As founder of the California-based Heaven's Gate cult, Marshall Applewhite and 38 of his followers died by suicide in March 1997 to ascend to an Earth-saving spaceship. [188] In his 2000 study of apocalyptic movements, John R. Hall posits that they were motivated to commit suicide because they saw it as a way to demonstrate that they had conquered the fear of death and truly believed Applewhite. [22], On December 21, 2020, Applewhite was hired as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the South Alabama Jaguars. [121] He then concluded that her spirit had traveled to a spaceship and received a new body and that his followers and he would do the same. [90] This capital was used to rent houses, initially in Denver and later in Dallas. [163], The deaths provoked a media circus,[185] and Applewhite's face was featured on the covers of Time and Newsweek on April7. [26] His debts mounted, forcing him to borrow money from friends. [67][68] Most of their disciples were young and interested in occultism or otherwise lived outside of mainstream society. Reynolds Funeral Home Obituaries Waynesboro, Va, [24], In 1971, Applewhite briefly moved to New Mexico, where he operated a delicatessen. Clarke. From Correspondent John Holliman (CNN) -- The young life of Marshall Herff Applewhite offered no clues to the tragic end in store for him and 38 of his followers decades later at a mansion. They believed that suicide was a means of transferring their human shells into an alien spacecraft hidden behind the Hale-Bopp Comet. Zodiac sign: Leo. 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. They forged a strong connection, and a cult was born. 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. Clarke. 0:00. [111][112] His attempt to explain her death in the terms of the group's doctrine was successful, preventing the departure of all but one member. why was mchale's navy cancelled; jane mcdonald in new york; punca tayar berombak; just another mining dimension mod; perte liquide comme de l'eau nidation His close partner, Bonnie Lu Nettles, decided they were "The Two" mentioned in the Book . [157], From June to October 1995, the group lived in a rural part of New Mexico. J. Scott Applewhite - staff, AP Chairman Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., center, leads a special House committee dedicated to countering China holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb . [114][115] He began identifying her as "the Father" and often referred to her with male pronouns. 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. [29] They usually stayed at remote campgrounds and did not speak about their beliefs. [23], In early 2013, Applewhite admitted he was disciplined by the University of Texas for "having an inappropriate relationship with a student at the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. [27], In 1972, Applewhite met Bonnie Nettles, a nurse with an interest in theosophy and Biblical prophecy. He was birthing students into the next level., Marshall Applewhite, the leader of the Heaven's Gate cult, was a former music instructor at the University of Alabama. He's the key figure in a new docuseries, Heavens Gate: The Cult of Cults, streaming on HBO Max. Deceased 26 March 1997 - San Diego, San Diego Co., CA,aged 65 years old. itsleeps (feat. [1] That was followed by losses to Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship Game and to Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. Major Applewhite's great uncle, Marshall Applewhite, taught music at the University of Alabama. [137] Increasingly, he began to discuss the Apocalypse,[138] comparing the Earth to an overgrown garden that was to be recycled or rebooted and humanity to a failed experiment. 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. [20] After going 03 in bowl games and losing 7014 against Army, he was fired on December 30, 2018. [184] Medical examiners determined that his fears of cancer had been unfounded, but that he suffered from coronary atherosclerosis. Although they cohabited, their relationship was not a sexual one,[13] fulfilling his longtime wish to have a deep and loving, yet platonic, relationship. [105][f], In late March 1997, the group isolated themselves and recorded farewell statements. [5], Applewhite attended Corpus Christi High School and Austin College;[6] at the latter school, he was active in several student organizations and was moderately religious. [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". 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. (Nettles) really recruited (Applewhite), and (Applewhite) was her follower. [24], In 1971, Applewhite briefly moved to New Mexico, where he operated a delicatessen. [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. 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. His father was a Presbyterian Church minister. [27], In 1972, Applewhite met Bonnie Nettles, a nurse with an interest in theosophy and Biblical prophecy. [99] Lifton states that Applewhite wanted "quality over quantity" in his followers, although he occasionally spoke about gaining many converts. [39] They concluded that they had been chosen to fulfill biblical prophecies, and that they had been given higher-level minds than other people. Marshall Applewhite. [77] Members were consequently instructed to renounce: friends, family, media, drugs, alcohol, jewelry, facial hair, and sexuality. He led his group to commit mass suicide in 1997 in hopes of being lifted into a spaceship. Major Applewhite was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Houston before to taking the helm as head coach there in 2017. He served as head coach at the University of Houston from 2016 to 2018, where he previously served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In 1972, Applewhite developed a close friendship with Bonnie Nettles, a nurse; together, they discussed mysticism at length and concluded that they were called as divine messengers. is major applewhite related to marshall applewhite . [54] Applewhite described his role as a "lab instructor"[55] and served as the primary speaker, while Nettles occasionally interjected clarifying remarks or corrections. "[73][74] He emphasized to his early followers that he was not speaking metaphorically, often using the words "biology" and "chemistry" in his statements. Applewhite and Nettles then split their followers into small groups, which they referred to as "Star Clusters". 