I just finished watching a PBS American Experience on Jonestown.

I found it just as disturbing almost 30 yrs later. I had always known it was murder suicide at least for the small children, but I never realized that there were so few voluntary suicides among the 900 dead. 250 of them who were children under age 18 were definitely murdered.

Survivors talk about the area being surrounded by armed guards who will kill them if they don't kill themselves. There are recordings of Jim Jones' voice during the mass murder/suicide that are just chilling, offering them this way to die or by a gun.
There were also references to Jim Jones'political power and influence. The transcript of the program will be on the site soon.

I am having an argument with someone regarding whether or not G-d warned the people who died. They are saying God would have warned them that Jones wasn't a man of God, and they should have known and not gone to Guyana if they were listening.
I am having serious problems with this. First I think it is hubris to claim to know the wisdom of G-d and secondly, it blames the victims.

Sadly, the whole Ryan visit that instigated Jonestown was over custody of a little boy whose parents wanted him back.