I have brought this up once before in a social network and I poo-pooed it then, as I am about to do now. I would have ignored it since then, but the fanatics live real close to me, so I am going to point them out on this blog -- for the record!
First, you should go here, May 21, 2011 - Judgement Day!; October 21, 2011 - The End of the World and I recommend playing the audio, which is someone reading this tract, as you follow along. I cracked up when I did it, because the man's voice is so professional sounding, like when you are listening to audio instructions on how to assemble your very own home nuclear reactor, or setting up some new software on your computer.
Now, I must state right away that this is not the first time some group of crazed fanatics have announced the end of the world in such a fashion. As a matter of fact, there have been too many for me to mention here. These calculations are impressive, to say the least, but when you consider that the bible is a ragged collection of hearsay, myth, forgeries and downright lunacy, the fact that someone has painstakingly utilized a grand work of fiction to predict the end of the world is quite mind boggling, don't you think?
I am sure that my friends of faith will think I am being blasphemous and, well, I guess I am at that. I have finally come to my senses and I am not going to sit by quietly while the rest of my beloved country goes fanatic. And recent moves by the religious right-wing neocons who feel that it is their mission to do god's will and make abortion illegal once again, and "bring this nation back to god," or whatever, are slowly getting their way, thanks in big part to having more than enough of their cronies as Supreme Court Justices to start hacking away at our freedoms. Oh, don't get me started, because you know how I get!
This brings to mind the story of the Millerites back in the nineteenth century. A bunch of people sold or gave away all of their worldly possessions and went to the hills to await the coming rapture. When it did not happen someone re-calculated and determined that it would actually occur one year later than first predicted. So they waited, gave away everything again (didn't have much, because they had already been through this!) and went to the hills again a year later and. . . nothing. Of course, by this time they were enjoying each other's company to such a degree that they decided to keep meeting and formed their own sect of christianity. Today it is known as the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Every time that our calendar has reached a certain number, like 500, 1000, 2000, and various other significant ones in between, there was always those announcing that the day is at hand. And each time they had to resort to some swift back-peddling, improvisation, and recalculating when the said day came and went. My question is this: What will we be talking about on May 22, 2011? And how about having a big party on October 22, 2011, to celebrate the End of the World That Never Happened!
