Don't Drink the Fruit Punch

"Where's the vat, the vat, the vat? Where's the vat with the Green C on it? The vat with the Green C in. Bring it so the adults can begin."

-- Rev. Jim Jones, Jonestown, November 18, 1978

For those not familiar with the story of Jim Jones and the People's Temple, I have included two links to remind all those interested in a bit of history.  I have purposefully not included more than the opening picture, left, due to the gruesome scenes in the aftermath of the event.

Note:  I must warn that some photos are very graphic on the Daily Mail link while the Wikipedia link has included no such photos:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1085869/Return-camp-suicide-30-years-nightmare-Jonestown-happen-again.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones

I think powdered drink mix as a whole suffered the indignation for years as being the "fruit punch of choice" for insane religious cult leaders, after the Jonestown massacre in Guyana, 1978.  913 people died, a third of them children, mostly suicide by ingesting cyanide and sedative laced powdered punch drink mix.  It is reported that there are still 400 unclaimed bodies in a San Francisco cemetery.  How tragic that there are loved ones of 400 people that may never know the fate of these that thought Jim Jones was the cure all for their sad lives.  It is truly tragic for the 300 plus children that were fed poison so they would never know a full life away from this insanity.  Jim Jones did the entire world a favor and offed himself with a gunshot to the head.

There should be some way we can protect the innocent, the weak minded, and the blatantly stupid, from this kind of evil but in our society no crime has been committed until someone dies.  Lucky us, but I suppose this is God's way of thinning the herd.

"Many cults start off with high ideals that get corrupted by leaders or their board of advisors who become power-hungry and dominate and control members' lives. No group with high ideals starts off as a 'cult'; they become one when their errant ways are exposed."

-- Philip Zimbardo, psychologist and a professor emeritus at Stanford University

Shortly after this tragedy, I went to a Christian picnic on the air base where I was stationed.  The minister offered me a paper cup of raspberry flavored punch as I arrived.  I remember smiling and raising a suspicious eyebrow at the cup while saying, "You first."  The off color humor was not lost on him.  Mainstream Christianity does a great job of preaching against the immoral activities and dangers of these religious cults.  But, do we really know what a cult is?  Many of us hold the belief, and rightly so, that cults are "a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister."  And this definition, found on Google, is a good one.  Unfortunately it isn't the main one, "A system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object."  Does this meet the definition of any "cult" you are currently a member of, like... Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, etc.?

Professor Zimbardo hits the nail on the head for most religious organizations, in my view.  All we need do is look back in history to see all that has happened and who profited as a result.  Many would say, yes, but this is past history.  Let us not deceive ourselves into thinking anything has changed; they have simply learned how to keep their motives, their agendas, close to the vestments.  It is business as usual as evidenced by the Vatican, the Crystal Cathedral, the Blue Mosque, and other massive monuments the deities never asked to have built as proof of faith.  Proof of faith? 

Faith is defined as confidence or trust in a being, object, living organism, deity, view, or in the doctrines or teachings of a religion. Faith may also refer to a hope or belief, rational or irrational, in a certain outcome. Faith refers to a belief as it is not based on proof. The word faith is sometimes used as a synonym for hope, for trust, or for belief.

-- Wikipedia, "Faith"

Immediately upon saying "proof of faith," has one not lost, or misunderstood, the very meaning of faith?  After all, God does know everything, right?  The real monuments we build to show our devotion are built from good moral foundations, the brick and mortar of our actions toward each other and our following of the peaceful, tolerant, loving precepts of our respective faiths.  To think that any physical edifice, no matter the size or cost, could possibly provide anything a loving, omnipotent God would desire, totally misses the point of the teachings of the prophets and the message provided by the very God we seek to impress.  These physical monuments seem to reek of the stench that accompanies corruption of faith.

"The history of the Church of Rome is a constant leakage of members into such breakaway cults, which go on splitting."

-- Mary Douglas (1921-2007), scientist, author

We always hear of the tax benefits for church and religion.  The Universal Life Church has several "ministers" undergoing scrutiny for bending tax laws to the breaking point, and other, more mainstream, religions have been investigated as well.  The mere thought that your faith should garner some special favor with government makes me suspicious of motives.  Let's look at the Christian biblical passage of Mark 12:17, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  Even Christ knew that taxes were a necessary part of society, and did not intend for us to curry special favor with government.  The "separation of church and state" does not extend to the physical requirements of faith.  Donations for charitable reasons are one thing, building a physical edifice of intrinsic value is another issue.

