by Michael Snyder, The Economic Collapse Blog: Inflation is a tax that nobody can escape.  No matter how hard you may try, the rising cost of living is going to catch up with you eventually, and we live at a time when the cost of living has become exceedingly painful.  The reason why the cost […]

from CAD Financial News: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

  Jim Jones, one of history’s most infamous cult leaders, founded the People’s Temple in the 1950s and 1960s, exploiting America’s racial and socioeconomic inequalities. His racially integrated church offered hope through Marxist-laden preaching, drawing a devoted following who viewed him as a Messiah figure. Jones convinced members to surrender their wealth, which funded “Jonestown” in Guyana. Remembered for orchestrating a mass suicide of over 900 people, his rise was rooted in theological manipulation, blending social justice rhetoric with authoritarian control and unorthodox doctrine—ultimately leading to tragedy.   Jim Jones’s Theology: Syncretism and Socialism Rev. Jim Jones at an anti-eviction rally in front of the International Hotel, Kearny and Jackson Streets, San Francisco Photo by Nancy Wong, 1977. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Jim Jones, misrepresented by some as a Christian preacher, orchestrated the Jonestown tragedy through a blend of manipulative ideologies far removed from orthodox Christianity. While he cited religious figures like Jesus and Buddha, Jones reinterpreted them to align with his socialist ideals, forming a syncretic belief system. His teachings emphasized salvation through communal living and eradication of individualism, akin to certain Liberation Theology movements. Unlike the voluntary communal sharing described in Acts 2:42-47, Jones made it compulsory, enforcing a distorted version of socialism.   Such a theology—the study of the nature of God and religious belief—is foreign to the Christian mind. Orthodox Christianity rejects such theological blending. It teaches that salvation is by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Christianity affirms Jesus as the sole way to salvation (John 14:6) and opposes deifying figures beyond Christ. Jones, in contrast, declared himself the embodiment of Jesus, Buddha, and Lenin, using these claims to elevate his authority. His approach to religion was pragmatic and self-serving, exploiting faith to gain power and wealth, as evidenced by his strict control over his congregation and their resources.   His allowance of mass suicide reflected his disregard for Christian teachings, where life is sacred, and suicide is condemned. Jones’s rejection of Christian orthodoxy, combined with his manipulative use of religion, underscores the tragic departure of Jonestown from authentic Christian principles, resulting in one of history’s darkest cult-driven atrocities. But this doesn’t simply stop at Theology. The eschatology of Jim Jones reveals his reason for establishing Jonestown in the first place.   Jim Jones’s Eschatology: Power, Prophecy, and Promised Lands The Seven Deadly Sins and Four Last Things, by Hieronymous Bosch, 1505-1510. Source: RKD Images   Prior to any discussion on Jim Jones’s eschatology, one ought to explain what eschatology is. Eschatology is the study of the end times and “last things.” The Eschatological views of Christians vary significantly. Some Christians are pre-millennial, which means that they believe humanity is currently living in the time before Christ’s millennial reign over all the Earth (Rev 20:3). They believe that the world will continue to get worse and worse until Christ returns.   There are other Christians who assert that Christ is already reigning spiritually in a non-literal one-thousand-year period in Heaven and that mankind is currently experiencing the reign of Christ, though it will be periodically filled with suffering and victory. These are the amillennialists.   Finally, there are those who claim that the world will continue to get better and experience a long period of Christian supremacy before Christ returns: the post-millennialists. While these three camps would differ in their beliefs about the when of Christ’s return, it is very clear that the focus of each eschatological view is Christ and his salvation of his Church and the world by his return. To put it bluntly, this is not the same as Jim Jones’s eschatology.   Opening of the Fifth Seal, by El Greco, 1609-1614. Source: The MET, New York   While Jim Jones did share in the premillennialists’ sentiments about the impending doom of the world and its worsening state in terms of war and “hearts growing cold” (Matthew 24:12), he departs in terms of his general disregard for the return of Christ and the remaking of the whole world.   What did Jim Jones focus on as the salvation for the Church and the world? Well, he didn’t really care for the world and assumed that mankind would die due to nuclear war and race riots. This is why Jim Jones felt a need to buy up land to create a home for his people. No, not a land for the whole Church. Jim Jones believed that this Promised Land, akin to a New Jerusalem in Revelation (Rev 21:9-27), was only for his followers and would be a haven for them while the outside world was ravaged by a nuclear winter.   Trinity nuclear test, colorized, 1945. Source: Wikimedia Commons   It would be only by the survival and expansion of this socialist utopia, “Jonestown,” that a truly perfect world would be established. No need for Christ’s return since Jim Jones saw himself as the Messiah—a belief that spread amongst his congregation due to the many false healings he performed.   Without Jesus to come back and save his church from the nations of the world, and without a divine working of God to remake all of creation in a good state, Jim Jones’s choice to make Jonestown seemed to fit. His use of suicide as an escape from the government makes sense since no expectation of a parousia or rapture was imminent. However, that still begs the question of how Jim Jones was able to convince so many followers to sell all they had and follow him as a Messiah.   Jim Jones’s Ecclesiology: Isolate, Control, and Silence Packets of Kool-Aid, photo by Suzie Sparkle. Source: Flickr   Ecclesiology examines the structure and function of the Christian church, addressing roles such as elders, bishops, and deacons, as well as church practices, authority, and outreach. Most Christians agree on the mission to spread the Gospel (Matthew 28:19) but differ on specifics like gender roles and financial priorities. In stark contrast, the People’s Temple under Jim Jones adopted an ecclesiology centered on authority, isolation, and control. Jones positioned himself as the sole authority, performing sham miracles to validate his messianic status. Unlike traditional church structures with shared leadership, his was an authoritarian regime.   Jones controlled his followers by restricting their access to external news, teachings, and family members. Viewing other Christian denominations as complicit in capitalist and racist systems, he isolated his congregation from alternative theology. His apocalyptic worldview led him to dismiss the outside world and frame family ties as irrelevant in the face of impending doom. This ecclesiological isolation primed his followers to reject external critiques and unquestioningly obey him.   Congregants were taught to delegitimize outside criticism, sever unsupportive relationships, and give their resources and loyalty entirely to Jones. This environment enabled Jones to convince over 900 followers to abandon their lives, relocate to Guyana, and ultimately consume poison in a mass suicide. By monopolizing authority and isolating his congregation, Jones created an ecclesiological structure designed for absolute control, culminating in the tragedy at Jonestown.   His manipulation of religious structure and authority underscores the dangers of unchecked power within any community. Jim Jones’s ecclesiology had primed his congregation to follow all orders and ignore all reason long before they ever took their first sip of that killer Kool-Aid.   Cultish Concoction: How These Foundations of Faith Led to a Massacre Cottages at Jonestown, 1978. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The Jonestown Massacre, one of history’s most chilling cult tragedies, didn’t happen in isolation. On that tragic day in 1978, over 200 children were the first victims, forced to consume poison. Parents obeyed the directive of Jim Jones, their self-proclaimed prophet, even as their children died in agony. Afterward, these same parents, driven by their beliefs, followed suit. At first glance, such actions seem unthinkable, but understanding the foundational beliefs of Jones and his followers clarifies this tragic obedience.   Actions stem from beliefs, whether religious or ideological. Jim Jones instilled a worldview in his followers rooted in distorted theology, eschatology, and ecclesiology, which justified even the unthinkable:   Theology: Jones’s teachings were a blend of syncretism and pantheism, rejecting orthodox Christianity. He declared himself God’s exclusive prophet, whose commands reflected divine will. Believing their salvation depended on absolute adherence to Jones’s socialist and religious directives, his followers accepted even death as a pathway to heavenly reward.   Eschatology: Jones combined socialist utopian ideals with a distorted apocalyptic worldview. He framed Jonestown as a “New Jerusalem,” promising escape from the world’s corruption. Faced with external threats, followers viewed mass suicide as their ultimate escape from impending doom.   Ecclesiology: Jones held uncontested authority, portraying himself as Christ, Buddha, and Lenin incarnate. His commands were equated with God’s will, silencing dissent. Followers believed obedience to Jones outweighed all, including the lives of their children.   These beliefs explain why Jones’s followers sold everything, abandoned their lives, and ultimately consumed poison. The tragedy of Jonestown was not about Kool-Aid but about the catastrophic power of misplaced faith and the beliefs that shape one’s actions.

