[86][87] He only lectured about a small number of verses and never tried to develop a system of theology. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. [20] In Houston, Applewhite was briefly openly gay but also pursued a relationship with a young woman, who left him under pressure from her family; he was greatly upset by this outcome. Marshall Applewhite founded the Heaven's Gate cult in the 1970s with Bonnie Lu Nettles, a nurse with a penchant for mysticism, astrology and New Age philosophies. [127] Applewhite then decided that an opportunity existed for humans to reach the Next Level "every two millennia", and the early 1990s would therefore provide the first opportunity to reach the Kingdom of Heaven since the time of Jesus. [125][126] According to Applewhite's doctrine, Jesus was a gateway to heaven, but had found humanity unready to ascend when he first came to the Earth. Print Family Tree. It will be the first head coaching job for the 38-year-old Applewhite. The story of the Heavens Gate cult is bizarre, fascinating and ultimately, extremely sad. [48][51] The pair believed that they would be killed and then restored to life and, in view of others, transported onto a spaceship. Applewhite, however, withdrew his name from the candidates list. At this point, members of Heavens Gate were living in a large house in Rancho Santa Fe, California. [44][160] They purchased 40 acres (16 hectares) and built a compoundwhich they referred to as the "Earth ship"using tires and lumber;[161] Applewhite hoped to establish a monastery. Marshall Applewhite children: Meet son Mark Applewhite, Marshall Applewhite Family: Wife, Children/Kids, Parents, Siblings, Marshall Applewhite Parents: Marshall Herff Applewhite Sr., Louise Applewhite, Mark Applewhite Wikipedia, Age, Wife, Children, Parents, Siblings, Net worth, Now, Today. The university froze Applewhite's salary from Feb. 5, 2009 -- almost immediately upon learning of the behavior and discussing it with Applewhite -- until Jan. 1, 2010. But most of the men were not interested in having the surgery done., This message on the Heaven's Gate website announces that members of the cult will soon be leaving for another dimension, as triggered by the appearance of the Hale-Bopp comet. His students supported him during this time, greatly encouraging him. She was very much the force behind the founding of the group, and the way the group functioned.. Marshall Herff Applewhite was the co-founder of the Heaven's Gate cult popularly known as the UFO cult.. Heaven's Gate was an American new religious movement (often described as a cult), founded in 1974 and led by Bonnie Nettles (1927-1985) and Marshall Applewhite (1931-1997), known within the movement as Ti and Do, respectively. His second pass was completed for a 79-yard touchdown and he baited the University of Colorado bench in an attempt to rally the Texas fans. The Houston football program has a new head coach, as the school announced that offensive coordinator Major Applewhite has been promoted effective . Marshall Applewhite was born on May 17, 1931 in United States (65 years old). The school said that Applewhite's appointment is effective immediately . [45] While traveling, they had little money and occasionally resorted to selling their blood or working odd jobs for much-needed funds. [176] Lewis speculates that Applewhite settled on suicide because he had said that the group would ascend during his lifetime, so appointing a successor was unfeasible. [154] This proved to be a difficult endeavor, particularly for the aging Applewhite:[160] he was in poor health and, at one point, feared that he had cancer. [16] When Applewhite revealed to his parents that he was homosexual, his father rejected him. American football coach and former player Major Lee Applewhite's wife's name is Julie. [4] The son of a Presbyterian minister, Applewhite became very religious as a child. [112] He claimed that Nettles still communicated with him, but he suffered from a crisis of faith. T. Tit-e-skr Banned. [34] Applewhite permanently broke off contact with his family as well. Marshall Applewhite Blogs, Comments and Archive News on Economictimes.com English Edition English Edition . He lost it again following a season-ending knee injury in the Texas Tech game. [37] Christopher Partridge of Lancaster University states that Applewhite and Nettles were similar to John Reeve and Lodowicke Muggleton, who founded Muggletonianism, a millennialist movement in 17th century England. "[25] The student was employed by the football team as an athletic trainer. Benjamin Zeller, a religious scholar and the author of Heavens Gate: Americas UFO Religion, agrees. Major Applewhite returns to South Alabama for his second year as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. [54] Applewhite described his role as a "lab instructor"[55] and served as the primary speaker, while Nettles occasionally interjected clarifying remarks or corrections. [184] Medical examiners determined that his fears of cancer had been unfounded, but that he suffered from coronary atherosclerosis. This wasnt supposed to happen. One last thing wed like to say is, 39 to beam up, cult member Denise Thurman says in a farewell video. [159] The organization was then renamed Heaven's Gate. In 2013, he was the co-offensive coordinator and . Applewhite and several other members of the cult were castrated. [34] To their dismay, these ideas were poorly received. Ti and Do first met in 1972 and went on a journey of spiritual discovery, identifying themselves as the two witnesses of Revelation, attracting a following of . Marshall Applewhite. [197], While covering the suicides, several media outlets focused on Applewhite's sexuality;[198] the New York Post dubbed him "the Gay Guru". (AL.com file photo). [28][c] The two quickly became close friends;[29] he later recalled that he felt like he had known her for a long time and concluded that they had met in a past life. While at Texas, the undersized Applewhite's tenure was noted both for his often gritty heroics as well as his battle for playing time with the heralded blue chip recruit Chris Simms, son of New York Giants legend Phil Simms. [125] In a profile of the group for Newsweek, Kenneth Woodward compares his dualism to that of ancient Christian Gnosticism, although Peters notes that his theology departs from Gnosticism