posted
We post polls on our front page, some silly, some serious, most having to do with current events.
The one from Monday read like this:
Tsunamis, hurricanes, fires and earthquakes have struck one after another this year. What's going on?
It's just a coincidence It's global warming It's all Bush's fault It's the End of Days Heck if I know
Currently the results (in an admittedly very unscientific poll) are looking like this:
It's just a coincidence 365 (29.41%) It's global warming 230 (18.53%) It's all Bush's fault 225 (18.13%) It's the End of Days 254 (20.47%) Heck if I know 167 (13.46%)
I gotta wonder... how many people believe we're in the End Times? What about you folks?
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I do have one question. Are we experiencing an unusual increase in tectonic plate shifts in the recent years? Or am I just paranoid because I live in California?
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posted
I'm sure a lot of the people are responding in jest. The poll choices are pretty amusing... I mean, "It's all Bush's fault!" *laugh*
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posted
Don't laugh. It was added in jest, but we've received complaints about the poll's "Bush-bashing."
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posted
I certainly think there's a irrational desire to believe that the recent rash of disasters, the war, the weather etc., mark a kind of beginning of the end. I mean I've certainly stepped out of my front door into pinky-grey cloud cover and muffled sounds and thought "well, this would be a good day for the world to end."
I think this poll is totally unindicative rationally, but does reflect a kind of worry among the general populace that things aren't going in the right direction. The reasons for this are varied but I think the feeling, although people recognise it as irrational is definately there.
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posted
I checked my calendar, and I'm pretty sure we have days going at least until the end of the year.
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quote:Originally posted by Chris Bridges: Tsunamis, hurricanes, fires and earthquakes have struck one after another this year. What's going on?
It's just a coincidence It's global warming It's all Bush's fault It's the End of Days Heck if I know
Okay, let's look at the alternatives.
It's all Bush's fault - Look, I don't like Bush much, but I just can't figure out how Bush could make a hurricane or an earthquake.
It's the End of Days - I don't believe in an "End of Days", so I wouldn't choose this alternative.
It's global warming - Okay, I can see how this could influence hurricane formation. But earthquakes? Can't see that at all.
It's just a coincidence - I'd be more apt to choose this alternative. Except that I'm not all that sure I believe in coincidence.
So, I think I'm stuck with Heck if I know. Although I think I might add another alternative, sort of between the "coincidence" alternative and this one. I'd call that alternative Crap happens.
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posted
For those that don't believe in the End Of Days, consider this: Rick Moranis just released a country music CD.
Yes, you heard right. The guy from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, My Blue Heaven, and Ghostbusters just came out with a record.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by El JT de Spang: For those that don't believe in the End Of Days, consider this: Rick Moranis just released a country music CD.
Yes, you heard right. The guy from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, My Blue Heaven, and Ghostbusters just came out with a record.
I thought for sure it was the End of Days when the Red Sox won the series last year. After that, nothing is really a shock.
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quote:Originally posted by Adam613: I don't think it's the end of days, but I do think we're entering a modern Dark Ages.
I agree with Adam. Human history is full of examples of civilizations being cyclic. Rome in recent history. The legends of Atlantis, Babylon etc. The archeological ruins of civilizations that have passed through the cycle. Many of the older eastern religions have cycles in them where things come crashing down and begin again. Most things grow old and pass on into history. If you think of our society as an organism, we advance as long as more effort is put into advancing the whole, than for individual satisfaction. If all the cells in your body wanted more, what would happen? I’m not going to carry this oxygen to the liver. It would break down and fall apart. We are reaching that point. It’s very similar to what John Forbes Nash Jr. came up with (the guy in ‘A beautiful mind’). We work together till it is no longer in our perceived self-interest.
As for a reason for the weather, there are shifts. Was the last ice age the “end of the world”? I wouldn’t say so.
Did you ever hear "old yellow eyes" by Data from Star Trek?
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posted
Sorry Chris, but your poll is fundementally flawed. It is common knowledge that the Yakuza are to blame. And the Russians. Always the Russians.
Posts: 2437 | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
The increase in catastrophic disasters is real. It is documented and analyzed. The data supporting a trend towards super disasters has been available for over a decade.
Here are a few statistics:
-The number of natural disasters has more than tripled since those experienced in the 1970’s.
-More than 3 3/4 million people were killed by all disasters in past 25 years.
-Since the 1950’s, costs associated with natural disasters have rocketed 14-fold. The year 2004 is the most catastrophic year in insurance history. The total world losses (insured and uninsured) rose to an unprecedented total of more than U.S. $150 billion.
-Toward the end of the 1990’s, the world counted some 25,000,000 “environmental refugees.” For the first time in recorded history, more people had fled natural hazards than conflict.
-Another humanitarian disaster could be found in sub-Saharan Africa last year, where 2.2 million people died from the HIV/AIDS epidemic, while 24 million currently live with the infection.
-In 2004, Florida was hit by four hurricanes in the space of only a few weeks, making it one of the most costly hurricane seasons ever for insurers. At the same time, Japan was hit by a record number of ten tropical cyclones.
-“Killer earthquakes” (with scale ratings of 6.0 or above) have jumped from a cumulative total of 9 in the 1950’s, to 51 in the 1970's, to 285 in the 1990's, and already 190+ in the 2000’s.
-The 1980's and 1990's were the most violent years on record for the actual number of and resulting damage from armed conflicts (including acts of terrorism, insurrection, and war).
