--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As kids, my brother David and I longed…" description: "\"As kids, my brother David and I longed for acceptance. We were desperate to belong. We would have been thrilled to see the pews of Jones's church in Sa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/julia-scheeres-17172_acceptance_as-kids-my-brother-david-and-i-longed-fo_1217936.jpg" --- # As kids, my brother David and I longed for acceptance. We… ![“As kids, my brother David and I longed for acceptance. We were desperate to belong. We would have been thrilled to see the pews of Jones's church in San Francisco, with blacks and whites sitting side by side. And Jim Jones's sermons on social justice and equality would have had much greater appeal…” quote by Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/julia-scheeres-17172_acceptance_as-kids-my-brother-david-and-i-longed-fo_1217936.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/julia-scheeres-17172_acceptance_as-kids-my-brother-david-and-i-longed-fo_1217936.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/julia-scheeres-17172_acceptance_as-kids-my-brother-david-and-i-longed-fo_1217936.jpg) > “As kids, my brother David and I longed for acceptance. We were desperate to belong. We would have been thrilled to see the pews of Jones's church in San Francisco, with blacks and whites sitting side by side. And Jim Jones's sermons on social justice and equality would have had much greater appeal to us than the soporific morality tales we were accustomed to hearing. Jones promised real racial equality. He promised to create a truly equal community in the jungle in Guyana.” [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Desperate for acceptance, people are drawn to promises of radical equality, even when those promises are dangerous. **In simple terms:** People seek belonging, sometimes in risky movements. Key Takeaway Critically evaluate promises of utopia. Themes belonging equality radicalism Mood analytical cautionary Type historical sociological When to use this quote - community building - critical thinking - historical analysis Key Concepts social justice cult dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Why do we gravitate toward idealistic groups? - How can we discern genuine equality from manipulation? A Different Perspective Utopian promises can mask harmful agendas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Desperate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperate/) [Jungle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jungle/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Justice And Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice-and-equality/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Racial equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial-equality/) [San francisco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/san-francisco/) [Side by side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/side-by-side/) [Social justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-justice/) ## Related quotes > [ “No one listening \[to Jones' sermons\], even those who were the most devoted to him, could take it all in. But at some point… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-guinn/no-one-listening-to-jones-sermons-even-those-who-were-the-most/) [Jeff Guinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-guinn/) > [Jim Jones wanted his people to believe the establishment was trying to kill him because whites were threatened by his message of racial equality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/jim-jones-wanted-his-people-to-believe-the-establishment-was-trying/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [I think the folks who joined Jim Jones's church did so because they truly believed in his stated ideals of racial equality and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/i-think-the-folks-who-joined-jim-jones-s-church-did-so-because-they/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [Jim Jones started out as a civil rights crusader in Indianapolis. As a young preacher in the mid-50s, he used members of his congregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/jim-jones-started-out-as-a-civil-rights-crusader-in-indianapolis-as-a/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [Every nation is destined, by the law of God and humanity, to form a free and equal community of brothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-mazzini/every-nation-is-destined-by-the-law-of-god-and-humanity-to-form-a/) [Giuseppe Mazzini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuseppe-mazzini/) > [In California, Jim Jones even staged a shooting of himself. The lesson of this was two-fold. One, that he was a god - he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/in-california-jim-jones-even-staged-a-shooting-of-himself-the-lesson/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [To be honest, I didn't want to get inside Jones's head. Every time I wrote about Jim Jones I practically had to tie myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/to-be-honest-i-didn-t-want-to-get-inside-jones-s-head-every-time-i/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [My parents subscribed to both Time and Newsweek and in 1978, I remember the covers of both that December were of the bodies in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/my-parents-subscribed-to-both-time-and-newsweek-and-in-1978-i/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [I was working on a satirical novel about a charismatic preacher who takes over a small Indiana town. Then I remembered Jim Jones was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/i-was-working-on-a-satirical-novel-about-a-charismatic-preacher-who/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [That's why I think it's important to revisit the story of Jonestown. I hope readers come away with a greater compassion for Jim Jones's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/that-s-why-i-think-it-s-important-to-revisit-the-story-of-jonestown-i/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [Jim Jones used highly-edited videos and photos of Jonestown, showing what a supposed Eden it was. People were interviewed smiling and working in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/jim-jones-used-highly-edited-videos-and-photos-of-jonestown-showing/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [I was pregnant with my youngest child at the time, writing about mass death while I'm growing this precious little life inside me. Here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/i-was-pregnant-with-my-youngest-child-at-the-time-writing-about-mass/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [Aye, we from the streets, we from the streets, we from the streets, but don't u judge me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/future/aye-we-from-the-streets-we-from-the-streets-we-from-the-streets-but/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/future/) > [“The Trojan Horse Sterling had referred to reflected his belief that the truth about Jonestown had never been revealed to the American people. