-Vallejo and Weston Kelly
For many years, the popularization of cults has grown at a rapid pace, but why? Leaders of cults claim they are angels, or that they are sent by one above, and use these claims to excuse pedophilic actions,mass suicides, and the overall harming of others. Their actions exceed what they should be able to, but the people who believe them are not at fault. Those who follow cults and believe in the words of their leaders are brainwashed into justifying horrible actions and lead to their own self destruction.
Oftentimes, those who believe in cults are of little to no spiritual and religious background. These people seek to find a place in which they belong, a place in which they are able to connect with others that have the same beliefs as them. According to a study created by California State University, East Bay, the characteristics of those who join cults center around vulnerability: those who are incapable of functioning alone, with the ability to worship someone else and those of younger age (Cult Members Who Are They?). Since these people feel the need to worship someone, or live in fear of being alone, they are easier to manipulate and are far more likely to follow the commands of a cult leader. In most cases, people join cults at young ages to find somewhere that they can belong; however, they develop families in these cults, and as new generations come, the problems within the cults are seen. New generations have the likelihood of realizing that everything their cult leader “preaches” is not true and is damaging to their lives. On account of those who left cults, many say that they wish they never believed their cult leader and that they would have never been brainwashed by the ideology and belief of another who caused harm in their life.
The People’s Temple—known for its mass suicide ritual that killed 914—was a cult started in Jonestown, Guyana. The paranoid leader, Jim Jones, began the “religion” in 1950s Indianapolis, and was unaffiliated with any other theological belief. His church had a small following of around 100 people, but that number increased with his move to California. It was in San Francisco that he merged his cult with the Christian church, the People’s Temple. On the outside, the People’s Temple was a humanitarian group actively involved in improving the community and helping others. However, the actual members suffered manipulative and cruel treatment by the organization. Members were extorted into giving up possessions and beaten for misconduct. The maltreatment of followers begs the question: why would anyone stay?
Jim Jones was a charismatic and intelligent leader, especially good at manipulating and blackmailing his followers. His church consisted of a largely African-American demographic whom he scared into submission with blackmail threats and false suppositions of a corrupt government. In addition to these scare tactics, Jones preached miraculous methods of healing and critiqued social injustices. Although he could not actually perform his “faith healings,” the novelty attracted thousands of followers; his forward-thinking social views attracted minority groups. Anyone who joined was forced to stay, explaining the unreasonably high follower count. Fortunately, some members reported the abuse they experienced, and the cult was forced to flee. Jim had been constructing a compound in Guyana for the past 4 years to which he and a group of about 1000 devout followers escaped. They had their own town with a socialist government, undisturbed until Leo Ryan visited. Ryan was a Californian congressman who went to document the wild experience of the cult. The visit was non-hostile until the reporters were departing. The cultists attacked and murdered all 11 men on an airstrip, leading to the infamous massacre. The residents of Jonestown consumed lethal doses of Kool-Aid spiked with drugs.
Cults continue to be a present factor of life in our society today, but many should realize that they can not fall into the trap of believing the psychotic and unhealthy beliefs of others. As many search for guidance in life, they do not realize the manipulation they fall victim to, which could potentially ruin their lives. A numerous amount of lives have been lost due to cults, and the problem must be addressed now. Although many who join cults find themselves in lonely places, and are looking for a place in which they can belong, they do not realize the harm they are bringing upon themselves by undergoing brainwashing. Cults lead to the destruction of families, communities, and the lives of many innocent people. If the problem is not addressed now, it will continue and only get worse from here.