tcrane |
04-20-2012 01:09 PM |
The idea of the Mayan calendar predicting the 'end of the world' has been debunked by a number of scientists and anthropologists who are experts in Mayan culture and history.
However, I think this conversation, and the concept of the 2012 'apocalypse' do touch a core that's clearly in people's minds - we are reaching a point of exhausting the resources of our planet, and taxing our environment beyond what's reasonable. It's no mystery that people are concerned about the 'end of the world' because it's very likely that our current state is unsustainable and we're already seeing dramatic environmental shifts in our own lifetimes.
The origin of the '2012' concept began with a single article and has taken off into the stratosphere.
Mayan prophecy - 12/21/2012 - The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic.com
The annotated apocalypse: Anthropologists tackle 2012 - Boing Boing
"I think it gives us an opportunity to see how religious movements begin.
There’s a lot in that mythology that people are referring to as if it is real or as something they want to believe in. It’s been tied together with the Age of Aquarius, the legitimacy of prophecy, and visionary experiences. There’s a lot there that’s similar to the beginnings of other religious traditions. Christianity, for instance, began in the context of messianic prophecies. The LDS church began in the context of speculation about Native Americans and concerns about the end of the world. And the Millerite movement of the 1840s is another one. That gave rise to today’s Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses. William Miller prophesied the second coming for October 1844. And even though it didn’t happen, it still had a lasting legacy because so many people believed. Publications started by Millerites are still the publications of the Jehovah’s Witnesses today. I really think there will be some religious or spiritual movements that come out of the 2012 mythology. If you go into Barnes and Noble and look in the metaphysics or spirituality sections, you’ll find tons of books about 2012. It’s not treated as historical or scientific, but as spiritual. "
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