WHO WAS JIM JONES?
James Jones was the founder and charismatic leader of Peoples Temple. He began his career as a student minister in 1952 at a Methodist Church, and soon left when the church refused to allow African Americans in the service. He preached a "social gospel" of human freedom, equality and love, which required helping the lowliest of societies members. Later on, this gospel became socialistic, or communistic in Jones' own view, and the hypocrisy of white Christianity was ridiculed while "apostolic socialism" was preached. Jones went so far as to encourage Temple members to call him "Dad" and "Father". He also asked his members to consider him the incarnation of Christ and of God.
By the late 1960's Jones openly preached in the Peoples Temple his version of communism which he called "Apostolic Socialism". Jones taught that he was the manifestation of the Christ Principle. Jones healed like Jesus did, and even claimed to have raised the dead. Like Jesus, Jones preached the importance of right human relations and radical egalitarianism. He taught that all people had access to the Holy Spirit within themselves, but that Jones' healing power demonstrated that he was a special manifestation of "Christ the Revolution."
"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light. No one can come to the father but through me."----Jim Jones
He offered a place of refuge in his church for those suffering from social torment, including the lower class African Americans who at that time were in the midst of racial segregation. Jones claimed that he was a highly evoked black soul incarnated in a white body, and felt that only he could identify with the problems of the African Americans. He believed in a utopian society consisting of racial integration and social equality. But, he believed that a cataclysmic period of race war, genocide, and nuclear war was nearing.
Jones was able to do evil because the people around him permitted and assisted him in committing evil acts. Peoples Temple members' dualistic perspective in which they saw Peoples Temple as being attacked by evil capitalistic society, led them to resort to violence to preserve their community.
Jim Jones first mentioned suicide in 1973. In 1976 the first suicide drill was conducted within Jones' inner circle as a loyalty test. For at least a year prior to fateful November 18, 1978, revolutionary suicide was discussed publicly at Jonestown. Whatever Jim Jones commanded, the members did.
Jim Jones was the patriarch of a dysfunctional family because no one wanted to acknowledge the mental illness of their beloved and idealized Dad. His addiction to drugs and alcohol cause his erratic behavior and aided in the deterioration of Jonestown.
"If we can't live in peace then lets die in peace. We are not committing suicide-its a revolutionary act."
---Jim Jones on the last day at Jonestown
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