Читать книгу The Slaughter of God - Jeff Hood - Страница 11

“The worldly kingdom suffers violence and the violence is triggered by force.”

—Jim Jones

Using the words of Jesus, Jones sought to convince his people that outside violence surrounded them. Jones used real or imagined threats to control Jonestown. In the final hours, Jones repeatedly told them they were victims. He left out the massacre that some had just perpetuated. Regardless, Jones was the ultimate perpetuator of violence. Constantly, Jones divided and destroyed. That is not to say that outside forces didn’t direct violence toward the community. It is important to remember that violence is always evil. Violence is always a futile pursuit. In Jonestown we see the forgone futile conclusion, violence births violence until there is no one left to perpetuate violence. The mass suicide/killing at Jonestown was a result of an addiction to violence . . . violence against the other and violence against the self. Violence was created until violence was finished. While there are many lessons from Jonestown that are very complex, one is not. If we are to experience any wholeness in this life, we must kill violence before violence kills us.

Amen.