heavens gate
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Heavens Gate
By Katelyn Tobin
Info
- location: San Diego, California
- leader(s): Marshall Applewhite(Do,Bo), Bonnie Lu Nettles(To, Peep)
- membership: at peek there were several hundred members
History
- First came together in 1975 in Los Angeles. The cult was made so that they could escape the second judgement by committing sucide so that they could catch the spaceship that was trailing behind the Hale-Bopp comet.
Practices and Beliefs
- They were denied of worldly comforts such as sex and physical affection, individuality, money and jobs. They did this so they could ascend to the "Next Level" and leave the Earth before it was destroyed.
Why is it a cult?
- Applewhite controlled every aspect of his followers lives. The leaders would force their members to engage in "tomb time." This is where they were not allowed to talk to each other for days on end. If they did not do this, they would be tapped on the head continuously until they were ridden of their "human thoughts and ideas." Applewhite also had daily routines that all of the cult had to follow. This drove some of the members insane. Applewhite also forced 8 of their male members to be surgically castrated.
The end of Heavens Gate.
- On March 26, 1997 39 members of Heavens Gate, including Applewhite committed sucide. They ate phenobarbital with apple sauce then washed it down with vodka. They then laid down, where other members of the cult tied plastic bags over their heads. These members stayed behind to clean up, then committed sucide themselves. The members were found with a purple cloth covering their bodies, $5.75 in their pockets, and all wearing the same black clothing and Nike sneakers.