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. [153] In the early 1990s, their membership dwindled, numbering as few as 26;[154] these defections gave Applewhite a sense of urgency. 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 . Zeller notes that this naturally ensured no possibility of the group's continuing if Applewhite were to die. Marshall Applewhite. He was a self-proclaimed prophet, drawing rhetoric from science fiction and scripture. [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. (Courtesy of HBO Max). [140] Woodward notes that Applewhite's teaching about the Earth's recycling is similar to the cyclical perspective of time found in Buddhism. Her death in 1985 -- which did not resemble a glorious alien rebirth -- was in direct conflict with Heavens Gate teachings. [200], Lalich states that Applewhite fit "the traditional view of a charismatic leader",[31] and Evan Thomas deems him a "master manipulator". is major applewhite related to marshall applewhite. He initially pursued a career in education until he resigned from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, in 1970, citing emotional turmoil. After Applewhite's release, he and Nettles travelled to California and Oregon, eventually gaining a group of committed followers. [95] He and Nettles insisted that their followers practice what they referred to as "flexibility" - strict obedience to their often shifting requests. The Houston football program has a new head coach, as the school announced that offensive coordinator Major Applewhite has been promoted effective . Marshall Applewhite is a Religious Leader, zodiac sign: Taurus. Reactions: Jassid82. [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. 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 . [144] This theme emerged in 1988, possibly in response to the lurid alien abduction stories that were proliferating at the time. Applewhite was the first OC and QB coach at Alabama under Saban in 2007. [35] Raine writes that Nettles "was responsible for reinforcing his emerging delusional beliefs",[36] but psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton speculates that Nettles' influence helped him avoid further psychological deterioration. [112] They further relaxed their control in 1983, permitting their followers to visit relatives on Mother's Day. Marshall Herff Applewhite was born on month day 1901, at birth place, Texas, to Jesse Carroll Applewhite and Texana Applewhite . He finished with a record as a starter of 228. [67][68] Most of their disciples were young and interested in occultism or otherwise lived outside of mainstream society. The Torment Of Saint Anthony, Marshall Herff Applewhite Jr., better known as Do, was a religious figure in the United States who lived from May 17, 1931, to March 26, 1997. [91] They typically communicated with their disciples in writing or through assistants. [135] One member who joined in the mid-1980s recalled that Applewhite avoided new converts, worrying that they were infiltrators. [54] Furthermore, they were at first required to adopt biblical names. [111] Applewhite now believed that Nettles was aboard a spaceship trailing the comet, and that she planned to rendezvous with them. [65] Applewhite and Nettles denied connection with the New Age movement, viewing it as a human creation. [8] He married Anne Pearce around that time, and they later had two children, Mark and Lane. [7] He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1952 and subsequently enrolled at Union Presbyterian Seminary to study theology, hoping to become a minister. By Steven Godfrey Updated Dec 30, 2018, 1:24pm EST A self-proclaimed prophet and messiah, he died in the group's mass suicide of 1997. [78] He emphasized that students were free to disobey if they chose, in what Lalich dubs the "illusion of choice". Ti and Do said that the Next Level was adopting us into their family, explains Sawyer, a longtime cult member known as SWYODY(pronounced soy-oh-dee). Applewhite, who completed 57.4 percent of his passes, including 63 percent as a senior, said though he yearned to play he understood the coach's decision to start Simms. This idea has failed to gain support among academics. [112] They further relaxed their control in 1983, permitting their followers to visit relatives on Mother's Day. [128] Zeller notes that his beliefs were based on the Christian Bible, but were interpreted through the lens of belief in alien contact with humanity. harlingen, tx distance to mexican border . [91] They typically communicated with their disciples in writing or through assistants. [168], In October 1996, the group rented a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California. His students supported him during this time, greatly encouraging him. [62], By 1975, Applewhite and Nettles had taken the names "Bo" and "Peep". "[15] Alabama, however, then lost the last four games of the season, including a shocking 21-14 loss to Louisiana-Monroe. 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