It was what I considered my last chance
My last chance at life and love
My last chance at life and love
and family.
My old life, my ex-love, and even
my family had all left me--left me
broke, heart-broken...
So I broke FREE.
He said he'd be my Brother
He said he'd be my Father
He said he'd be my Savior
He said he'd be my God.
I needed him to be all those things.
I took him as my brother because
he sat by me and held my hand
when I was scared.
I took him as my father
when he provided me with a home.
I took him as my savior
when he showed me I was worthy.
I took him as my god
when he healed the friends around me.
I prayed for him when he said he was being targeted.
I prayed for America and the greediness of our people.
I rejoiced the day he told me we could go to the Promised Land.
I never returned from that Promised Land.
-This poem is in reference to the Jonestown community that was built in Guyana, South America. It was formed by the People's Temple Agricultural Project. This community/project, which originated in California, was later known as a religious cult, enacted and led by Jim Jones. It is most-known for the tragic "mass suicide" of 918 people that took place in November of 1978. Today, research and testimonials from the few survivors of the 1978 tragedy has allowed us to see into the preachings and true intent of Jones' movement. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonestown
There are also several documentaries and specials about this topic: Look them up! You will never believe what you will see and hear from the few survivors and children of those who were once followers of Jones. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27052411/ Here is just one of many that I found to be intriguing, chilling, and life-changing.
2 comments:
I remember learning something about this in my religion class. My visceral reaction was "Wow! Goes to show what dumbasses will do in the name of religion."
But that's a bit crude and superficial, isn't it? The real question is why these people committed mass suicide. The conclusion my prof led us to is the idea/label of "cult" is problematic.
What is the difference between these "cults" and a more traditional religion, except maybe number of believers? The label "cult" is highly political, and where it is applied, the government tends to overreact.
This was the case in Waco, where the US government was largely responsible for the deaths of dozens of people -- even children. And it is the case with the People's Temple. The US was sending envoys and CIA agents down to Guyana to monitor and perhaps infiltrate the movement. Of course, Jim Jones quickly became aware of this and paranoia ensued. In this way, the government vastly exacerbated the situation. It was no wonder that the group committed suicide.
Wow, I just went off on a harangue didn't I? Good post Shan. I wanna read more :)
I appreciate the tangent! :) And thanks for your response. And I can't help but think, too, about how this "cult" seemingly started out as a beautiful thing...at least in the beginning. Its scary how people can get so wrapped in religion. Sadly, for a lot of people it was their last hope for anything (as I pointed out in my poem). And the gov't...I just can't seem to figure out where they should stand when it comes to these types of things. Should they intervene? Are they equipped with the right mindset and skills to deal with people like that of Jones?
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