POSTED AT 02:55 PM
Do you think Marshall Applewhite established a new religion or was it simply a cult? Defend your answer.
Marshall Applewhite did not establish a new religion.I believe this because he stated himself, that what he had put together was a cult. Also because living with 38 other people who kill themselves by lacing there applesauce and letting there roommates suffocate them to death with plastic bags,is just not normal. Its just so out of the ordinary people look down on it. Its scary that the people involved completely believed in it. I do think that if the Pope said ok we got a sign from god, u must all kill yourselves to live in heaven forever, people would do it. People want to believe that this isnt the end, religion and cults offer an outlet for people who want the opportunity to at least have a shot at discovering somthing more... the afterlife.
according to pretty much everything on the internet, heavens gate is a cult, but according to the definition of cult, its a religion, so i guess its peoples own opinion. i would say that it is a cult without the religion part, if that makes sence. within a cult, people lose sence of who they are and believe anything their leader says. with a religion, people remain themselves and have the right to believe what they want.
In class we discussed some differences between Cults and Religion. One major difference we spoke of was the fact that in Religion it is viewed as acceptable that we question, in the Heaven's Gate cult that Applewhite established, it seemed that questions were viewed as unacceptable, everyone had to follow Marshall Applewhite and his wishes without question. Also, in my opinion, Religious leaders are very different. A Priest is in the Catholic Religion is there to guide us, there to teach us. Marshall Applewhite saw himself almost AS Jesus Christ. He felt like he somehow knew so much more than others. He wasn't guiding and teaching, he seemed to be commanding. In my lifetime my Mother has been a person who has experimented in different religions, so I myself have been exposed to a few different ones. Each time I have experienced different views, conversation and analysis have been almost encouraged. Marshall Applewhite seemed to be completely against any kind of debate or thought other than that he was correct. I feel that Marshall Applewhite established a cult, not a religion. I feel that he got his inspiration from both religion, however he did not establish a new religion. Marshall Applewhite established Heaven's Gate, which to me is a Cult 100%.
well i think from what iv caught up on is it was a cult. i have absolutely never even heard of such weirdo things. killing yourself for aliens? that's logical. i don't buy the story he dished about what he believed in, its hard to do anyway when its harder to believe your own "religion" right now. its just simply too far fetched for me. Who knows whats going to happen to all of us, we all might get very surprised one day. those people just seem like weirdos.
I believe that Heaven's Gate is a cult because they used deception. It seems that he is claiming to be Jesus. And (if true) he is contradicting many of the the values set in place with The Bible. In general the directions in which Jesus and Applewhite have different takes on the world which does not make sense. After reviewing many definitions of what a cult is, the most sold definition seems to be "a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents" according to Webster.Another definition of a cult is simply "a small following." So depending on how you apply the definition to Heaven's Gate may differ according to point of view.Overall Heaven's Gate is regarded as unorthodox by the majority of society. The cult is a perversion of Christianity.And for fun,“The only difference between a cult and a religion is the amount of real estate they own” - Frank Zappa
Marshall Applewhite's group, "Heaven's Gate" can be defined as a cult or a religion, depending on one's interpretation. I personanlly believe that Heaven's Gate was a cult. The word cult is defined as "a religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian charasmatic leader." This can argurably define Heaven's Gate as both a cult and religion. Although a religion does not participate in such extremist beliefs. Nor does a religion make one comit suicide to participate in certain beliefs. Mr. Applewhite was a charasmatic and authoritarian leader and completley fits the profile of a cult leader. He even called Heaven's Gate a cult making me believe that it was a cult rather than a religion.
I consider Heaven's Gate a cult rather then a religion. According to Cult Hotline and Clinic the main differences between a religion and a cult is that in a religion promotes the development of the family unit, allows for freedom of expression and ideas, and works within society; while a cult destroys the family unit, is totalitarian, and isolates its members from society. Marshal Applewhite's cult did all the things that cults are defined to do. He was the totalitarian authority within the cult who stopped free thinking, he removed members not only from society but from their families which caused the destruction of the family unit. For Heaven's Gate were to be considered a religion it would have to have allowed more connection with society and individual thought which would have undone the entire cult structure. Therefore Heaven's Gate can only be thought of as a cult and not a religion.
