Heaven's Gate Cult

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Heaven’s Gate was a cult founded in 1972 by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles. The beliefs behind the Heaven’s Gate cult was based around unidentified foreign objects (UFO). Members of this cult believed the Earth was about to be “recycled” and that the only way to survive was to leave Earth. The members commit suicide with the belief it was the only way they could make it to the “Next Level”. Marshall Applewhite was born on May 17, 1931 in Spur, Texas. Applewhite grew up very religious, as his father was a Presbyterian minister. Applewhite enrolled at the Union Presbyterian Seminary in the hopes of becoming a minister, however, he later decided to pursue a music career instead. Later, Applewater began teaching at the University …show more content…

Nettles was raised in a Baptist family but as an adult she distanced herself from the religion. Nettles marriage was mostly stable until 1972 when she claimed a 19th century monk spoke to her and gave her instructions. Additionally, Nettles went to fortune tellers who said she would meet a tall man with a fair complexion and light hair; this description matched Applewhite whom she later met in March, 1972. Nettles introduced Applewhite to her “spiritual” practices and the pair quickly become inseparable, both believing they had met before in a previous life. The pair came to the agreement that they were the two witnesses mentioned in the Book of Revelation; this was one of the first steps they made towards starting Heaven’s …show more content…

The members of Heaven’s Gate lived in close proximity to each other, always living in the same towns and oftentimes sharing houses or campers. Because all of the members were so close to one another, individual members were more likely to be obedient because of other members who may be watching them and who have possibly set a standard in the cult. Depersonalization was a major factor of obedience in Heaven’s Gate. Members has to disassociate with their friends, family, employers, employees, and any other aspect Applewhite deemed “humanlike”. By taking away the main factors which make a person unique and “humanlike”, Applewhite effectively depersonalizes his followers, which makes obedience from these people much easier to

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