"Having studied at length the life, teachings, and behaviors of Jim Jones (Jonestown Guyana), David Koresh (Branch Davidians), Stewart Traill (The Church of Bible Understanding), Charles Manson, Shoko Asahara (Aum Shinrikyo), Joseph Di Mambro (The Order of the Solar Temple aka Ordre du Temple Solaire), Marshall Heff Applewhit (Heaven’s Gate), Bhagwan Rajneesh (Rajneesh Movement), and Warren Jeffs (polygamist leader), what stands out about these individuals is that they were or are all pathologically narcissistic."

-- Joe Navarro M.A., author, former FBI Counterintelligence Agent

I think we could appropriately add several Japanese and Nazi cults of war criminals to this list for enjoying their assignments or positions of authority way too much, Tomas de Torquemada for possibly thinking God required his actions during the Spanish Inquisition as the cult of Christianity witnessed yet another barbaric period in their own less than laudable past, and the list of KKK Imperial Wizards that would dare think God will excuse their crimes against humanity in His name.  I'm sure there are other cults we could add to this list if we really dug, humans are great at burying their improprieties.

So, what is the difference between "cult" leaders, the Jim Joneses of faith, and mainstream religious leaders?  I think it's a matter of degree, and I think that degree is fueled by their narcissism which may start out as insignificant but can grow to be pathologically dangerous, as stated above by Joe Navarro.  For the most part we see that priest and ministers try to do the right thing, it is their out of control parent church that evidences corruption of faith.  I think seminaries try to weed out those of questionable intent and faith prior to lavishing them with an ordination. On the other hand, the priests, ministers, and elders, suffer the same weaknesses of their flock.  They walk a fine line between righteousness and falling from favor.  As we used to say in the military, it only takes one "aw shit" to negate a hundred "atta boys."  So much more is expected of those that take up the mantel of shepherd and those we look up to for guidance.

“Scientology always has been a game of power and control. L. Ron Hubbard was the ultimate con man, and it's hard to figure out how much of Scientology was an experiment in brainwashing and controlling people, and how much of it was truly intended to help people.”

-- Jenna Miscavige Hill, "Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape." 

It doesn't take much to declare yourself a minister.  You can do it simply by stating the fact and choosing a lofty title.  The next step is to have a congregation which, according to the bible, means at least one other person needs to buy into your message.  If you want to perform a wedding, funeral, or other rites, an ordination may be purchased on the internet for a few dollars.  So there exist the real opportunity to hitch your wagon to an insane narcissist, if you aren't careful, and our society seems to breed them like rats.  The problem arises with intent.  

I think one's intent goes out the window when ego enters the room; the hidden narcissist in all of us.  Again, I think it is evidenced as a matter of degree.  Is your desire to be a humble pastor, or to give yourself some loftier title like bishop, cardinal, or pope?  Although fun, one has to admit that the loftier the title the less chance there is of anyone taking you seriously.  The danger arises with the narcissist that understands they must be taken seriously or they stand little chance of controlling those beneath them, which is exactly their goal - control. 

Don't drink the fruit punch?  I would be suspicious of any "religious" leader that seems to be "going off the reservation."  God gave us a brain, and I think the intent was for us to question, everything.  Constantly questioning everything around us, religion, politics, work, and life in general, is how we struggle to not just survive, but flourish.  Questioning our faith is not evidence of a lack of faith, but evidence of our ability to ensure we are constantly on a righteous path, just as questioning our political leaders is not a sight of rebellion as much as it is a sign of patriotism.  If we don't question those that shepherd us, we leave ourselves open to the very real chance of being led astray, especially from God's true intent for us. 

In conclusion, I say if it looks like a looney tune, acts like a looney tune, and sounds like a looney tune, I would be very hesitant to belly up to their punch bowl for a hearty cup of refreshment.  Maybe that's just me.  It's just my humble opinion, and we all know what that's worth.

"The less reasonable a cult is, the more men seek to establish it by force."

-- Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), French philosopher

Editor's Note:  

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion.  It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other.  An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human.  God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Pastor Frank Anthony Villari

Pastor Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."