It's definitally a cult. It fits all of the pieces of the definition given in class (religious sect, etremist/false, living in an unconventional manor, charismatic leader). If it was a religion, I think people would have realizes it's falshood a little earlier because they have the opportunity to still be part of society, unlike in a cult, specifically this one, where Applewhite states that through the cult, you should not be part of society- not even human.
I believe that Heaven's Gate is a cult. According to the definition of a cult, Heaven's Gate does fit this description. It included very unorthodox views of the world. It was also very extremist. It would have been a completely different story if they did not all kill themselves. If they just believed the whole story that Applewhite stated, then it would consider it more of a religion. By moving into one house and the killing themselves all at the same time just scream cult. No matter if one classifies Heaven's Gate as a cult or religion, the whole thing is completely crazy and down right scary.
I strongly believe that Heaven's Gate is a cult. Cults are extreme by nature, and Heaven's Gate goes to some of the highest extremes. The concept itself goes beyond anything like a religion. Applewhite combined the religion of Christianity with science fiction, which is completely contradictory. And that act of publicizing a contradiction of that degree and trying to persuade people to believe it is extreme. Applewhite himself even said that Heaven's Gate is a cult. There is nothing scary about Christianity in terms of how you follow the religion. Cults are downright frightening though, especially Heaven's Gate. Everything from the rituals to the mass suicide is scary and just downright disturbing. And, to me, a small group of people performing scary and extreme things is very cult-like.Also, I have a theory that maybe Applewhite organized the mass suicide because he may have been so distraught over the death of Bonnie Nettles, and used the suicide as an excuse to kill himself over her. It wasn't until after she died in 1985 that he started believing that suicide was the only way to "enter the spaceship" anyway. It would have been difficult to hide that deep depression for years, but it could be possible. Around the time she died is also around the time that Heaven's Gate went from the weird religious-like beliefs and preachings to the extreme cult-like beliefs and practices, eventually resulting in a mass suicide.
I believe that Marshall Applewhite did not start a new religion. I believe this because a religion is based upon a divine being or beings with a revelation, message from the high power(eg:the bible).A cult however is a false religion in which a leader brainwashes the followers into believe his or her story. Marshall Applewhite used this technique in order to gather followers.Because of his manipulation of helpless minds, it is necessary to consider Heavens gate a cult.
I believe that Marshall Applewhite is the leader of a cult, nothing more. I say this, because of the vast differences in the bible relating to how Jesus would return to us, the mass-suicide, and along with some other minor factors, he himself called it a cult. (Facts beside, we are currently studying cults, and not religion, unless these two tie together more than we think, and more like Applewhite pretends to know.) The mass-suicide, I'll admit, was the first of anything like it I had ever heard of. My first thoughts of this cult when we first watched the video was that there was little to do with religion (obviously dis-regarding the fact of whom Applewhite claimed to be). Is there a chance of what Marshall Applewhite claimed to be true WAS true? -Absolutely. But personally, I'm quite sure that how it ended was not what the real Jesus had in mind.
I would classify Heaven's Gate as a cult. It very much fits the definition of cult that was given in class. The people involved probably would have considered it their religion, but most people looking at it from the outside would consider their ideas extreme if not outright false. The way in which they lived was certainly unconventional, as their purpose in life was pretty much to prepare for their death and departure from this world. Marshall Applewhite certainly fits the part of the authoritarian charismatic leader. While extremely creepy to the average person, I could see how desperate, vulnerable people would want to believe him and end up depending on what he says. He also did not leave room for argument. You either believed him or you didn't and if you did follow what he said then you had to take his word as law. While the people inside probably saw Heaven's Gate as their religion, since it outlined their beliefs and the way they lived their lives, it fits the given definition of cult almost exactly.
