Once upon a time, a religious cult...

The leader of an infamous, radical Christian cult was known for his sermons, which were so influential that they inspired large groups of people in major metropolitan areas. Within a few years, the leader came to be known as a messiah. About a decade later, his cult following begged to live in a perpetual state of paranoia. They were confident that the apocalypse was around the corner and engaged in surprisingly brave moves in the nation's political circles. With money flowing in from around the country, organizations affiliated with the cult rose to prominence. Soon, they formed a so-called planning commission to handle their day-to-day affairs, including blackmailing uncooperative politicians via anonymous letters, sending directives to media outlets affiliated with the cult and establishing links with the state.

Summarized above is the story of the People's Temple, which was formed in 1955 and remained active until November 1978. If you are wondering about the blackmail letters, please remember that this was a time when digital wiretapping and satellite tracking systems were neither staples of everyday life as they are today, nor were the capabilities as advanced or prominent.

When cult leader Jim Jones began preaching that he was the reincarnation of both Jesus Christ and Karl Marx and proceeded to build stronger ties with Cuba - read: The enemy of America - U.S. authorities became increasingly weary of him. Before long, Mr. Jones became disheartened and decided to move abroad. It was around this time that the cult, comprised of blacks and former American socialists under the management of a small, white elite, purchased a farm in Guyana in South America.

On a November morning in 1978, the news of a mass suicide of over 900 people at the People's Temple in Guyana hit newswires and radio and TV waves all over the world. For years, everyone thought that the residents had died from poisoned water and lethal injection; however, it was only after 2006 when incident reports of local authorities in Guyana - who arrived at the People's Temple before the CIA and U.S. government officials - became a subject of public debate. Today, most people believe what really happened was a mass murder. Gunshot wounds identified on corpses of cult members that were found in the nearby forest tell a similar story. Although some suggest that the American Green Berets along with white followers were responsible for the casualties, their whereabouts remain a mystery.

And why should we remember this massacre today? Primarily because the People's Temple incident rose to prominence within the context of Project MKULTRA, the CIA's mind control program. Secondly, because the question of whether U.S.-based religious organizations have a "deep core," serving the interests of global interest groups deserves attention. Unfortunately, we cannot crack such questions by analyzing traditional religious groups. Instead, we must concentrate on modern cults whose involvement with religious and other activities is completely irrelevant.