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-morcan/the-trojan-horse-sterling-had-referred-to-reflected-his-belief-that/) [James Morcan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-morcan/) > [Representative Leo J. Ryan understood the manipulation phenomena people were describing to him and he lost his life in a Guyanese jungle investigating how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-ryan/representative-leo-j-ryan-understood-the-manipulation-phenomena/) Leo Ryan ## More by Julia Scheeres > [“This here is: JESUS LAND”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/this-here-is-jesus-land/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [My parents subscribed to both Time and Newsweek and in 1978, I remember the covers of both that December were of the bodies in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/my-parents-subscribed-to-both-time-and-newsweek-and-in-1978-i/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [I didn't fit into the Christian college my parents sent me to. I felt tarnished by tragedy, between my brother's death and Escuela Caribe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/i-didn-t-fit-into-the-christian-college-my-parents-sent-me-to-i-felt/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [Escuela Caribe preyed upon parents' fears of secular culture to recruit students. Parents could send their kids to a place where they'd be sheltered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/escuela-caribe-preyed-upon-parents-fears-of-secular-culture-to/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [Jonestown was supposed to be a great socialist experiment, a place where all the evil "isms" would be eradicated: racism, sexism, elitism. This appealed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/jonestown-was-supposed-to-be-a-great-socialist-experiment-a-place/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [Jim Jones used highly-edited videos and photos of Jonestown, showing what a supposed Eden it was. People were interviewed smiling and working in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/jim-jones-used-highly-edited-videos-and-photos-of-jonestown-showing/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [I only wish my brother David had survived to experience Berkeley as well. No one would flinch here if we were to walk down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/i-only-wish-my-brother-david-had-survived-to-experience-berkeley-as/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [“Seems we can never just be brother and sister like in other families. Our whole lives, people have felt an urge to make up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/seems-we-can-never-just-be-brother-and-sister-like-in-other-families/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [That's why I think it's important to revisit the story of Jonestown. I hope readers come away with a greater compassion for Jim Jones's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/that-s-why-i-think-it-s-important-to-revisit-the-story-of-jonestown-i/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [In my view, the problem with many conservative Christian parents is that they won't allow their children to have a different worldview from their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/in-my-view-the-problem-with-many-conservative-christian-parents-is/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [I was working on a satirical novel about a charismatic preacher who takes over a small Indiana town. Then I remembered Jim Jones was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/i-was-working-on-a-satirical-novel-about-a-charismatic-preacher-who/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [Jim Jones wanted his people to believe the establishment was trying to kill him because whites were threatened by his message of racial equality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/jim-jones-wanted-his-people-to-believe-the-establishment-was-trying/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [“As we paint each other's nails Cinnamon Vixen, I consider telling her how bad things are at home. After she and Dan and Laura…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/as-we-paint-each-other-s-nails-cinnamon-vixen-i-consider-telling-her/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [“One of the most popular genital surgeries is labia minora reduction. When a similar procedure is performed on healthy girls in some African countries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/one-of-the-most-popular-genital-surgeries-is-labia-minora-reduction/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [There were several parallels between Jonestown and Escuela Caribe. Both places used isolation to control a large group of people and censored their communication…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/there-were-several-parallels-between-jonestown-and-escuela-caribe/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) [Explore all 38 Julia Scheeres quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As kids, my brother David and I longed for acceptance. We were desperate to belong. We would have been thrilled to see the pews of Jones's church in San Francisco, with blacks and whites sitting side by side. 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