Some really good posts here....Take the time to read what your classmates are saying....Keep up the good work!
Marshall Applewhite did not start a new religion. He took pieces of Christianity and put them together in a common belief in his cult, Heavens Gate. As discussed in class, his beliefs seemed to reflect those of Catholicism. He took his religion to the extreme and convinced his followers of what he believed. This was a group of malleable people who most likely needed a family and a common belief with many people. This is how Marshall Applewhite ran Heavens Gate and why the religion is not a new one, but simply a more extreme version of the current ones people practice today.
i think marshall applewhite only created a cult. In the video he said himself that it was a cult. The things he said about Jesus returning to earth was not similar to the Bible. There wasn't really any connection between what he said and the truth. Heaven's Gate also fit the definition given in class almost perfectly...extremist, false. I blieve that Marshal Applewhite created a cult and nothing more.
I believe Heaven's Gate to be a cult rather then a religion, even though I found that the members followed a combinations of religions that they practiced. In the definiton of cult it says people are guided under an authoriatian charimatic leader. Applewhite was that kind of leader. He seemed to have complete control over his followers. Even though it is difficult to decide if Heaven's Gate is a religion or a cult, I finally came to the opinion it was a cult because Applewhite himself called Heaven's Gate a cult. Religion and cults in my opinion do have similarities such as having the belief in something (leaders, form of dress, afterlife). Which is why i think people's opinions can vary. With all the information I know on this topic i believe Heaven's Gate to be a cult.
the definition for a cult is "a religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian charismatic leader." the definition of religion "is the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith." Truly these definitions are not much different. The main difference is the extremist leader, and this difference is huge. Comparing a cult to the Christian religion, a cult such as Heaven's Gate had a leader in which 38 people put their entire faith in and believed in. The only "leader" of the Christian faith is God who is not a person but a spirit. It is hard to contrast these two terms because they are very alike. Both require faith, dedication, and patience. Applewhite called Heaven's Gate a cult because he knew it was different than what most "religions" call for. But their ideas were the same as any other religion, whereas their actions may have been more extreme. Heavens Gate, according to the definition, was a cult because of their leader, and their extreme actions. It could be seen as a religion if only looked at for its beliefs.
I think that Marshall Applewhite did not establish a new religion. A cult is defined as a religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader. According to this definition, Heaven’s Gate was a cult. Marshall was definitely an authoritarian, charismatic leader because he was able to convince 38 followers that a space ship was following the Hale-Bopp comet, and that they had to evacuate the Earth by committing suicide to gain passage onto the ship. The members of Heaven’s Gate also lived in an unconventional manner, which fits the definition of a cult. Just before the comet was approaching, all of the members moved into one house, wore the same outfit and shoes, had the same amount of money in their pockets, and all committed suicide. While the members of Heaven's Gate probably saw their group as a new religion, I think it is a cult.
It really depends on the way you look at a cult or what you would consider to be a religion. From the prior knowlegde and what i have learned about Heaven's gate, that it is in fact a cult. For it to be a religion there would have to be way more people in there before the go and kill themselves again. 38 people just is not enough for them to make a case that this is a religion. People's perceptions on this may be differently but the man himself even said that this was a cult in his little video.
Heaven's Gate is a pretty interesting topic. It proves how crazy some people can be. Heaven's Gate can be considered either a religion or a cult. Religion can be defined as "any practice that someone or some group is seriously devoted to." Marshall Applewhite was so seriously devoted to his ideas that it ended up in mass suicide. Cult can be defined as "followers of an unorthodox, extremist, or false religion who often live outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader." I personally believe that Heaven's Gate was a cult. It states in that definition unorthodox and false, Heaven's Gate was completly unorthodox and what they believed in is basically false. And I think anyone in their right state of mind would agree that Heaven's Gate is a cult.
I believe that Heaven's Gate was not a religion, but a cult. I believe this because Marshall Applewhite himself called it a cult. He made all his followers believe that they would only go to heaven if they all participated in a mass suicide. I don't know of any religion that would ask its followers to do such a thing.
