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Religious Cults In The 1970's

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Americans have always been in search for bigger answers to life and seeking spiritual enlightenment. In the 1970’s new religions started to emerge many people flocked to new ideals and beliefs seeking a higher enlightenment. As a result of people searching for the meaning of life or a higher power, religious cults became prevalent in American society in the 1970’s.
Most cults have some foundation rooted in a Christian belief for example the Branch Davidians, church leader David Koresh was a former Seventh Day Adventist whose racial views had him removed from the church. Koresh then went on the form the Branch Davidians who was a doomsday cult who preached the world would soon end and Koresh and his followers believed God spoke to directly to him. In 1993 the ATF raided the Branch Davidians compound, which …show more content…

He believed that he had a vision at the age of 16 that he was Jesus Christ and had unfinished work on Earth. He was arrested and put in prison for teaching his new religion in Korea. In 1950 he escaped To the United States. Once in the U.S. he became a member of the Presbyterian Church and was later excommunicated. He then formed the Holy Spirit for the Unification of World Christianity he became famous for group marriage ceremonies and many lawsuits filed against the cult from families who were deprogramming their children. The one cult that left a mark on Americans is The Peoples Temple and its leader Jim Jones. As I started to do my research for this project I had in mind I would do an overview of cults in American society in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s but one cult stood out from the rest it and it was The Peoples Temple and Jonestown. Jim Jones a very charismatic leader literally talked 914 people into killing themselves in the name of God. In this paper you will find strong evidence of how Jim Jones rose to power and why people followed his warped since of religion and

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