...Heaven’s Gate Control, brain washed, and mental illness. Those are the first thoughts that come to mind during and after watching this documentary. Heaven’s Gate was founded and led by Marshall Applewhite (1931–1997) and Bonnie Nettles (1928–1985).Marshall Applewhite is a disturbing individual, who seems to me he just wants control over these individuals. The most shocking part is that they actually allow him to control every aspect of their lives. According to what we learned and discussed in class, Heaven’s Gate is definitely a cult. Applewhite was a charismatic leader that kept tight control. He regulated who and when they could go outside to the size a pancake could be. He also isolated them from their family and friends (separation). He controlled all of their resources. One former member even stated Applewhite would use “idol threats” to keep them there, as if they were going to miss out on the best part if they left. This destructive cult claimed the lives of 38 members and the leader. The followers in Heaven’s gate believed that Earth was going to be recycled or “renewed” and the only way to survive was to leave Earth immediately. I felt like this group should have sat down and actually read the bible. Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God you are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” With that said a Christian is supposed to have...
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...HEAVEN’S GATE Heaven's Gate was an American cult based in San Diego California, founded in the early 1970s and led by Marshall Applewhite, and Bonnie Nettles. On March 26, 1997, police discovered the bodies of 39 members of the group who had committed suicide in order to reach what they believed was an alien space craft following the Hale-Bop comet. The first public meeting was in the seaside town of Waldport, Oregon in 1975. For months before, they had put up fliers on telephone poles urging people to attend the meeting to discover the truth about reality. Two hundred people arrived at the Bayshore Inn Hotel to find out what the fliers were about. The Two believed that to be saved, spiritual-minded people must recognize that the appearance that most humans have souls is only an illusion. Only those who truly had souls and were ready to be harvested by God would recognize the truth of the message. Once they did, they would give up their worldly clutter at once and follow a strict regimen. Using biblical notions about sexless angels and the praise Christ gave to those who sacrificed family life to follow him, they insisted that spiritual perfection came only at a price. One had to first see the truth about the evils around them and want desperately to free oneself. The demands for members were overwhelming, which slowed down the cult's early success, but Applewhite and Nettles believed that purging earthly ways was the only means for rediscovering the alien beings they...
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...Heaven’s Gate Religion There are many types of religions that have been formed known as new religious movements and Heaven’s Gate Religion is one that fascinates me. Heaven's Gate was an American UFO religious Millenarian group based in San Diego, California, founded in the early 1970s and led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles. On March 26, 1997, police discovered the bodies of 39 members of the group who had committed suicide in order to reach what they believed was an alien space craft following Comet Hale–Bopp. The new religious movement sounds crazy when first reading about it and after writing this essay I hope to learn subjects such as, what are the forms of salvation within the religion and how does the religion address the problem of evil. When looki ng at different websites the first thing that popped up when searching for Heaven’s Gate was the word cult and that’s exactly what I thought about for the group because it reminded me of exactly that. I find it really hard to think of the group as a serious religion since many of them took their own life when I am a Christian and believe strongly against suicide. The first Subject that I would like to talk to you about is what the forms of salvation are when it comes to the new religious movement known as the Heaven’s Gate religion. The group led by Marshall Applewhite had a very interesting way of thinking and it showed when they became convinced that the appearance of the Hale-Bopp comet masked a spacecraft...
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...They met sometime in March 1972. They had the same absurd thoughts and beliefs. They thought of astrology, reincarnation, and others relating to the stars. Some people would characterize them with the words: crazy, nutty, insane. The two took their ideas, beliefs, philosophies and put them together to make a group of people that would worship them, or a cult. Thus, beginning Heaven’s Gate. Heaven’s Gate was started roughly around 1975. Applewhite and Nettles had hosted a meeting in Oregon sometime in September 1975. After the meeting had concluded, 20 people decided to join the cult. Now, you might be wondering how the group stayed in disguise. I’ll tell you how: they had nicknames for each other. Many of their nicknames came from children's pop culture, like Tiddly and Wink or Winnie and Pooh, but the cult was anything but childish. Soon later, in mid 1980, she died of cancer (Moran,...