I don't believe that applewhite established a new religion because only 38 people followed him. If only 38 followed then the other hundreds of people he tried to convince were like "no your insane". A religion is when a lot of people believe in that religion. A cult is when little people believe in it. That is my personal oppinion. Another thing is if applewhite was in fact jesus don't you think more than 38 people would have seen that he was jesus? What he established was just a cult, they all killed themselves for this man who claimed to be someone he's not.
I believe that what Applewhite created was a cult. His group was following him and what he said. Most religions, in addition to following a leader or supreme being, have a book or set of guidlines that they use to follow(Bible, Koran, Tora) . Applewhite's did not seem to have this. There was no actual writing that said he was what he was. They simply took him at his word.
I believe Marshall Applewhite was the leader of a cult and did not start a new religion. i think if you look a the definiton of a cult and look at all the differnt parts of it Heaven's Gates fits the definiton exaclty. For example part of the definion says that its followers are living under the guidance of a authoritarian charismatic leader which is exaclty what Marshall Applewhite was. Although i think people could have very differnt oppions i think it all depends on what you belive in so therefore i belive Heaven's Gate to be a cult.
I feel Marshall Applewhite created a cult, not a religion. The definition we were given in class of a cult states a religion or religious sect considered to be extremist or false. Heaven's Gate had simialrities to the bible, but many were false. He believed that when the comet Hale-Bopp was going to hit the earth it would recycle it and wipe it clean. He felt that if him and his followers killed themselves a space ship would come and take them to the afterlife. I have never heard of a religion with those same beliefs. A religion also gives you room to question, whereas a cult would never. In the video, he basically said if you do not follow him you will die. That is why I feel Heaven's Gate is a cult not a religion.
I think Marshall Applewhite established a cult rather than a new religion. We learned that a cult is a relgious sect generally considered to be extremeists or false with its followers living in an uncoventional manner under the guidance og an authoritarian charsmatic leader. I think Applewhite embodied the cult standing very well. His extreme thoughts about Hale-Bopp coming to cleanse the Earth with Nettle to be their savior and take them to the mothership is far fetched. He also had uniforms for his followers. They wore black and white nikes and black clothing with a triangular patch distinguishing them. Even though he did combine different religious thoughts, he did not create his own religion.
In my opinion, Marshall Applewhite established a cult, not a religion. I believe this because religions believe in a higher power or a God and with Heaven's Gate, their higher power was to commit suicide. Most religions are not fans of having their followers kill themselves in order to be taken into a better place during their afterlife. Also, religions are very strucutured and have written texts in which people follow. The people of Heaven's Gate were only following the conveying ideas that Marshall Applewhite preached to them which is not a very reliable source of information.
The definition of a cult is a religion or religous sect generally considered to be extremeists or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional mannor under the guidence of an authoritarian corismatic leader. Based on the definition i beleive that Applewhite created what he thought was a religion. Everything he said he believed was true which is no different than people who are Catholic and beleive in God. He and his followers beleived that they would be taken away on a spaceship after they found their sign. They beleived they would go to another place and all be happy and free. People who are not associated with this "extreme" behavior believe Applewhite created a cult. Non Applewhite beleivers think that all of Applewhites followers were extremists and had a false belief. Who determines what can be called extreme when there isnt even any proof of our God. Who determines if something is unconventual? I don't know the answer to that. Cults are not the only thing that has guidence under a charismatic leader. How do we select the president of the U.S.? We selecet the one who possesses an extraordinary ability to attract our votes based on his or her ideas. I dont see a difference. Jesus and God also fall under a charismatic leader. In my opinion a cult and a religion fall under the same category.
Even though Heaven's Gate was widely known as a cult, it also seems as though it could be considered its own religion. In thee sense of it being a cult, it had a far fewer following than a religion and it was very extreme in its beliefs. As a religion, it had a following and had a system that connected with some people. So truthfully, Heaven's Gates position as a cult or religion all depends on the person or persons who are trying to decipher its place in the issue.
