Post by Mr. Jon Donnis on May 19, 2011 11:14:32 GMT
Did you know the world is supposed to end on Saturday? Yes, again....
Here's some recent coverage on CloseUp demonstrating preacher Harold
Camping's absolute certainty that the world will end on May 21 (we
figure it will be as correct as his previous prediction of the end of
the world on September 6 1994...):
tvnz.co.nz/close-up/doomsday-prophet-speaks-5-15-video-4178987
And some responses to the idea, including from yours truly:
tvnz.co.nz/close-up/doomsday-looming-5-36-video-4177149
People may laugh or simply attempt to ignore such ideas, but such
things can cause very real harm:
whatstheharm.net/apocalypsefear.html
No doubt, when we wake to another day on Sunday morning, these
preachers and people will find some ad hoc way to weasel out of the
fear and dread they have created. Perhaps it will be called the
Humongous Disappointment, following on from the Great Disappointment
of 1844, which saw the birth of the likes of the Seventh Day
Adventists, Jehovah Witnesses, Branch Davidians and a batch of other
sects following the non-arrival of Christ at that time.
A preoccupation with the end of the world commonly occurs in times of
economic uncertainty. Add a couple of high-profile natural disasters
and people will start seeing signs of wrath. We remember MP Graham
Lee back in the late 1980s telling us that a prediction of
earthquakes marked the imminent arrival of the end times (and he was
Minister of Civil Defence at the time!).
This time round we have had a surprising number of school students
contacting the NZ Skeptics looking for information for projects about
the May 21 prediction or the more general 2012 doomsday. A chance for
the teaching of critical thinking, we hope.
Unfortunately, unlike a shonky local earthquake prediction, there's
relatively little you can suggest to try to allay the fear of those
who really buy into doomsday scenarios. Let's just hope we don't have
too many psychologcally scarred people or euthanized pets to deal
with on Sunday....
Cheers,
Vicki
======================================================
NZ Skeptics Inc
www.skeptics.org.nz
Here's some recent coverage on CloseUp demonstrating preacher Harold
Camping's absolute certainty that the world will end on May 21 (we
figure it will be as correct as his previous prediction of the end of
the world on September 6 1994...):
tvnz.co.nz/close-up/doomsday-prophet-speaks-5-15-video-4178987
And some responses to the idea, including from yours truly:
tvnz.co.nz/close-up/doomsday-looming-5-36-video-4177149
People may laugh or simply attempt to ignore such ideas, but such
things can cause very real harm:
whatstheharm.net/apocalypsefear.html
No doubt, when we wake to another day on Sunday morning, these
preachers and people will find some ad hoc way to weasel out of the
fear and dread they have created. Perhaps it will be called the
Humongous Disappointment, following on from the Great Disappointment
of 1844, which saw the birth of the likes of the Seventh Day
Adventists, Jehovah Witnesses, Branch Davidians and a batch of other
sects following the non-arrival of Christ at that time.
A preoccupation with the end of the world commonly occurs in times of
economic uncertainty. Add a couple of high-profile natural disasters
and people will start seeing signs of wrath. We remember MP Graham
Lee back in the late 1980s telling us that a prediction of
earthquakes marked the imminent arrival of the end times (and he was
Minister of Civil Defence at the time!).
This time round we have had a surprising number of school students
contacting the NZ Skeptics looking for information for projects about
the May 21 prediction or the more general 2012 doomsday. A chance for
the teaching of critical thinking, we hope.
Unfortunately, unlike a shonky local earthquake prediction, there's
relatively little you can suggest to try to allay the fear of those
who really buy into doomsday scenarios. Let's just hope we don't have
too many psychologcally scarred people or euthanized pets to deal
with on Sunday....
Cheers,
Vicki
======================================================
NZ Skeptics Inc
www.skeptics.org.nz
Oh unless everyone at the BBC get raptured! Hmmm they look like Christians 
