Jim Jones

James Warren "Jim" Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was the American founder of the People's Temple church that developed into a group with cult-like beliefs, power structures and practices. On November 18, 1978, most of Peoples Temple's members followed Jones' advice to commit collective suicide by drinking poison in their isolated intentional community called Jonestown, located in the jungle of Guyana. Jones was found dead with a shot in his head among the 914 corpses there.

Other issues

Jones was married to Marceline Jones. They had one biological son, Stephan, who survived the mass suicide. Jones claimed to be the biological father of John Victor Stoen, who was the legal son of Grace Stoen and her husband Timothy Stoen. The custody dispute over Stoen had great symbolic value for the People's Temple and intensified the conflict with its opponents that consisted of, among others, a group called the "Concerned Relatives".

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In MacArthur Park, Los Angeles on December 13, 1973, Jones was arrested and charged with soliciting a man for sex in a movie theater bathroom known for homosexual activity. The man it turns out was a undercover LAPD vice officer. Jones is on record as later telling his followers that he was "the only true heterosexual," but at least one account exists of his sexually abusing a member of his congregation in front of the followers, ostensibly to prove that man's own gay tendencies.

Related Topics:
MacArthur Park - Los Angeles - December 13 - 1973 - Homosexual - Undercover - LAPD - Vice officer - Gay

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One of his sources of inspiration was the controversial cult leader Father Divine. He borrowed the concept of "revolutionary suicide" from black panther leader Huey Newton who had argued the slow suicide of life in the ghetto ought to be replaced by revolutionary suicide that would end only in victory or death.

Related Topics:
Father Divine - Black panther - Huey Newton

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