Were the people of Jonestown brainwashed?

Question

For the Top Contributor who gave a very good point:

The only reason why I ask is because I read on wikipeida that many people began to draw back before the murder-suicide. I'd like to say at least 1/3 of them did, and there was about 900 people living there. So, was it truly brainwashing? Or was it a strong belief?

Answer 1

Ok, now lets just take a look at this. They left thier families, moved to another country, and drank kool aid laced with poison.
What do you think?

Edit:I would still say brainwashing, but a few did come to thier senses and try to pull out of it at the last minute, and a few were also able to hide themselves until help came. A few tried to leave the compound with the Senator's fact finding commitee, and reporters who were there with them, they all got mowed down by some of Jone's flunkies, only a couple survived that... Over all though, they were sufficiently brainwashed that they saw killing thier own children as a good thing. A few of them were so brainwashed, it was thier job to make sure the others drank thier poison. I kind of wonder if Jones shot himself, or if he was shot by one of them. I'm not sure what happened to them in the end...One gal that went to let her husband see thier children at a cult owned house in town out side of the camp, stabbed her 3 children to death as soon as the husband had left for the airport, then herself....Yeah, I would still say brainwashed, they weren't even in the camp she got a phone call that "it was time" ....Jone's son managed to get out that day...
They weren't all entirely brainwashed, but enough of them were to make it really tragic...If 300 out of 900 tried to pull out of it, that still leaves 600 that did so voluntarily...If they wern't brainwashed, Jones wouldn't have had a leg to stand on, they'd have rode him out of town on a rail. It was pre planned.... The kool aid, poison, syringes all came from somewhere....how do you mobilize that many people to either kill themselves, thier children, or each other if necessary?
Discovery or tlc or some such ran a really good documentary about it last year. There's also a really good film about it, with Powers Booth as Jim Jones....
Cosmic Drifter: Yes they were Christian...

Answer 2

In my opinion, it doesn't matter too much if they were brainwashed or not. They are dead! We cant change that. But I will tell you this...many went to Guyana with a real purpose in mind. Many felt they were going to help build a society free of racism, agism, sexism, classism, etc. They worked, ate, slept, cried, bled, and died together. They were a family that loved each other regardless of the "brain-washing" questions. Yes, I am sure some members of the Temple had their heads messed with enough to make them incapable of completely rationale thought. But if that's true, then the opposite must be true for others.
As far as the deaths, again.....I think the brainwashing thing is a moot point. I wrote an article on the subject of "suicide or murder". You should read it, and you should explore the website it is on....lots of real objective stuff about PT and JTown. paste this link
http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/JonestownReport/Volume8/forumIntro.htm

Answer 3

Yes.
They were under that guys control.
It is said that there would be many false prophets, he was one of them.
They followed the man and he led them to destruction.

I hate to say this but,

2 Th 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
2 Th 2:11 And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false,
2 Th 2:12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

Answer 4

Yes, You are so right...those poor people
you know where Jim Jones is don't you!!
He's rotting in Hell....

Answer 5

There is evidence that many were forced to drink.

Answer 6

Were they Christians by any chance?