by privileging the physical world. Getty Images Heaven's Gate leader Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles in August 1974. Simms struggled early and Applewhite got the majority of the snaps in what turned out to be a rout, thus regaining the starting job. He cited biblical and science fiction texts and claimed to be a prophet. The owner loved the hand scraped hardwood floors paired with the wrought iron stair railings. After the autopsies and identifications were done, all the bodies were ordered to be cremated. Those who attached themselves to Marshall Applewhite Parents. Applewhite attended Corpus Christi High School and Austin College; at the latter school, he was active in several student organizations and was moderately religious. Marshall Applewhite has two kids. [187], Although many popular commentators, including psychologist Margaret Singer,[188] speculate that Applewhite brainwashed his followers, many academics have rejected the "brainwashing" label as an oversimplification that does not express the nuances of the process by which the followers were influenced. He planned mass suicide by his supporters in 1997 with the hope of being transported on board a spacecraft. [139] In accordance with the garden metaphor, he stated that the Earth would be "spaded under". Marshall Herff Applewhite, Jr. (May 17, 1931 - March 26, 1997), also known as "Bo" and "Do", among other names, was an American cult leader who founded what became known as the Heaven's Gate religious group and organized their mass suicide in 1997, claiming the lives of thirty-nine people. [72] He contended that this would be a "biological change into a different species, casting his teachings as scientific truth in line with secular naturalism. Applewhite, as sole leader of the cult, asked members to marry him in a group ceremony. [44][52] At the time, Applewhite maintained that he had been "divinely authorized" to keep the car. Mini Bio (1) Applewhite was born in Spur, Texas the son of a Presbyterian Minister. [52], After Applewhite's release, Nettles and he resolved to contact extraterrestrials and began seeking like-minded followers. 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-Bopps approach is the marker weve 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, the Heavens Gate website said. They claimed that those who agreed to take part in the experiment would be brought to a higher evolutionary level. Marshall Applewhite. This is the story that I heard: He was going to attempt a career on the opera stage in Houston Grand Opera. [12], In 1954, Applewhite was drafted by the United States Army and served in Austria and New Mexico as a member of the Army Signal Corps. [33] Nettles was married with two children, but after she became close with Applewhite, her husband divorced her and she lost custody of the children. Applewhite and Nettles gave cult members new names, all of which ended in ODY.. It is the largest mass suicide to occur inside the U.S. [1]. By the mid-1990s, cult membership had dwindled and efforts to recruit others -- via a website, radio interviews and other methods -- were finding little success. [37], Applewhite and Nettles opened a bookstore known as the Christian Arts Center, which carried books from a variety of spiritual backgrounds. Major Applewhite was born on July 26, 1978. [83] Applewhite and Nettles later explained to their followers that the former's treatment by the press was a form of assassination and had fulfilled their prophecy. News reports of the time attempted to unravel the thinking of the cult, and explain the philosophies espoused by its leader. (Courtesy of HBO Max). [153] In the early 1990s, their membership dwindled, numbering as few as 26;[154] these defections gave Applewhite a sense of urgency. Applewhite should be fine, but there's a condition attached. To prompt their exit, Applewhite and 38 followers ingested a lethal concoction of phenobarbital and vodka, mixed into applesauce or pudding. He claimed to be a representative of the "level above human." [29] They usually stayed at remote campgrounds and did not speak about their beliefs. [7] He saw Nettles as his soulmate, and some of his acquaintances later recalled that she had a strong influence on him. I think most people dont think of (Nettles) as the real leader of the group, but she met (Applewhite) when he was obviously at a vulnerable point, says sociologist Janja Lalich. Nettles had a mystical bent; she was interested in astrology, UFOs and various New Age philosophies. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. That much becomes quickly apparent in his first official day as the University of Houston's new head coach . Zeller notes that this naturally ensured no possibility of the group's continuing if Applewhite were to die. This event, which they referred to as "the Demonstration", was to prove their claims. [136] He feared a government raid on their home and spoke highly of the Jewish defenders of Masada in ancient Israel who showed total resistance to the Roman Empire. "(Courtesy of HBO Max), 2. [105] Applewhite and Nettles arranged their followers' lifestyles as a boot camp that would prepare them for the Next Level. Joined Aug 22, 2017 Messages 1,762 . Reality intruded, however, when Nettles became ill with cancer. [37] By June 1974, Applewhite and Nettles' beliefs had solidified into a basic outline. [99] To his followers, he did not seem dictatorial:[100] many of them found him laid back and fatherly. Its very disorienting when you call him Marshall, Bruce says. I am regretful for my mistake and humbled by this experience. Likewise, the importance of personal choice was also emphasized. [22] Robert Balch and David Taylor, sociologists who studied Applewhite's group, speculate that this departure was prompted by another affair between Applewhite and a student. My mistake and humbled by this experience by June 1974, Applewhite maintained he... The student was employed by the football team as an athletic trainer [ 112 ] he claimed that Nettles communicated. Paired with the hope of being transported on board a spacecraft Applewhite became very religious as a child in with. Mistake and humbled by this experience dismay, these ideas were poorly received these were! 17, 1931 in United States ( 65 years old ) July,. 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