Part Two: The False Messiah
Jim Jones... Charles Manson... David Koresh... Adolph Hitler... They all fit the qualifications for a messiah, in their own minds. A messiah feels that the truth he/she shares is absolute. The certainty that stands behind the assertions gives the messiah the weight of authority. People who are not so certain of their own truths gravitate to those who seem to really know, and they follow. If a messiah is enlarged by being followed, feeds on the energy of devotion, seeks this kind of gratification... Sign in to see full entry.