Ray Van Eng (03/28/97) .
From the messages they left behind at their own religious web site Heaven's Gate, they believe that the recent arrival of the Hale-Boop Comet is the "marker" they have been waiting for, one that signifies a higher calling from perhaps the space aliens who summon them to follow along to another dimension. Alan Hale, one of the persons who discovered the comet that bears his name says that the cosmic object has always been linked to the closing of the second millennium, mythology, the UFO phenomenon or a prediction by Nostradamus. At the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), Hale frequently finds himself defending his view that the comet makes itself visible from earth at a totally arbitrary time and people should not perceive that as an omen of significant upheaval and associated it with concepts that are of mythical proportions. Much of the deadly rumors and speculations are disseminated through the Internet as the world wide web has developed into such a powerful publishing medium with information that can be reached instantaneously and on an international basis. Although the Internet has been linked to the spreading of bomb-making techniques and hate group literature, it is very disturbing to learn that this wonderful worldwide networking medium is being so closely associated with such senseless waste of terrestrial intelligence and ultimately the unfortunate loss of human lives. For those of us who traverse the Internet regularly, I think we should make it as a commitment to oppose and dispel any idea that could lead to such detrimental effects as the extremely tragic and heart-breaking episode at San Diego so well illustrated. That my friend, should truly be a higher calling for the rest of us responsible Netizens.
Since some users reported that the Heaven's Gate site was difficult to access, the following is a list of mirror sites where discussions of the suicide cult can be found: |
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