A familiar name in tech is hitting a rough patch. Roomba’s recent bankruptcy filing reveals a shift not just in ownership, but in the landscape of smart home gadgets. Continue reading…

Director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday, and police are investigating what they are now calling an “apparent homicide.” Authorities were reportedly called to the home earlier in the afternoon, and at approximately 3:30 p.m. local time, the Los Angeles Fire Department discovered a deceased male and a deceased female. Their approximate ages matched those of Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, 68. The LAPD issued a brief statement, revealing only that the case would be handled going forward by the Robbery Homicide Division (RHD): “At this time, no further details are available as this is an ongoing RHD investigation, into an apparent homicide.” Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships Later reports determined that the two deceased individuals were, in fact, Reiner and his wife. Sources told entertainment site TMZ that both Reiner and his wife had lacerations that were consistent with stab wounds. Reiner, the son of the late comedian Carl Reiner, forged his own career in comedy and in Hollywood. While he initially rose to fame as Archie Bunker’s son-in-law Mike Stivic — or Meathead – on the 1970s sitcom “All in the Family,” Reiner expanded his Hollywood legacy by directing a slew of iconic films. Reiner’s film career spanned decades as he turned out cult classics like “This is Spinal Tap” and “The Princess Bride” in addition to blockbusters like “Stand By Me,” “A Few Good Men,” and “When Harry Met Sally.” He was also a political activist, advocating for leftist causes. Reiner and Michele Singer married in 1989 and were together for more than 35 years. The Oscar-nominated director was previously married to the late director Penny Marshall, who also starred in “Laverne & Shirley.” People magazine reported on Sunday evening — citing multiple unnamed sources — that the couple had been killed by their 32-year-old son, Nick, who had struggled for years with addiction.