I think Marshall Applewhite's heavens gate was simply a cult. The definition of a cult is a religion or religous sect generally considered to be extremeists or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional mannor under the guidence of an authoritarian corismatic leader. The reason i fell this way is because applewhite'sheavens gate was ver extreme in the manner that mostly every single person committed suicide.They also all lived together, in what i viewed, as an unconventional manner. This group may seem like a religion and can be very similar but do most religions require suicide? Also another reason is Applewhite himself identified his group as a "cult."
I think that Marshall Applewhite led a cult and did not start a new religion. According to the definition, Marshall was an authoritarian charasmatic leader who had followers living in an unconventional manner. I think he was extreme in his belief that some kind of UFO would come down and pick them up to take them to another realm. In order to do this, they had to kill themselves and religions that I am familiar with are against acts of suicide. Also, I think religion gives one more freedom over their beliefs while a cult has full authority over you and how you live.
Personally I believe that Hevans Gate created by Marshall Applewood was a cult and not a religion. Although the definition of a cult states that it is a religion or religious act i still think it was a cult. The people that followed Applewood may have thought of it as a religion because you needed faith and you need faith in any religion. The fact that their is nothing to back Applewood up as far as a book like the bible. He said is the second coming of the son of God and that the book of revolation is suppose to be about him. Many people think that maybe he was right because of the bad economic times of the world today but a guarantee you that once the real son of God comes back to this earth that the times after he leaves will be far worse than they are now. The reason that Hevans Gate is a cult is because it is extremest and false. You need far more than 40 followers to make it a religion.
I believe that Heaven's Gates is a cult. When he made the video we watched in class he stated that it was a cult. One of the definitions of a cult is "a religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false". When the members of Heavens Gates commited suicide to get to the "next level of their lives", that is definitely considered extremist which is why i believe this is a cult.
If part of the definition of a cult is "a RELIGION or religious sect", does it not have the word religion right in front of your face? Yes it does say "that is considered to be false", but who is to say that it is false? Can anyone prove that these people did not go off on a spaceship to a better place? It is the same idea as many religions that claim your spirit escapes from your body when you die and floats up to heaven. Is that not a bit extreme and difficult to believe? Applewhite did claim that if people do not follow him they will die, but isnt that what people who strictly follow God believe? If you do not serve God, follow his ways and believe in him, you will forever burn in hell. Even if Applewhite himself called it a cult, it doesnt mean it couldnt become a religion or be considered by people to be one. Maybe our religions of today were once a cult and then grew into a religion later on in time. And even if Applewhite's followers only totaled to be 38, how does that mean its not a religion? Is there a law that says a religion has to have at least 1000 members? There is no proof that religion came from God, maybe religious beliefs were invented by humanity. In that case, isnt that what Applewhite did? I believe that relgions have caused people to live in an unconventional manner under the direction of God. It can be argued that people would live their life totally differently and more freely if it werent for religion, so in my opinion a religion is just as controlling as a cult. If Christianity, Islam, Hinduism etc, are considered to be religions, so should Heaven's Gate. Our religions are just as crazy as what Applewhite and his followers believed.
I think that Marshall Applewhite was a leader of a mixed religion that represented cult behaviors. The members of their group all thought of him as a leader. But if i had to choose between a cult and religion, I would choose cult, because the way they thought about the afterlife. They belived if they killed themselves they would be happy for the rest of their lives, when in doubt that is not reality. In my opinion, I thought Marshall was mentally insanse and had the wrong ideas about life, religion, and cults.
I have been reading a few of the other comments to see what my other classmates have to say, and I must agree, Heaven's Gate was definitely a cult. Along with the reasons other students stated (such as how the organization fit the definition of a cult given in class and the fact the Applewhite stated that his group was a cult in his own words), I found a few other interesting details when I was searching for the amount of money each cult member had in their pockets when they committed suicide. Most noteworthy of all of these was the cult's obsession with science fiction shows, including Star Trek. If this was a religious group, then why do they integrate secular parts of our culture into their belief system and take them for the truth? There is a reason why science fiction programs are called "science fiction". This was the most pressing issue that I had with Heaven's Gate's philosophy and how it could not be considered a religion.
