It is one of those events that still seems unreal but sadly, 30 years ago this month on November 18th, 900 people died in the Jonestown Massacre in a tragic suicide pact. The man responsible was a frightening megalomaniac, messianic figure, Jim Jones.
Sadly people still get drawn into cults as witnessed by Cultwatch. Thankfully few end up dead but people still face terible difficulties within cults which can become worse, to some extent, when they eventually escape.
Part of the cause of the Jonestown Massacre was the return of an ex-member to the compound in the South American jungle with a US Senator, part of a group trying to investigate conditions in the compound.
The problem for people leaving groups with megalomaniac leaders is that they are branded, by those remaining, as heretics or traitors and can be hounded for years. The reason being that the megalomaniacs in charge fear that others will begin to question so they have to smear and attack in order to defend their positions. Sadly 900 people died 30 years ago for the ego of a madman.
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