Rivers of Nihil have carved out a remarkable place in the world of modern metal through their musicianship, creativity, and philosophical vision. Formed in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 2009 by guitarist Brody Uttley and bassist Adam Biggs, the band set out to push the boundaries of death metal by blending it with progressive and atmospheric elements. Over the years, their evolution from a technical death metal act to one of the most forward-thinking bands in the genre has earned them widespread acclaim and a dedicated international following. Their music explores themes of nature, humanity, and existentialism, often framed through an ongoing The post Complete List Of Rivers Of Nihil Songs From A to Z appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

Chuck Mangione built a career that blended jazz tradition with a melodic warmth that crossed over into the mainstream in a way that very few instrumentalists ever achieved. His story begins with the musical foundation he shared with his brother Gap Mangione, forming the Jazz Brothers and recording several projects that introduced his remarkable flugelhorn voice. This early period established him as a rising figure in the jazz world, and it set the stage for a solo career that would eventually take him far beyond traditional jazz audiences. After performing with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, he strengthened his musical identity The post Complete List Of Chuck Mangione Songs From A to Z appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

Randy Travis built a career on a voice that felt ancient and timeless the first moment it hit radio, a voice steeped in traditional country phrasing with the emotional weight of a lived-in storyteller. He grew up in North Carolina and began performing publicly at a young age, eventually winning a talent contest at a Charlotte club run by Elizabeth “Lib” Hatcher, who became his manager and later his wife. Travis moved into the club, worked there as a cook, and performed regularly while trying to break through in Nashville. This path involved early rejections from record labels that considered The post Complete List Of Randy Travis Songs From A to Z appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

INTERPOL recently executed the largest-ever edition of its annual series of coordinated of raids to dismantle criminal shipments and networks of trafficked and poached wildlife. Called Operation Thunder, some 30,000 live animals were seized in 4,620 raids across 134 countries, 30% more than last year. INTERPOL identified 1,100 suspects and issued 69 notices of criminal […] The post 30,000 Animals Rescued from Illegal Captivity in the Largest Wildlife Trafficking Raid in History appeared first on Good News Network.