I think he established a cult and not a new religion. His followers definitely did not live a conventional lifestyle, and their beliefs were generally considered to be false, since only 38 people followed him. Applewhite fits the definition of a cult leader, and the way his followers did whatever he said makes it seem more like a cult than a religion.
I believe Heavens Gate is a cult and not a religion. A cult is defined as "a religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian charasmatic leader." I believe he started a cult rather than a religion because, most religions don't believe in killing themselves. Also, most religions have a set book that they follow such as the bible where as they were following what Applewhite believed. Marshall Applewhite made all his members believe that Hale-Bopp was going to hit the earth and reycle it and make it clean. He also made all the members were a uniform consisting of all black, black and white nikes and a triangle patch, this way people knew they were a member. He thought that if they were to lay still in bed with the same amount of money in their pockets that would be their ticket on. I believe since Applewhite was trying to make them believe all this, and by the defination of what a cult is, I think what he formed was more of a cult rather than a religion.
The definition of a cult is "a religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian charasmatic leader." Heaven's Gate is considered a cult by definition. It is generally accepted to be false and could also be considered extremist, just look above at some of the other comments above. Many of the the things that Applewhite's followers were made to believe were in my opinion pretty messed up. I would say that any logical person could conclude for their own self that many of the cult's beliefs were and are completely ridiculous and in some cases extremist. I am religious myself and I can't even understand why would anyone believe in something like that.
well i think applewhite was establishing more of a religion. I think this because he was saying he was jesus and was sent down to save us. he was making people believe in what he though was right ans what we had to do to survive. so therefore i believe it was a relgion
I see Heaven's gate as a cult for two reasons.They were more of an "underground" society, making money off of sponsored businesses such as Higher Calling, a website that made web pages, including Heaven Gate's own site. By underground i also mean they had no recognition from any other major religion. Today, we acknowledge when someone is Christian, Muslim, Jewish, etc. They didn't have that. Despite taking canon from the Bible, the group neglected to teach some of the core values, opting to instead off themselves. Suicide itself is a major sin in several religions, including Christianity, one of the main influences of the groups beliefs.
Heavens Gate was in my eyes a cult. Marchall Applewhite I think was not mentally stable and got his members and/or fallowers to belive his theory on God how things were falling in place he would have some sort of reasoning for it. I think Applewhite brainwashed all of the members in Heavens Gate to belive something that was not true and someone he was not. He was trying to play God.
Marshall Applewhite i believe did nothing more than start a cult. the only reason that this can not be considered a religion is because he was the leader and in the definition of a cult there has to be an extremist leader which Marshall was. Heaven's Gate and the 38 followers of this cult were in their eyes not doing anything wrong, they were just following their leader. And Marshall Applewhite called the cult a cult himself becasue i think he knew that it was in someways different from a religion all together
"a religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian charasmatic leader." <this is the definition of a cult. Marshall Applewhite's Heavens Gate is or should be defined as a cult. He is trying to make people believe that he is something that cannot be. As for myself, i am not religious, but Marshalls explaination of what to believe is farther out there than i thought a catholic or any other church was. sorry =/
Is Heaven's Gate a cult or a religion? I think that the question behind the question in this case is what exactly constitutes a cult and what constitutes a religion? Granted, Heaven's Gate was extreme, unorthodox, and ultimately dangerous. Outsiders have difficulty comprehending the beliefs and the actions of members, and the mass suicide is certainly shocking. But I think the problem here is that something- from Applewhite's own influence to the lure of being saved by a spaceship trailing a comet- made these people believe so fully in Heaven's Gate that they would commit an act that in other religions is terrible, shocking, and in some belief systems leads to eternal damnation. Sadly, such occurances are more common than most would care to know. Monstrous atrocities are committed in the name of a religion or a God every day. Does that make it right? It's all a matter of perspective. Personally, I think that Heaven's Gate or any other religion that tries to impress its beliefs onto unwilling participants is wrong- allow people to sort out their own beliefs and their god, or lack thereof in some cases, can sort out the rest. Yes, I think Heaven's Gate was a cult. But I also know that I don't know everything about it and that (hopefully not) my views may be different had I come from a different background and been presented with it differently. I'm not saying that I would join, I just think that it's better to look at the situation from all angles before formulating opinions.