Part of the increase can be traced to the improvements in technology and our ability to "see" disasters in remote areas of the world.
Is it the end of days? I don't think so, but we do need to be aware of these trends and the need for coordinated information to help people world wide.
Posts: 56 | Registered: May 2005
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quote: For those that don't believe in the End Of Days, consider this: Rick Moranis just released a country music CD.
Yes, you heard right. The guy from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, My Blue Heaven, and Ghostbusters just came out with a record.
Well, it's not like he's never sung before. Little Shop of Horrors has a great soundtrack. Not that I'd call his singing wonderful, but certainly not too bad for a country album.
But then again, I guess these days singing ability has absolutely nothing to do with someone's music career.
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quote:Originally posted by starLisa: I checked my calendar, and I'm pretty sure we have days going at least until the end of the year.
And I still have checks in my checkbook. So?
As far as the original question, I don't know. I hope it is (keeping in mind that what that means to me is somewhat different than the Christian notion), but I know that I'm not ready yet. So I also hope it isn't.
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posted
Not sure the numbers on the disaster trends is entirely relevant. For one thing Florida had such horrendous hurricane periods before, apparently on a roughly 25-year cycle. And we have far more people living in the state than we did then, meaning repair costs and evacuation numbers would be correspondingly higher. If 30 people lived in an area that was evacuated in 1965 and 3,000 people live in the same area now, the disaster has not gotten worse.
Adjust the numbers for population growth and building development and let's see if it's an increase or not.
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posted
When Jewish sources refer to Achris haYamim, the End of Days, it means the time period directly leading up to the time of Moshiach.
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posted
I knew that the coming of the Moshiach was anticipated at the end of days, but I would like to know why you don't feel ready and what you expect to lead up to that time.
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posted
Because in a way similar to death bringing me to a better world, but one where I no longer have the opportunity to DO anything (including become a better person), Moshiach will bring us to a better world, but one where many of the challenges are removed.
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posted
As I can't think of any major religion who believes that the unbelievers will get the best end of the apocalypse, I'd like to throw my vote in for "not ready yet," too. Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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quote:Originally posted by El JT de Spang: For those that don't believe in the End Of Days, consider this: Rick Moranis just released a country music CD.
Well, while it is true that I don't believe in the End of Days, I actually considered that it might be true a few weeks ago when William Shatner won an Emmy for his acting. Posts: 2454 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
Hey come on now. No Rick Moranis bashing! Didn't you see him in "Little Shop of Horrors"? He is actually a fine singer. I don't know how well his voice translates to country style, since I haven't heard the cd. But let's give the poor guy a little credit.
We have to stick up for the dorky looking guys who manage to make it in this shallow world!
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: As I can't think of any major religion who believes that the unbelievers will get the best end of the apocalypse, I'd like to throw my vote in for "not ready yet," too.
posted
Well, according to Fred Phelps, the fault belongs to the perverts out there. And yes, it is the end of days.
Posts: 1735 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Actually, Mormon leaders have said that "millions" of good people of all creeds (including athiests) will survive the apocalypse and live during the millenium. Granted, that's in a world of billions, but at least it gives it odds, right?
Posts: 241 | Registered: Nov 2001
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posted
My son and I were watching that pseudo-news anchor on the local TPN station, who was proudly proclaiming, "See! I was right! It is the End Of Days!"
I told my son, "If Jesus doesn't come by June, 2006, we're going to find this guy, hold him down, and just slap him silly."
Seems like a fair deal.
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posted
For me its a toss between the end of days and the coincedence thing. I probably would've voted that its all Bush's fault just for the heck of it. You guys know I cannot stand Republican viewpoints or polititians.
Posts: 3389 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Not to worry anyone but the Mayan Calender predicted the end of the world to be the year 2020. The Mayan's had VERY accurate calenders...
Posts: 832 | Registered: Jan 2005
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posted
Actually, it's 2012. December 21, iirc. Also, it's arguable that the Mayan "end of the world" is more like the end of one age and the beginning of another.
Of course, as one of my secular humanist friends likes to say "I can't wait until 2012, just so everybody has to find a new magic date after nothing happens."
posted
My husband pointed out to my son that if the world ends before the World Series is finished, the Red Sox will be world champions for eternity.
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posted
Karl Rove called. He wants you to know its really all the Bush Haters fault. They are making the natural disasters to make him, I mean the President, look bad.
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posted
Dan...When you talk to Karl, tell him he's projecting again and to cut it out and go talk to a professional. Posts: 2454 | Registered: Jan 2003
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quote:Originally posted by El JT de Spang: For those that don't believe in the End Of Days, consider this: Rick Moranis just released a country music CD.
Yes, you heard right. The guy from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, My Blue Heaven, and Ghostbusters just came out with a record.
Have you ever heard of Bob and Doug McKenzie? It's Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas being weird. Great stuff though. They do a hilarious version of the 12 Days of Christmas.
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posted
I believe it is the End Days and has been for almost 200 years. After all,I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Of course, that means the last period of human history and could be 100 or 1000 years from now before THE End Days. However, following LDS prophecy, I would say two thirds of major events have been fulfilled.
Posts: 2207 | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote: but does reflect a kind of worry among the general populace that things aren't going in the right direction
What would BE the "right direction?"
I for one still follow the eternal tenants of the "Everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten" poster: The world would be a much better place if at 1 o'clock everyone, the whole world, had cookies and milk and laid down for a nap.
Posts: 2532 | Registered: Jul 2001
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