There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets,
and shall shew great signs and wonders;
insomuch that, if it were possible,
they shall deceive the very elect.
–Matthew 24:24 (KJV)–

Love bombing, people saying “I like you,” the holy kiss, and a lot of poor uneducated people. A few superficially redeeming qualities were the interracial Pentecostal aspect, the drug addict ministry, communal care, and even divine healing experiences. But Jones got high on himself and told people to stop communicating with family and friends that didn’t join the Peoples Temple. He’d also separate mothers from their children; and force children to be raised by someone else in the church. He’d drive a wedge between husbands and wives during counseling sessions; and goad them to say cruel things to one another. Romance in marriage was taught as a distraction from the spiritual life; and from the social justice and poverty alleviation concerns of society. This broke up a lot of marriages. Church staff were required to work a minimum of sixteen hours a day. The staff wore special uniforms. Everyone was always exhausted all the time.

Jones would have KKK simulations in church, plays that simulated a black person being lynched, in church. Jones believed that this would happen on a mass scale in America; and that they needed to create a special community to protect themselves from this ever happening to them. And so he controlled them with these irrational fears.

Public humiliation was common: on one occasion many people were whipped with a belt publicly, because somebody drank wine. This cult leader pastor was viewed as a “father,” and the adult church members were viewed as his “children,” who had to trust him, learn from him, and even be physically disciplined by him with extremely sadistic corporal punishment. They even gave electric shocks to little kids! Strangely enough, these were regular people from Wesleyan church backgrounds, like Church of the Nazarene and Assembly of God. One young lady was even beaten seventy five times with a board! People were threatened with divine judgments if they didn’t give 30% of their incomes to the church. Actual death threats were given like in a gang–so people would be afraid to leave the church.

“All that believed were together, and had all things common” (Acts 2:44). This verse was used to manipulate people to sell their property and give the money to the church. Jones hoarded $26 million for himself. Finally he led them off to Guyana to form a community called Jonestown, named after himself, where he made them all drink poisoned Kool-Aid; and finally pressured them all one last time: into an act of mass suicide. –J.B.