In your opinion how was Jim Jones able to get over 900 people to willingly take their own lives?Was it his ability as a speaker? Were they brainwashed? Was it something inside the followers of the

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DateJim Jones
Jim Jones was a very desirable man to many women and was a role model for many men. These are some of the reasons that made him the head of the most notorious murder-suicide cult. Jim Jones appeared to be a great person and convinced so many people that he was doing great things for the community. Well, to some extent this was true because he united races by eradicating racist attitudes among his cult members. He also supported the poor and elderly people in the community and ensured that his congregation was looked after adequately.
Most of the people that sought sanctuary from Jim Jones came from broken homes and off the streets. Having come from horrible lives that involved a lot of drug use and abuse, alcoholism, and sometimes prostitution, these people saw a great improvement and belonging in the Peoples Temple (Brooks). Jim Jones made them believe that they had something to live for and this inspired them to try harder in their jobs.
Jim Jones conducted “White Nights” in which they would often practice mass suicide. It is during these occasions that he told his congregation to prove their loyalty to him. He wanted his followers to show him that they were truly committed and that mass suicide was the only way they would show it. Jim Jones was able to convince these people to do things which they would not normally do in their right state of mind. Thanks to his convincing powers, he was able to turn his following into a cult.
Work Cited
Brooks, Tim.

“How Did Jim Jones Manage To Gain Such Control Over His Followers? – Alternative Considerations Of Jonestown & Peoples Temple”. Jonestown.Sdsu.Edu, 2007, https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=33150. Accessed 19 Oct 2018.