Heaven's Gate (religious group)

Heaven's Gate was an American new religious movement known primarily for the mass suicides committed by its members in 1997. Commonly designated as a cult, it was founded in 1974 and led by Marshall Applewhite (1931–1997) and Bonnie Nettles (1927–1985), known within the movement as Do and Ti. Nettles and Applewhite first met in 1972 and went on a journey of spiritual discovery, identifying themselves as the two witnesses of the Book of Revelation, attracting a following of several hundred people in the mid-1970s. In 1976, a core group of a few dozen members stopped recruiting and instituted a monastic lifestyle.

Quotes

1970s

  • [He] would certainly resurrect in the simple, real sense, i.e., he would step aside... while his body heals itself, and then he would reenter it and take up his place in the membership of the next kingdom.
    • Speaking of members who were to be killed for their beliefs, 1975, quoted in Balch and Taylor 2002, p. 213

1990s

  • The Earth's present "civilization" is about to be recycled — "spaded under." Its inhabitants are refusing to evolve. The "weeds" have taken over the garden and disturbed its usefulness beyond repair.
  • Many say they live only for the "Harvest Time" – the "Last Days" – the "Second Coming." Those are all finally here! – Will you accept us as them? You cannot bypass us even in your prayers – you cannot insult your Creator by refusing to go through the ones He has sent to you. There are souls here now for the express purpose of connecting – and eventually bonding – with the Next Level through us. Those souls will be protected – out of harm's way – and "saved" from the approaching sorting out, recycling, and "spading under" of the Luciferians and their human servants. If you can get your name in our "book," on our spacecraft's computer (and only there), making your actions reflect that desire – then you will go with us.
    • Same ad as above, quoted in Walliss 2004, p. 162
  • You see, death to us, has nothing to do with the body ... I have made my choice to 'lay down my life in this world' and go with my Father, Do...
    • Internet statement from a group member, 1996, quoted in Balch and Taylor 2002, p. 222
  • Whether Hale-Bopp has a "companion" or not is irrelevant from our perspective. However, its arrival is joyously very significant to us at "Heaven's Gate." The joy is that our Older Member in the Evolutionary Level Above Human (the "Kingdom of Heaven") has made it clear to us that Hale-Bopp's approach is the "marker" we've been waiting for -- the time for the arrival of the spacecraft from the Level Above Human to take us home to "Their World" -- in the literal Heavens. Our 22 years of classroom here on planet Earth is finally coming to conclusion -- "graduation" from the Human Evolutionary Level. We are happily prepared to leave "this world" and go with Ti's crew.
  • I don't know what I did to deserve to be here, and I'm embarrassed that I can't express, without getting emotional, how good I feel about what I'm doing now and how good I feel about being here. And being given this opportunity to go to the Next Level — just the opportunity, the gift, is overwhelming....I'm the happiest person in the world.
    • A member of the group in a taped statement, quoted in Balch and Taylor 2002, p. 223
  • One last thing we'd like to say is, thirty-nine to beam up!
    • A member of the group in a taped statement, quoted in Balch and Taylor 2002, p. 224
  • So there is no place for us here. It is time for us to go home -- to God's Kingdom, to the Next Level. There is no place for us to go but up.
  • Everything of this world has been offered us, and I can honestly say, 'Thanks, but no thanks.'
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