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...and habit by means of heuristic persuasion to change beliefs. Every communicator aims to gain different and desired results. For example, sales people, politicians, and leaders in other areas all have different goals and audiences, but use persuasion to their benefit. Cult leaders and other extremists in history have used persuasion to immerse followings and gain social loyalty. Over time they have evolved with different religious, political, and revolutionary motives. A cult by definition is a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous. They are typically characterized by their distinct beliefs and rituals related to devotion to a god or person, are isolated from their surrounding “evil culture,” and have a charismatic leader (Myers, 252). These charismatic leaders of will use persuasion to influence the intentions, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and motivations of different individuals (Thoms and Walden, 2007). Vulnerability in the larger community is the main reason individuals find consolation in cults (Richard, 2010). Feelings of inferiority, ignorance, social threat, and other such factors influence an individual’s ability to be persuaded into a cult. After a person converts into the beliefs and practices of the cult, the cult’s way of life becomes second nature. Isolation, and un-acceptance of the cult’s beliefs by the larger community makes leaving very difficult...
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...Annotated Bibliography Davis, Winston. "Heaven's Gate: A Study of Religious Obedience." Nova Religion 3.2 (2000): 241-67. ProQuest. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. On March 26, 1997, the bodies of Marshall Applewhite and 38 men and women that were members of “Heaven’s Gate Cult” were found dead in a mansion in Santa Fe, California. These 39 members of the cult committed suicide so they can beam up into a UFO that would transport them to the “Level Above Human.” The Heaven’s Gate Cult believed that the earth will be recycled and the only way to survive was to leave this world as soon as possible. The group had many rules and beliefs written by Applewhite. Applewhite is the creator of this religion that combined Christianity with science fiction. To be able...
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...When unorthodox religions or cult practices become inhumane or unjust Introduction This research project examines when unorthodox religions or cult practices either becomes or perceived as inhumane or unjust by specifically focusing on unorthodox religions during a twenty year period between the 1950’s through the 1970’s. The research focuses on five different unorthodox religions: The People’s Temple, founded by Jim Jones, Heaven’s Gate, founded by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, Scientology, founded by L. Ron Hubbard, Children of God, founded by David Berg, and Branch Davidians, founded by David Koresh. Langone, M. D. (1995). These five unorthodox religions or cults may have had or have different doctrines and practices, but research shows that they may all share the common trait of being inhumane or unjust. Rationale/Thesis Statement In the International Cultic Studies Association article, by Dole and Eichel (1985), a survey was conducted about dangerous practices associated with cults and referenced different actions that they deemed destructive, from coercion to enslavement, which they believe to be inhumane and unjust. This research study will attempt to uncover some of these practices and find out what draws people to these unorthodox religions or cults. Likewise, this research project also attempts to determine the point at which practices become inhumane or unjust. It’s interesting to note, that three out of the five unorthodox religions or cults included...
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...join. There are somewhere around 3,000 to 5,000 of these cults throughout the United States, but only 75 to 100 are documented (Study Resources). The most commonly known cults are Reverend Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, Heavens Gate, and Charles Manson and the Family; these cults were able to drag people in and make them willing to do horrible things to themselves and others. In the early 20th century, Allistar Crowly, AKA “The Black Pope”, started modern Satanism (Satan Worship). It is said that Anton Lavey brought Satanism to the United States; Anton believed that he was the reincarnation of the “Black Pope”. He set his church up in San Francisco in 1966. By the end of the first year, Anton’s cult grew to more than 200,000 members (Satan Worship). Anton then went to Hollywood to help make movies about Satanism. The movies, such as Rosemary’s Baby, glamorized the Satanic lifestyle and drew people in. Satanism was the jumping point for the modern cult movement. Reverend Jim Jones was the leader of The Peoples Temple. Jim thought of himself as the reincarnation of Jesus. His vision of world domination was nuclear war, and the only cities that would survive are Ukiah, California and Belo Horizonte, Brazil (Robinson). Because of this belief, he moved his cult to Ukiah and awaited the war. When world war three did not quickly hit, he moved his church to San Francisco. There he practiced a ritual that became known as “White Nights”...
