Cults. A&E aired a documentary last night about Jim Jones and the mass suicide/homicides at Jonestown. It scares me that the human mind can be so distorted into believing that they must kill themselves because someone else says so. If it can happen to others, who's to say we all couldn't just lose our minds one day and stop thinking for ourselves? I know that I have a strong, stubborn mind and that I stand firm in my beliefs, but who's to say that these other people weren't like that. Maybe I'm just afraid that the human mind can be so easily controlled. That's frightening. What does everyone else think about this?
2007-01-21 13:27:10 · 11 answers · asked by Laci R 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Laci, People like you and I get disturbed when we see such events . We think such events are rare and not commonplace. I think it is happening all the time and in all the places.
Look at the way young people are emotionally charged in the name of the religion. Look at the way human bombs are ready to explode themselves to uphold something they believe in.
When people lose their identity and lose any objectives in life they handover themselves to someone else, who manipulate these emotionally weak persons..
The question is what should one do not to fall prey to such weaknesses. Strengthening the mind and the character. Rise up against evils. Not easy but needs to be done.
Out of curiosity I may mention that I am intrigued by the beaching of a whole flock of whales on a mass suicide . I should think they , too, blindly follow their leader and swim to their doom.
2007-01-21 13:44:01 · answer #1 · answered by YD 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Many people have a pre-imposed belief system, when a person comes around with all the seemingly right answers people can't help but to second guess what they were so sure that they believed. If one does not find for one self that what they believe is trully what they believe (and not just something their parents taught them) doubt settles in. doubt is what sends people to follow the new crazes. Self doubt pushes people to look for approval from their peers, even if that approval means participating in a mass suicide. How many people must have had second guessed to what they were doing at the last minute, yet they never turned back for a possible fear of not fitting in.
2007-01-21 13:40:19 · answer #2 · answered by Ana C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes I saw this about a month ago. It was very sad I was not alive then so I was not familar with that case. But yes it scares the crap out of me. So many travesties have been committed by using religion and faith as a tool. I am an athiest but back when i was a christian I saw how religion could control someone. It puts you in such a seductive mindset. Everyone will believe something if it sounds good. And I guess when its backed by so many people it seems as normal to create such attrocities. That is why it is so important to keep religion out of goverment. All religions were based on the violence we see in the modern cults. Luckily most of them have been diluted.
2007-01-21 13:41:59 · answer #3 · answered by Beaverscanttalk 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If all that did happen, you're forgetting something very key....the people in the cult weren't unhappy with their decisions, so who's to say that it's wrong? It made them happy. They were only hurting themselves, and who determines whether or not it was detrimental? Us! People who have no f**king clue what it's like in those places. So before you pass judgement off of an A&E documentary, try to understand their posicion.
2007-01-21 13:38:15 · answer #4 · answered by sothisislife 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you ever wondered who convinced you to believe your beliefs, and whether you are also a victim of brainwashing on a less radical scale? It is true that humans can be convinced of anything. Do everything in your power to convince them of the truth. Beyond that, there isn't much you can do.
2007-01-21 13:38:00 · answer #5 · answered by trueblue88 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
once you pay attention the time era no balls, it has a different which skill to each man or woman. No balls to a pair human beings skill being scared to get injury, or do something bodily brave. To others it skill being an avoider, averting conflict, or war of words, or manipulating as a replace of confronting. maximum of my hardship in life has come no longer from actually being an avoider, yet from being a shy man or woman, and being seen as an avoider. i do no longer think human beings could desire to discover greater guts, because of the fact no person, which incorporate me, has guts each and every of the time, daily. i'm purely a guy with a nasty social distrust and soreness, and a few human beings see it as concern of war of words, and as a man or woman, I care what they think of greater beneficial than I fake to care approximately them.
2016-12-14 09:04:30 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any extreme is mind control and even what appers to be mainstream religion can have cult like affects. Especially if they teach deciveness and people get so into religion they loose themselves; therfor losing their true meaning. Then you can loose your soul.
2007-01-21 14:00:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree, but this is not a new concept.
Abducted children are brainwashed into believing their abductors are their protectors.
Battered women are brainwashed to believe their batterers are what they really need.
The Christian has been trying to brainwash the entire nation for years.
The government DOES brainwash us.
It's all terribly frightening.
2007-01-21 15:05:11 · answer #8 · answered by Voodoid 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's all about free choice. They made a choice to do what they did. You can also choose what you do. If we all lose our minds and stop thinking for ourselves, I don't think we'll care.
2007-01-21 13:48:40 · answer #9 · answered by Give life. Be an organ donor! 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i thought you were going to say u were afraid what you like in the mirror in the morning
2007-01-21 13:32:20 · answer #10 · answered by Kimmie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