[64], Benjamin E.Zeller, an academic who studies new religions, notes that Applewhite and Nettles' teachings focused on salvation through individual growth and sees this as similar to currents in the era's New Age movement. Marshall Herff Applewhite Jr. (May 17, 1931 - March 26, 1997), also known as Do, among other names, was an American cult leader who founded what became known as the Heaven's Gate cult group and organized their mass suicide in 1997. [4] The son of a Presbyterian minister, Applewhite became very religious as a child. Applewhite committed suicide with his followers, and was not the last to die. [17], In 1965, after leaving UA, Applewhite moved to Houston to serve as chair of the music department at the University of St. Just prior to the 2012 Alamo Bowl . His near miracle comeback, combined with Simms' injury, earned him the starting position for his final game at Texas, the 2001 Holiday Bowl and he didn't disappoint. [91] They typically communicated with their disciples in writing or through assistants. [84] Applewhite took a materialistic view of the Bible, seeing it as a record of extraterrestrial contact with humanity. Her death in 1985 -- which did not resemble a glorious alien rebirth -- was in direct conflict with Heavens Gate teachings. [190] Davis attributes Applewhite's success in convincing his followers to commit suicide to two factors: He isolated them socially and cultivated an attitude of complete religious obedience in them. Likewise, the importance of personal choice was also emphasized. [116][117], Applewhite began to emphasize a strict hierarchy, teaching that his students needed his guidance, as he needed the guidance of the Next Level. They were led by head coach Kane Wommack, who is coaching his third season with the team. He served as head coach at the University of Houston from 2017 to 2018, where he previously served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. . Three assistants helped him commit suicide, then killed themselves. [142] He specifically cited sexual urges as the work of Lucifer. [149][150] This series echoed many of the teachings of the 1988 update, although it introduced a "universal mind" of which its hearers could partake. The two said theyd already reached a state of alien perfection, and were now existing in human vehicles to help others achieve the miraculous change. . [162] Lifton notes that Applewhite's active leadership of the group probably led to severe fatigue in his last years. [124] He emphasized that Jesus, whom he believed was an extraterrestrial, came to Earth, was killed, and bodily rose from the dead before being transported onto a spaceship. Marshall had recorded a video shortly before his passing, in which he rambled about UFO's and his beliefs, saying that these suicides were the "final exit" of his group . harlingen, tx distance to mexican border . [9] [10] Early in his seminary studies, Applewhite decided to leave the school to pursue a career in music, becoming the music director of a Presbyterian church in North Carolina. Applewhite led Texas to two Big 12 Championship games, to victory in 2 Bowl games, and set 48 school records along the way. Nettles and Applewhite grew close, although they were never romantically involved, the docuseries says. [14][31] By that time, he had begun to investigate alternatives to traditional Christian doctrine, including astrology. In the aftermath, commentators and academics discussed how Applewhite persuaded people to follow his commands, including suicide. Religious Figure. It is the largest mass suicide to occur inside the U.S. As a young man, Applewhite attended several universities and served in the United States Army. Balch and Taylor state that Applewhite and Nettles eschewed pressure tactics, seeking only devoted followers. [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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. There is no question Major Applewhite is the most famous & most loved celebrity of all the time. [88], By early 1976, Applewhite and Nettles had settled on the names "Do" and "Ti";[54] Applewhite stated that these were meaningless names. These ideas were expressed with language drawn from Christian eschatology, the New Age movement and American popular culture. [67][68] Most of their disciples were young and interested in occultism or otherwise lived outside of mainstream society. [17], In 1965, after leaving UA, Applewhite moved to Houston to serve as chair of the music department at the University of St. [54] Applewhite described his role as a "lab instructor"[55] and served as the primary speaker, while Nettles occasionally interjected clarifying remarks or corrections. They gained only one convert. Applewhite, who died at age 65, evidently was a charismatic figure -- an apocalyptic Pied Piper, of sorts -- who could convince his followers to leave their homes, abandon their families and adopt a mindset that fused principles of Christian religion with Star Trek-style science fiction. [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. Because of an upset loss by Florida earlier in the day, Texas went into that game knowing that a win would put them in the BCS Championship Game. [96] The two leaders limited the group's contacts with those outside the movement, even some who may have been interested in joining, ostensibly to prevent infiltration from hostile parties. Applewhites body was separate from the others, lying on a