Sunday, February 28, 2010

People's Temple & Heaven's Gate

In comparing the two catastrophic killings of these two groups, one must make reference to the works of Emile Durkheim. Investigating both of these killings highlights the fact that both cults adhered to an "altruistic suicide", which goes by the mantra of "for the good of the whole".
Altruistic suicide results when the level of social integration is "too freat, the collective consciousness too strong, and the individual is forced into committing suicide". While neither Jim Jones nor Marshall Applewhite forced followers to commit the suicide, they were so heavily integrated into their cults that they did it in an enthusiastic, voluntary way. George Ritzer further explains that many feel that it is "their duty" to commit suicide, and it is often tied to their beliefs about life.
In both cases, the suicidal cult followers believed that something greater was present after death. They chose to shed their earthly bodies in order to pursue the higher level of life. Paradoxically however, the Heaven's Gate cult looked down upon suicide, stating that they had been given their "containers" (or bodies) by the extra-terrestial beings, and that they must respect these earthly shells. They did not view their killing as "suicide", but merely as a passageway into the Next Level.
Another aspect to note is that the level of integration may have been so high for both groups because of the persuasive leaders. Both Jim Jones and Marshall Applewhite were charismatic, knowledgeable men with impeccable oratorial skills. They were able to convince their followers to do just about anything: leave their families, leave their children, flee the country....and even end their lives.
The People's Temple and Heaven's Gate are not drastically different in their reasons for committing suicide: both did it for religious reasons. Being so tightly knit within their respective cults, many members felt obligated, and even excited, to partake in the adventure together. Most followers viewed the experience as a release and as a hopeful experience, which supports Durkheim's statement that this type of suicide "springs from hope", depending upon various outlooks on life.

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