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Jim Jones - Indiana to California In 1947, Jim Jones was a boy of 16. Unlike most boys his age Jones was not interested in her peers or what was going on at his high school. Instead, he focused more on his studies and his desires to preach. During this time it is frequently noted that Jones had a strange interest in Adolph Hitler and Josef Stalin. Jones graduated from high school and began his college career eventually earning a degree in education. On July 12, 1949, at the age of 18, he married Marceline Baldwin. But from early on it seems that the Jones’ marriage was destined for troubles. Jim Jones was often jealous, insecure, and domineering to his wife. Marceline, however, had been taught that marriage was for life and chose to stay with Jim even those his tantrums often annoyed her. During this time Jones began to doubt his belief in god. He denounced churches for hypocrisy because they turned away parishioners based on skin color. In 1952, Jones became engrossed in the Methodist church because of their interests in the rights of minorities. He became a student pastor at the Methodist church that year. Jones began his forays into the African American communities, he often brought his young cousin who lived with him and Marceline.
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