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...To define abnormality there is three approaches these include ‘failure to function adequately’ ‘deviation from social norms’ and ‘deviation from mental health. All three of these definitions are all subjective, therefore by having only subjective definitions no experiments to find direct cause and effect can not be found as you can only do this by having facts. Deviation from social norms shows how implicit and explicit rules effect whom is abnormal. Anyone who breaks either set of rules is therefore abnormal. Implicit rules are rules that or not illegal but are looked down upon by society such as public affection. Explicit rules are the opposite as they are illegal which can therefore end in imprisonment. Actions such as rape and murder are explicit. This definition does acknowledge the concept of cultural relativism (culture bound syndromes). However can not have a universal definition as it varies from culture to culture. Although Kraepelin ‘23 has found that disorders such as depression are worldwide disorders as it is the symptoms and effects are the same from culture to culture. The definition suggests that if a certain behaviour from a person is socially acceptable from their society than it is not abnormal. Therefore no society is ‘bad’ even if they appear that way to someone or another culture. An example of this is the japanese ‘Kamikazes’ As the culture was acceptant of their behaviour it was not abnormal although it may have seemed to other cultures. This approach...
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...Religion is a major contributor to the prejudices and social detachment in the structure of society. Religion is practiced all over the world in some form or aspect. Religion may be defined as the concept of devoting one’s life to a standard of set codes, beliefs, rituals and/ or traditions. Early religions practiced in America justified conformity in early settlers. One of the first structural religions practiced after the arrival of the Europeans to America has influences of Puritanism (Jamestown 1492). Christianity among many different religious, originated from the concept that some individuals are blessed with while others are cursed (Cain and Abel, Genesis, Ch. 4, Holy Bible, King James). This chapter in the Bible has been used to discipline, control race relations, social contacts, and individual life styles to name a few. The Holy Bible is used actively in the United States court room, before every testimony, A Judge or bailiff will ask Individuals if they “swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God? Jim Jones founded the “Peoples Temple Full Gospel Christian Church”, (Wessinger, 2000) as a means of providing hope in desperate times, elderly, poor, and disadvantaged citizens were converting. Jim Jones used social and ethnic issues to subdue his flock of mostly African Americans. The Christian aspect of the People’s Temple was soon transformed into what many refer to as a “cult”. The power associated with religious...
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...Jeffs was one of the top 10 on the FBI’s most wanted list for rape, and marrying older men with younger girls who weren’t even of age. He also was having sexual relations with girls that were under age as well. (Murr) Another is in the Pentecostal Church with Jim Jones as the leader of a cult, Jones craved power and became successful. His church was called People’s Temple and started in Indiana, he then moved his church to California. After the move to California, Jim Jones became paranoid that there was going to be a nuclear explosion and so in 1977 they relocated to Guiana, South America. (Russell) In Jones town, Jim Jones had a congressman killed and committed a mass suicide with a deadly potion of cyanide put into grape punch. Heaven’s Gate is another cult started by Marshall Applewhite and Betty Nettles, built on a philosophy of new ageism, science fiction, and Christianity. What they promised their followers was entry into the kingdom of heaven without having to die first. This was a mass suicide as well, where they all died but, at varying...
