You know those nut jobs in Times Square proclaiming the end of the world is coming? It appears they have company. A lot of company. According to a worldwide polls, nearly 15 percent of people believe the world will end during their lifetime while 10 percent believe that the Mayan calendar shows that it will end in 2012. Once again, I will simply note that sea otters appear far more advanced than humans in every meaningful way.
The polling involved 16,262 people in more than 20 countries. The French were the least likely to believe in the end of the world (now the end of the euro is another matter). Belgium and Britain were also among the least likely to believe in the end of the world. The most doomsayers were found in Turkey followed by South Africa and Argentina. That is interesting because it would indicate that this does not change with religious beliefs. The most important common denominator was low education and low incomes among those who believed the end was coming. Also, younger people were more inclined to believe in the doomsday scenario.
The obsession with the Mayan calendar is particularly interesting since there is ample evidence that even the Mayans did not believe that December 21, 2012 would be the day for the world to end as opposed to changing the calendar. It is like finding the ancient equivalent to a note to “remember to buy milk” and building a doomsday faith around it. Experts have debunked the theory surrounding 13th Bak’tun — one of the 400 year periods in the Maya calendar. There is absolutely no reference or indication of the Earth coming to the end. It is merely the end of that calendar year and there is a reference to God descending — a reference that is not viewed by experts as signifying the end of anything. That has not stopped the government from capitalizing on the belief of course.
It is the Mayan belief that is so striking for me. I can understand the fear of nuclear war and global warming as threats to our existence. However this poll could have been entitled “Ten Percent of Earth’s Population Found To Be Morons.” I would have been far more impressed if the Mayans would have seen the Spanish coming or their collapse in the 8th or 9th centuries. Those little events appeared to have escaped their special eye.
Besides the only sign of the apocalypse that we have seen in our lifetime has been the GOP presidential primary and that appears to have come to an end. Of course, most of us were praying for the end of the world for much of it and were again left to suffer. Having made it through the primary, I refuse to have some ancient Mayans jacked up on entheogenic mushrooms tell me that the world is going to end in 2012. The Bears just finished a strong draft for this season (even if they did not reinforce their offensive line) and I intend to make it to the playoffs — Mayans or no Mayans.
Do you know what the seven dirty words are that you can’t say on the radio? Can you say it on the internet?
Matt,
Yes, this is the internet, and I just said “it.”
“The planet will be here for a long, long, LONG time after we’re gone, and it will heal itself, it will cleanse itself, ’cause that’s what it does. It’s a self-correcting system.”
And,
“The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles … hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages .”
And finally,
“The planet’ll be here and we’ll be long gone. Just another failed mutation. Just another closed-end biological mistake. An evolutionary cul-de-sac. The planet’ll shake us off like a bad case of fleas.”
George Carlin
I’ve always suspected the truth is in there . . . somewhere.
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“There is only so much our species can take”. Now that is a correct statement from krissy. We, as humans, will eventually run out of time in this current age. The next “age”, we transfigure into, will be the last (third) Earth age and everything will be as it was in the beginning. The firmament will be back in place,there will be no destructive forces present, and it will go on for eternity. Hope to see ya on the “flip” side!
Bob,
They pull all your wisdom teeth before you get on the submarine because the medical attention under the surface is limited. I always insisted on being surface navy.
There is only so much our species can take. Being that no one is doing anything about global climate change, when those seas start to rise and more crops fail it will be pretty bad. I guess someone will manage to survive. But to pretend that everything will be fine forever is delusional.
Matt Johnson,
Submarines pull all your wisdom teeth? Are they something like huge bottle-openers?
So many questions. So much time.
bigfatmike said:
>”. . . fortunately you probably won’t have to plan for long.”
My point exactly.
bigfatmike,
I know how to use power generators. I was an Electrician’s Mate.
@patricparamedic
Power generator, boom box with cd’s or tape, dvd player with dvds, cases of campaign or your favorite beverage, personal grooming products, lubricant, phones will be out, so street address of a couple of your favorite hotties.
After that it is hard to plan, fortunately you probably won’t have to plan for long.
Hope this helps.
Are you sure the sea otters are more advanced? It’s possible they just don’t care. Stay out of the underground bunkers. Those are roach motels. I was surface navy. I don’t go on submarines. They pull all your wisdom teeth.
Well they don’t feel a need to conceal carry.
They manage to take care of them selves and their family without going into debt.
They don’t waste a lot of time involved in little remembered conversations on blogs.
And they rarely say anything negative about people they don’t even know.
I would say there is at least an argument to be made here.
I would say that until we develop more information they are at least even with cats.
“If one earnestly believes that civilization or even the whole planet will not exist in a few months time, why would they not run up huge outstanding balances buying gear or feeding the homeless or whatever?”
I’m a little curious as to what gear would adequately arm me for the end of times . . . .
I only believe that another person REALLY believes that the world is coming to an end, if they have maxed out several credit cards in preparation for that end. If one earnestly believes that civilization or even the whole planet will not exist in a few months time, why would they not run up huge outstanding balances buying gear or feeding the homeless or whatever?
Any bets at all, that by say, next November, we won’t all be discussing stories of bizarre human shenanigans, by those recoiling in shock & awe, at the “impending” Mayan December 21 end of the world?
I personally anticipate a rash of “sorry, no more food & flashlights” riots at Wal Marts everywhere.
Professor Turley,
I was very impressed with your use of the phrase “entheogenic mushrooms.”
I was forced to look that one up.
I was not familiar with the term “mushrooms.”
Check this book out http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Myth-Apocalyptic-Thinking/dp/1616145730
Isn’t there a word for that?
And Jesus had so many predecessors with the same abilities and doctrines. No written contemporary record except the obvious monk forgery added to what’s his name’s history of the jews. You know the one who had led the jewish war against the Romans, and got freed for his courage. A remarkable tale itself.
And it was the Germans in 1800 who started the search for the historical Jesus I have read. Has anyone read any of Karin Armstrong’s many books?
Albert Schweitzer thought Jesus was an end-timer in that he believed the end of the world was coming in his own lifetime and saw himself as the world’s savior.
(The Quest of the Historical Jesus)
“Many false prophets will appear and deceive many ”
I was actually feeling pretty safe till I heard all this talk about the Bears winning the Superbowl. Now…I’m not so sure.
And what about that survey data on sea otters you promised?
The insurance companies need to get creative. They could put out policies that are shorting the proposed Earth Life Expectancy. Just like shorting the stock market. So, JoeBob is sold a policy for Ten Thousand Dollars. If the Earth ends at the predicted time he gets paid. If it doesnt end then he losses the premiums he paid over time and also the Earth Deposit he made when the policy is taken out. The time and place to sell such thngs is from the pulpit. That is right. Pastors dont make enough off of the flock with just passing the plate. Allow them to sell policies on Sunday right up until the noon day Sunday Closing law on the sale of alcohol goes into effect. This way, they can get insured for life, limb, soul, in church in the a.m., go to the bar, get drunk, and proslytise the Good Lord’s holy reckoning. They can be agents for Liberty Life and sell polices at the bar but they must be activated on Sunday morning at church. Bingo, larger flock for Pasture Niehmoller.