Peoples Temple

===Changes and "religious communalism"===
Jones had read extensively about [[Father Divine]], the founder of the [[International Peace Mission movement]].<ref name="raven58">Reiterman 1982. p. 59.</ref> Jones and members of the Temple visited Divine several times, while Jones studied his writings and tape recordings of his sermons.<ref name="raven59">Reiterman 1982. pp. 59, 65.</ref> The Temple printed Divine's texts for its members and began to preach that members should [[abstinence|abstain from sex]] and only adopt children.<ref name="raven59" />

In 1959, Jones tested the new fiery rhetorical style that Divine had used in a sermon.<ref name="raven60">Reiterman 1982. p. 60.</ref> His speech captivated members with lulls and crescendos, as Jones challenged individual members in front of the group.<ref name="raven60" /> The speech also marked the beginning of the Temple's underlying "us versus them" message.<ref name="raven60" /> Jones carefully wove in that the Temple's home for senior citizens was established on the basis "[[From each according to his ability, to each according to his need]]", quoting [[Karl Marx]]'s ''[[Critique of the Gotha Program]]''.<ref name="raven61">Reiterman 1982. p. 61.</ref> He did so knowing that his Christian audience would recognize the similarities with text from the [[Acts of the Apostles]] (4:34–35) which stated: "distribution was made to each as any had need."<ref name="raven61" /> Jones would repeatedly cite that passage to paint [[Jesus of Nazareth|Jesus]] as a communist, while at the same time attacking much of the text of the [[Bible]].<ref name="raven61" />

The Temple began tightening control over its organization,<ref name="raven54" /> asking more of its members than did other churches.<ref name="raven54" /> It required that members spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with its Temple "family" rather than with blood relatives,<ref name="raven54" /> the beginning of a process to wean members from outside contact and redirect their lives toward a total commitment to the Temple and its goals.<ref name="raven54" /> Jones began to offer a deal towards a socialist collective, which he called "[[religious communism|religious communalism]]", in which members would donate their material possessions to the Temple in exchange for the Temple meeting all those members' needs.<ref name="raven54" /> Pastor James was one of the first to commit.<ref name="raven54" />

The Temple had little luck converting most [[Midwest]]erners to communist ideals, even when disguised as religion.<ref name="raven62">Reiterman 1982. p. 62.</ref> Admiring the 1959 [[Cuban Revolution]], Jones traveled to the island nation in 1960 in an unsuccessful attempt to persuade poor black Cubans to move to his congregation in Indiana.<ref name="raven62" /> The Temple's religious message transitioned during this period, to one treading between [[atheism]] and the subtle notion that Jones was a Christ-like figure.<ref name="raven74">Reiterman 1982. p. 74.</ref> While Temple aides complained privately, Jones said that the new message was needed to foster members' dedication to the Temple's larger goals.<ref name="raven74" /> He maintained such implications until the mid-to-late 1970s.<ref name="raven74" />

In 1961, Jones claimed he had had a [[religious vision|vision]] in which Indianapolis and [[Chicago]] were destroyed in a [[nuclear war|nuclear attack]],<ref name="raven76">Reiterman 1982. p. 76.</ref> convincing aides that the Temple needed to look for a new location. A 1962 ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' magazine article listed the nine safest places to be in a nuclear war, with [[Belo Horizonte, Brazil|Belo Horizonte]], [[Brazilian military dictatorship|Brazil]], topping the list because of its location and atmospheric conditions.<ref name="raven77">Reiterman 1982. p. 77.</ref> Jones traveled through Brazil from 1962 through early 1963.<ref name="raven83">Reiterman 1982. p. 83.</ref> He requested money from the Temple while in [[Rio de Janeiro]], but the Temple lacked adequate funds for such a request because of shrinking finances in Jones's absence.<ref name="raven83" /> Jones sent a preacher that had become a follower in Brazil back to Indiana to help stabilize the Temple.<ref name="raven85">Reiterman 1982. p. 85.</ref> Jones returned to Indiana in 1963.<ref name="violent" />