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...group will claim to be the only way to God and will use thought reform and mind control to keep their members. Unfortunately, after 15 years in a cult she finally realized that she was being controlled rather than controlling her own life. She wanted to let people know about her experiences in order to help others. She is so hated by the church of scientology for exposing them that her name is not even allowed to pop up under scientology on Google. In the United States, it is estimated that there are 5,000 cults that are actively recruiting people, no matter the age and walks of life. Jan Groenveld made it her mission to help people recognize cults, spiritually abusive behaviors and how to defend them from persuasion. Because the beliefs in cults are so believable people become locked into a “thinking box” which makes them unable to see the world around them. The topic that I chose to analyze is religious cults. I chose this because I thought it was interesting to explore the unknown and secret world of persuasion. A cult is any group that uses mind control techniques to get someone to join. A religious cult is very demanding and the leader wants full loyalty from their followers. They are motivated by having more members which gives them a sense of reassurance and makes them feel like they are doing a good job. Money, power,...
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...Yana Garcia Mander 13.0 hw. Assess the view that cults and sects are fringe organisations that are inevitably short lived and of little influence on contemporary society. Cults and sects are often hard to differentiate from one another, as a lot of them have very similar features such as a world-rejecting values and the offer of alternative explanations to traditional beliefs. According to Troeitsch, sects tend to be small, tight-knitted groups of individuals that often disagree with mainstream values and attempt to change society for the better. Cults on the other hand, are loosely knit, require a lot less commitment and do not always hold concrete beliefs. While some sects are low profile and harmless, others carry out horrific actions and rituals which have become apparent to the public through the media, such as 'Heaven’s Gate': a sect that conducted mass suicides as a way of gaining access to heaven, and the 'People’s Temple', a sect lead by the Reverend Jim Jones who famously drove a mass suicide in a jungle campsite in South America. The idea that neither sects nor cults are long lasting is an important one, with theologians such as Richard Neibuhr suggesting that sects cannot survive beyond one generation. He states that as they are often led and “held together” by one charismatic individual who claims to have some kind of “divine power”, following the death of this leader, the sect usually disappears. Furthermore, second generation members that are...
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...Assess the view that cults and sects are fringe organisations that are inevitably short lived and of little influence on contemporary society. Cults and sects are often hard to differentiate from one another, as a lot of them have very similar features such as a world-rejecting values and the offer of alternative explanations to traditional beliefs. According to Troeitsch, sects tend to be small, tight-knitted groups of individuals that often disagree with mainstream values and attempt to change society for the better. Cults on the other hand, are loosely knit, require a lot less commitment and do not always hold concrete beliefs. While some sects are low profile and harmless, others carry out horrific actions and rituals which have become apparent to the public through the media, such as 'Heaven’s Gate': a sect that conducted mass suicides as a way of gaining access to heaven, and the 'People’s Temple', a sect lead by the Reverend Jim Jones who famously drove a mass suicide in a jungle campsite in South America. The idea that neither sects nor cults are long lasting is an important one, with theologians such as Richard Neibuhr suggesting that sects cannot survive beyond one generation. He states that as they are often led and “held together” by one charismatic individual who claims to have some kind of “divine power”, following the death of this leader, the sect usually disappears. Furthermore, second generation members that are born into sects may not maintain...
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...Since the beginning of human life on Earth, one question has bothered our society more than anything else. This question, as easiest as it might sound, is the one question that had driven our society more and more towards new ideas, new inventions, and new perspectives. Is the one question that while trying to give an answer to it, has defined us: from reasonable to unreasonable, from the most intelligent creation that has ever walked on the face of the Earth, to simply: beasts Man, by nature, is a curious being, always wondering, always asking, and always searching for one thing that he does not have, for one thing that he does not know. Always why and how and what. These questions has driven human society to the edge, only to know that there is something more, only to know that no man can know everything, no man can learn everything, no man can have everything. Despite giving a bunch of answers to the matter and at the same time the inability to give a proper one which would have satisfied everyone, humanity, is still in search for the real truth. Is there life after death? Does our existence ceased once we stop breathing? Do we experience a rebirth, or do we go someplace else? The quest for answering these questions is still on going and humanity will never stop wondering what is his purpose here on Earth and beyond. Throughout ages different explanation were provided, form ancient scriptures, to religions perspectives...
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