I would consider Heavens Gate to be a cult. A religion to me is a group of people coming together to learn about the teachings of their higher being, and how they could better oneself in preparation for their after death beleifs. The fact that Marshall Applewhite beleives that he is compared to Jesus Christ is not only insulting to the Christian religion but also something a leader would do to pursued people to follow in strange rituals. Most religions aren't usually the kind to teach you to end your life on earth for a better one, it is usually protrayed as your life on earth prepares you for the next life after you die. Religions also have rules, or regulations to live by such as a bible or tanakh. With Heavens Gate I don't see any bible or rules, just a guy claiming that things will be better with nothign to back it up. There are no priests or teachers to help spread this so called "religion", just Applewhite claiming he is better than everyone else and they should follow. Heavens Gates is absolutley a cult. If Marshall Applewhite was "Jesus Christ", don't you think he would have convinced more than 38 people to follow him?
By definition, "Heaven's Gate" can be considered a religion because it meets the following criteria: it is a set of beliefs concering cause and nature agreed on by a number of people (dictionary.com). However, Heaven's Gate takes its beliefs to an extreme, which fits the deifnition of cult. So its a matter of personal belief really, and i personally believe it is a cult. It is much like a religion, just taken a little too far. I think this cult is also based on a single man's ideas.. there are no historical texts or moral guidelines as a backbone for this school of thought. I think it takes much more than a whim to create a religion. In as much of a detached and unbiased manner as i can state this, Heaven's gate teaches absurd actions that are not accepted by society. Cult.
I was absent on the day of this class, but from what I've learned online and from my notes, Heaven's Gate is completely a cult. Who in their right mind would poison their own applesauce and chase it with vodka? It seems to be a group of people uniting to hurt themselves and eachother. How far could this cult have gotten with 38 people? Marshall Applewhite had such a huge vision for his power that did not result positively. He ended up being a "God" figure, but didn't uphold a stable lifestyle and mind. I strongly believe that Heaven's Gate is a cult especially because it was such a small group of people.
from what i have learned i would have to agree that Marshall Applewhite created a cult not a religion. This so called religion is not practicied to this date and for a massive group to poison their applesauce and chase it with a shot of vodka and lay in bed n suffocate themselves with plastic bags and call this a religion is absolutely shocking to me. This was no doubt a cult and i think anyone would agree with my statement.
I think applewhite meant to start a new religion, but it developed in to a cult. Just as everyone else has said, he was extremist and charismatic. It fits the definition. But i dont think you can really define anything in life by a definition. Yes, they had their own beliefs, just like anyone does. But they took it to the next level(no pun intended). I think that anyone willing to kill themselves for a belief is a member of a cult. If it was a religion, i would think they would have waited till it was "their time".
In my opinion, Heaven's gate should be considered a cult. Although their beliefs involved God, the rules of their group seemed to extreme to be a religion. A religion in my opinion is something that cleanses the spirit, teaches good doings, and promotes life, rather than death(suicide). Also, Heaven's Gate was ran by an "extremist leader" in Marshall Applewhite, who believed he knew everything rather than allowing his followers to have their own opinions on certain matters. For example, he apparently KNEW that a meteor was coming to cleanse the Earth, and he KNEW that the only way to be saved was to commit suicide. He did not allow his small group of followers to decide for themselves on whether or not they believed what the actions they were taking were right.
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