Rajan’s Reviews > Heaven's Gate: America's UFO Religion > Status Update

As Zeller explains, the belief system was the foundation for almost every action in Heaven’s Gate, starting with the decision to join. One might think this would be obvious—Heaven’s Gate was a religion, after all—but some social scientists view belief as a product of membership rather than a reason for membership. They argue that people join new religions for friendship and community, and that belief develops only af