king-size bed in the master bedroom. [107] Lalich sees this as a way that they increased their students' devotion, ensuring that their commitment became irrespective of what they saw. Applewhite went 15-11 in two-plus seasons at the helm, succeeding Tom Herman, who was 22-4 at Houston before taking the head coaching job at Texas. [65] Applewhite and Nettles denied connection with the New Age movement, viewing it as a human creation. We were all devastated, most of all Do, recalls Frank Lyford, a former member known as ANDODY. Applewhite in an initiation video for Heaven's Gate in 1996, Introduction to Nettles and first travels, Other names used by Applewhite include "Guinea", "Tiddly", and "Nincom". Call us For More Info i like the way you move i like the things you do. [144] This theme emerged in 1988, possibly in response to the lurid alien abduction stories that were proliferating at the time. I remember her very well, very nice family, Bruce says. [27] While jailed, he pondered theology and subsequently abandoned discussion of occult topics in favor of extraterrestrials and evolution. In 1996, they learned of the approach of Comet HaleBopp and rumors of an accompanying spaceship, concluding that this was the vessel that would take their spirits on board for a journey to another planet. [191] Applewhite's students had made a long-term commitment to him, and Balch and Taylor infer that this is why his interpretations of events appeared coherent to them. It was during the last six minutes when Applewhite fumbled on their last possession losing the game for the Longhorns. [26] His debts mounted, forcing him to borrow money from friends. [180] An anonymous tip led the sheriff's department to search the mansion;[181] they found 39 bodies there on March26. [132] This dualism may have been the product of the Christology that Applewhite learned as a young man;[133] Lewis writes that the group's teachings had "Christian elements [that] were basically grafted on to a New Age matrix". Tap To Call Us. While she lived for two more years, dying in 1985, Applewhite told their followers that she had "traveled to the Next Level" because she had "too much energy to remain on Earth", abandoning her body to make the journey. [44], The group increasingly focused on the suppression of sexual desire; Applewhite and seven others opted for surgical castration. As a young man, Applewhite attended several universities and served in the United States Army. [114] Applewhite told his followers that he had been left behind by Nettles because he still had more to learnhe felt that she occupied "a higher spiritual role" than he did. Although they cohabited, their relationship was not a sexual one,[13] fulfilling his longtime wish to have a deep and loving, yet platonic, relationship. He left the military in 1956 and enlisted at the University of Colorado . [118] A relationship with Applewhite was said to be the only way to salvation;[119] he encouraged his followers to see him as Christ. [56] The two seldom personally spoke with attendees, only taking phone numbers with which they could contact them. Applewhite was the first OC and QB coach at Alabama under Saban in 2007. [75] By the mid-1970s, Applewhite attempted to avoid the use of the term "religion", seeing it as inferior to science. Last season, Applewhite was instrumental in helping Jalen Tolbert earn the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors, the first for a Jag, as Tolbert led the conference in catches, receiving yards, receiving yards per game and yards per reception - ranking third in . Eventually, there were, depending on which source you look to, between seven and nine men within the group that had been castrated, author Zeller says in the docuseries. [16] Briles had left Houston for Baylor University. 170 - 422 Richards St Vancouver, BC Canada V6B 2Z4 [24], In 1971, Applewhite briefly moved to New Mexico, where he operated a delicatessen. Do became even more obsessed with control after (Nettles) passed on, Lyford, a former cult member, says in the docuseries. This idea has failed to gain support among academics. jimmy johns triple chocolate chunk cookie recipe. Applewhite initially stated that he and his followers would physically ascend to a spaceship, where their bodies would be transformed, but later he came to believe that their bodies were the mere containers of their souls, which would later be placed into new bodies. [141] Applewhite also used New Age concepts,[125] but he differed from that movement by predicting that apocalyptic, rather than utopian, changes would soon occur on Earth. RELATED: College Football . Reply. [201] Lifton compares Applewhite to Shoko Asahara, the founder of Aum Shinrikyo, describing him as "equally controlling, his paranoia and megalomania gentler yet ever present". [178] A bag that contained a few dollars and a form of identification was placed beside most bodies. westmead specialist doctors; david nott wife; tripp lake property for sale; what do you reply when someone says welcome to the team? Through counsel I have worked with my wife and the incident is behind us. [169] Around the same time, they learned of the approach of Comet HaleBopp. The son of a Presbyterian minister, Applewhite became very religious as a child. [129], Applewhite taught that he was a walk-in, a concept that had gained popularity in the New Age movement during the late 1970s. 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