Ever since the beginning of time, religion has played a major role in society and the growth of civilization. Religion has been brought up through true events that have happened in the past. Nevertheless, with every truth taught, there is a counterfeit. Sadly, there are those religions where the truth is confused with false teachings, and people become deceived into believing the fictitious. Occasionally, there are stories of tragedies happening within these false taught religions. One of the more recent, well known, hazardous results of these alternative religions is within the Heaven’s Gate cult. The Heaven’s Gate was a new age religion that practiced in both beliefs in Christianity and UFO’s simultaneously. Heaven’s Gate was founded by Marshall Herff Applewhite, born in 1931. Applewhite grew up in a seemingly normal life. He attended college, became a professor, married and joined the Army Signal Corps. In addition to this, he was gifted with musical and dramatic talents. It wasn’t until the 1970’s when Applewhite began turning his life towards religion. He divorced his wife, struggled with his sexual identity, and finally left his job. Two years after his struggle, Applewhite met Bonnie Lu Trusdale Nettles. Nettles was a nurse who had a vast knowledge of the…show more content… Unfortunately, in 1985, Applewhite and the Heaven’s Gate group suffered a traumatic loss when Nettles died of liver cancer. Regardless, Applewhite continued to pursue his spiritual mission. “The group made a series of videos called Beyond Human—The Last Call that featured information about the group and the Next Level in the early 1990s, which were broadcast via satellite. The group also took out ads worldwide, including USA Today in 1993. The headline of that ad read: ‘'UFO Cult' Resurfaces with Final Offer’”