In this blog we will look into the last phase of both new religious movements and ultimately the fall of both organizations. I believe that the fall of both Synanon and the Peoples Temple can be traced back to the public perception and the relationship with the media.
For the Peoples Temple, the public perception following the move to Guyana, was that Jonestown was a bad place. Some family members and relatives believed that their family members in Jonestown were being held against their will. As this perception spread, the media increased their reports and highlighted the concerns that the family members had. The media and public began to paint Jonestown as a place of secrecy. The family members formed a group called the Concerned Relatives and were able to get the attention of California congressman, Leo Ryan. Unable to convince the government to address the issue, congressman Ryan decided to investigate the matter himself. As the media attention and pressure from the congressman increased, Jonestown became even more separated from the outside world. The leader Jim Jones would become increasingly paranoid with the situation. As time passed, Jones would restrict all communication between the members and the outside world.
By comparison, Synanon faced a similar relationship with the public and media. In the beginning the media had a good relationship with Synanon. The media showed Synanon in a positive light as a revolutionary program. However, when Synanon moved to Marin County a small local newspaper would investigate the organization and raise concerns regarding Synanon. The local newspaper, the Point Reyes Light would portray Synanon as a violent cult that was a danger to its neighbors, community and the general public. In addition, the nation would became aware of Synanon after Time magazine printed a story about Dederich and Synanon’s beliefs.
As the media attention and investigations increased, both Synanon and the Peoples Temple would separate themselves from the outside world. During this phase there was an increase in abuse and violence in both organizations. For Synanon, this separation would lead to the formation of a militia. For Jonestown, contact with the outside world was restricted for its members.
It was during this separation from the outside world that both groups shifted to focus on control and reducing the individual’s rights. Some members began to realize that these beliefs were not in their best interests. Some members were able to distinguish between what was right and wrong. When senator Ryan and other media members visited Jonestown they were impressed at the village in the middle of the jungle. However, as the visit continued it became clear that there were several members who wanted to leave. These people knew that following the leadership of Jim Jones was just not right.
As the media attention grew on Synanon, violence would increase and spread beyond the property boundaries. Threats were made to neighbors and those opposed. People who traveled near Synanon were harassed. Synanon would be placed even more in the spotlight after several members placed a four-foot rattlesnake in a lawyer’s mailbox. At the time the lawyer, Paul Morantz was investigating Synanon and raising red flags about its practices. Paul Morantz was seriously injured from this incident but more importantly it brought more attention to Synanon’s questionable practices.
With the increased media attention and after the rattlesnake incident, the government and law enforcement decided to look into the situation and investigate Synanon and its practices. The investigations would lead to multiple arrests and lawsuits against Synanon and its members. Upon further investigation the Internal Revenue Service found some problems with Synanon. Ultimately the fall of Synanon would come as a result of the IRS revoking Synanon’s tax-exempt status.
By comparison, the end of Jonestown and the Peoples Temple would be much worse than the fall of Synanon. When the Peoples Temple moved to Guyana, there was very little concrete information about what was actually occurring in the jungle. The government did not have enough information to bring family members back to the United States. When congressman Ryan attempted to bring back those who were unhappy, they encountered an attack on the airstrip that had been ordered by Jim Jones. Following the attack Jones ordered his followers to drink a poison ending in a mass suicide of unprecedented proportions.
In many ways the fall of both organizations is a result of the leaders Jim Jones and Charles Dederich. Obsessed with pride both leaders would do whatever it took to demonstrate their superiority. As the media pushed to discredit these organizations, the leaders fought back, sometimes with violence and sometimes through hiding. But the fact remains that in both situations, the media, government and the public did not fully understand the nature of these organizations.
In the case of Jonestown, the tragedy was a result of the underestimation and misunderstanding of an apocalyptic society. The government, congressman Ryan, the media and the Concerned Relatives underestimated the beliefs. The result of the mishandling of the situation led to a mass suicide of 912 members of the Peoples Temple.
At first the Peoples Temple and Synanon were recognized as revolutionary and to be cutting edge. However as time passed the groups would turn to violence and today are remembered for their negative historical actions. Hopefully we can all learn from these events and work to create a society that ensures another tragedy such as Jonestown never happens again.
Work Cited
Cherry, H. (2011, April 29). They Called it Synanon. Retrieved April 25, 2016, from http://www.thenervousbreakdown.com/hcherry/2011/04/they-called-it-synanon/
Dawson, L. L. (2003). Cults and new religious movements: A reader. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub.
Ostrow, R. (1985, October 02). U.S. Indicts Nine From Synanon in Tax-Exemption Effort. Retrieved April 26, 2016, from http://articles.latimes.com/1985-10-02/news/mn-16054_1_tax-exempt-status
Reiterman, T. (1997, March 28). Archive: Jonestown's Lessons Still Go Unheeded. Retrieved April 26, 2016, from http://www.latimes.com/world/africa/la-me-jonestownarchive28-1997mar28-story.html
I liked your comparison to The Peoples Temple. I think they had so much in common in not just their leaders but the rapid success they gained. Synanon and Peoples Temple were able grab the attention of outsiders and I think it's something that made them so successful!
ReplyDeleteI noticed this too and it really is a good connection because it does not just focus on one aspect but links up to a number of aspects between both groups.
DeleteThe Peoples Temple and Synanon had a lot of similarities. Both of these groups started off strong, but unfortunately I do agree that media had a huge impact on the fall of these two groups. Both of these groups helped people, unfortunately we always tend to remember the negative aspect of things and forget to look at the positive.
ReplyDeleteI believe that ultimately the media attention had a negative impact on the leaders of both Synanon and the Peoples Temple. Unfortunately in both cases the leaders acted in ways that were less than favorable. As you mentioned today society focuses on the negative aspect of both groups, I think for most it is always easier to remember failure/tragedy than it is to remember the positives.
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