Author of Be Ready for Anything and Bloom Where You’re Planted online course Back in 2019, the news was abuzz about Amanda Eller, a 37-year-old physical therapist/yoga instructor who took a walk in a Maui forest and never came back to where her car was parked. Theories abounded about Amanda because she’d left her water bottle, cellphone, and wallet in her car. People wondered whether she’d been kidnapped or murdered. The official search was called off after only 72 hours, leaving the hunt for Amanda in the hands of hundreds of volunteers who combed the forest. As well, people all over the world made donations to help fund the search. The Makawao Forest Reserve is a 2000-acre area on the north side of Maui that is surrounded by even more thousands of acres of dense forest, steep ravines, lava rocks, and vegetation so thick that it often must be hacked with machetes to get through it. There’s a lot we can learn from the survival stories of other people, and Amanda’s story also has many lessons. While I’ll point out a few mistakes, keep in mind that nearly every survival story begins with something going sideways. Amanda survived a situation many people could not, and did so barefoot and with a fractured leg. Amanda did a few things wrong but did a LOT of things right. Before you head out on your next hiking trip, read Amanda’s story and then brush up on these tips for safe hiking. How did she get lost in the first place? Amanda told reporters she didn’t take her water or phone because she was planning only a quick walk. One thing Selco drummed into us during our course is that you don’t even walk across the street without a layer one that contains, at the very least, some water purification tablets, a lighter, a whistle, a trauma bandage, and a knife. According to news reports, Amanda intended to walk a quick three-mile trail. But when she stopped to rest, she got turned around, and that was when things went wrong. ‘I wanted to go back the way I’d come, but my gut was leading me another way — and I have a very strong gut instinct. ‘So, I said, my car is this way and I’m just going to keep going until I reach it. ‘I heard this voice that said, “If you want to live, keep going”. ‘And as soon as I would doubt my intuition and try to go another way than where it was telling me, something would stop me, a branch would fall on me, I’d stub my toe, or I’d trip. So I was like, “O.K., there is only one way to go”. ‘The whole time I was going deeper into the jungle, even though I thought I was going back where I came from. (source) Unfortunately, her instincts led her astray. Anyone who regularly walks in wild areas should learn the basics of navigation using the sun, or better yet a compass,  (You can get watches that have compasses built in. Be sure to calibrate your compass with a known accurate compass.) How she survived Amanda told reporters she hiked for about 14 hours the first day hoping to get back to her car. She was only wearing a tank top and capri pants. Temperatures in that area drop to about 60 degrees at night. By day 3, she stopped looking for the trailhead and began searching for water. Generally, when you’re lost, water should be a resource you look for sooner due to the immediate risk of dehydration. This was the same day she fell off a cliff and injured her leg, fracturing it and tearing her meniscus. The following day, she found water indeed when a flash flood swept her shoes away. Now, injured and barefoot, she was not moving as fast, and she was crawling instead of walking, but the entire time, she was moving deeper into the jungle. From her hospital bed, she said, “I heard this voice that said, ‘If you want to live, keep going.” She covered herself with ferns and leaves at night. She slept in the mud, and another night in the den of a wild boar. (It’s interesting to note that boars are the most dangerous wildlife on the island. Aside from boars, there aren’t any large predators.) She ate wild strawberry guavas, berries, and moths for 17 days. Fortunately, she had learned enough about the local flora to know what she could safely eat. She stayed by a stream, from which she drank water. But she was beginning to lose hope. “I was getting so skinny that I was really starting to doubt if I could survive,” The rescue Even though officials gave up on the search after 72 hours, the locals did not. Volunteer search parties combed the area near where Amanda’s car had been found. Meanwhile, an army of volunteers turned seemingly every stone looking for her. They rappelled into ravines, searched caves, free-dove into pools and navigated fast-moving streams looking for Ms. Eller. Others killed aggressive wild boars and checked their intestines for human remains. At least one volunteer was attacked by a boar. (source) A friend of mine in Hawaii joined the search and told me that the volunteers were searching miles and miles on foot, day and night, despite the lack of official support. Finally, by sheer good fortune, Amanda was out in the open when a search helicopter flew over. Rescue workers had been combing the thickly wooded 1.5-mile radius around Ms. Eller’s car. But on a whim, the searchers in the helicopter on Friday decided to go farther, about seven miles from the central search area by air — the equivalent of 30 miles walking in such rough conditions, said Javier Canetellops, a search coordinator who was in the helicopter… …On Day 17, Ms. Eller was near a stream searching for “some plant to eat for dinner and some place to sleep that wasn’t directly in the mud” when she saw a helicopter. She said she had seen and heard multiple helicopters fly above her during her ordeal, according to her friend Ms. York, but none had spotted her. This one did. “I looked up and they were right on top of me,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God,’ and I just broke down and started bawling.” (source) Here’s the footage of Amanda’s rescue.  Rescuers say that Amanda was found in an extremely treacherous area, deep in H’aiku’ several miles above Twin Falls. She was immediately airlifted to a hospital and miraculously made a full recovery. In the following video, a rescuer described finding Amanda. Amanda had a lot to say about the volunteers who searched for her and about her “spiritual journey” while she was lost. Here’s her statement from the hospital.  And finally, this is a press conference held at the hospital updating us on Amanda’s condition.  Amanda walked with a fractured tibia, severe sunburns, infected wounds in her lower extremities, and a torn meniscus. Miraculously, her doctor said she was well-hydrated when she was rescued and that she looked great. She did not contract any issues from drinking water from the stream. Her doctor chalked a great deal of her survival up to the fact that she was very healthy and well-nourished before her ordeal. What do you think? In nearly every survival situation, mistakes are made. Amanda’s will to live helped propel her through what must have been a terrifying two and a half weeks. Could you survive 17 days in the wilderness? What do you think of Amanda’s story? Let’s discuss it in the comments section. About Daisy Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging author and blogger who’s traded her air miles for a screen porch, having embraced a more homebody lifestyle after a serious injury. She’s the heart and mind behind The Organic Prepper, a top-tier website where she shares what she’s learned about preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty. With 17 books under her belt, Daisy’s insights on living frugally, surviving tough times, finding some happiness in the most difficult situations, and embracing independence have touched many lives. Her work doesn’t just stay on her site; it’s shared far and wide across alternative media, making her a familiar voice in the community. Known for her adventurous spirit, she’s lived in five different countries and raised two wonderful daughters as a single mom.  Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and X. The post How a Quick Walk Turned into a 17-Day Survival Ordeal in the Hawaiian Jungle appeared first on The Organic Prepper.