Star Trek Fundamentalism

“The true Kingdom of God – the real physical Kingdom of Heaven – the Evolutionary Level Above Human – are completely synonymous. As a genderless Kingdom, it “reproduces” or adds to its Kingdom membership through the use of this metamorphic process. This Next Level Kingdom created all that is – including all the paths that lead to decay and destruction, for the creatures it creates are created with free will – an ever-present option to choose the direction to take at any juncture or moment of decision.”

–’95 Statement by an E.T Presently Incarnate

Before reading any of the essays in the Fundamentalist Mindset, I decided to take a look at the links which were also provided in the syllabus, relating to Heaven’s Gate. I was immediately treated to several distant and quite eerie-sounding clips of men talking about the upcoming end of the world. Upon closer inspection I noticed that both websites focused on this sect known as “Heaven’s Gate”. The more I read, the more my mouth began to unhinge. We’ve spoken in class about the Branch-Davidians, and several other apocalyptic cults which participated in hair-brained endist schemes, and exhibited more than a little paranoia. However, the story of Heaven’s Gate is different altogether. I have no way to describe it other than as a Fundamentalist Trekkie’s Dreamworld. Borrowing certain elements from traditional Christian belief, but then translating them into science fiction terms, Heaven’s gate seems to be an amalgamation of traditional apocalyptic belief, scientology, and generous doses of paranoia.

In this particular spin on traditional eschatology, another dimension (or perhaps, another planet—space in general) replaces the New Jerusalem, humans are distinguished from Deities using the terms “human evolutionary level” and “evolutionary level above human”, and the end of the world simply refers to earth being ‘recycled’. The classic division between ‘us’ and ‘them’, so often seen in the fundamentalist mindset, is altered here. ‘Us’ now refers to humanity. ‘Them’ refers to those who have evolved beyond the human scale, to an intergalactic other possessing godlike qualities. Bodies are mere vessels, and the earth is merely a temporary nesting ground. It can easily be seen how one who follows these beliefs will eventually find themselves committing suicide, as a final attempt to lose all attachment with earth and begin the journey to space.

Also of interest with Heaven’s gate is the extreme sense of order, cleanliness, and neatness with which everything the cult engaged in was carried out. Even the 39 deaths which occurred late in 1997, as these fanatics finally laid down to meet the aliens, occurred in SHIFTS. All members wore the same exact clothing, died through the same sophisticated and foolproof means, and expired in perfect alignment in an immaculate household. Underlying elements of paranoia, of a sort of obsessive compulsion, are certainly present here. The link between cruel, hard, calculating science—and the ruthless efficiency with which these ascetics lived their lives (and carried out their end) is also noteworthy. Their leader, who ironically claims himself to be a descendant of Jesus (and has a Near death experience which convinces him and his partner of this), even uses the term ‘programming’ to refer to one’s own individual beliefs and tendencies.

The Heaven’s Gate cult also believed that in order to be eligible for membership in the next level, humans would have to shed every attachment to the planet. In order to do this many members went ahead and castrated themselves, disassociated themselves from their families, and in general strove to lead extremely Spartan lifestyles.

Needless to say, this story served as a particularly cogent Halloween scare…particularly because its not just your average spooky story, its Real—it happened, and its happening now…