by flipper 24 Replies latest jw friends
Here is an interesting article on carry capacity:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrying_capacity
Agenda 21 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agenda_21
Agenda 21 is all about "sustainable" growth, unfortunately for most, we are past the projected numbers...
So the planet will reach capacity, humans will attempt to go OVER capacity, and a lot of people will die as the ecosystem corrects itself.
What does that have to do with the end of the world? Sounds like everything is in working order other than the fact that humanity is breeding like rabbits and can't sit still.
You know what really pisses me off? Is the fact that I look at all the shit that's going on and in the back of my mind I've been occassionally thinking "OMG....maybe this is really it!"
How dumb is that? There have been countless times in mankind's history that have seen alot worse crap than what we're seeing now, but somehow, the Borg's thought processes still manages to infiltrate my braincells......
Re: End of the World Predictions that Failed
Yes, but look how many pieces of literature got sold over the years creating great wealth to individuals and organizations.
.......No names mentioned
Mad Sweeney, given energy consumption, etc we are WAY PAST carry capacity...
STAR TIGER- Many times technology hurts the environment as well. Sometimes I feel the alleged " industrial revolution " wasn't as productive as the leaders of our society would have hoped. True, we have better health care and medicines available now, but life was slower and less polluted in the 19th century before the advent of automobiles and jetliners. The world moves at an insane fast pace now with oil production and exploding oil rigs polluting our seas. I hope the human race gets smarter as time goes on, but I am rather doubting it. All we can do is better things individually in our little communities I feel. Ain't gonna be no God correcting things- so humans better get it right.
SIZEMIK- Good points you make. I do feel that religious expectations of an alleged " judgment day " makes people opt out of finding a solution for a better world in their own power in their own communities. It's a cop out of sorts by religious people. When in actuality we can ALL be part of the solution individually in our areas where we live. Can't save the whole planet- but each of us can make a difference.
SINIS- Thanks for the links. I agree there is a ton of egomaniacs on the planet only concerned with getting their big $$$$$ payday. Especially the global elite. They want to eliminate the population, true. That's why individually each of us needs to do what we can in our own areas to make the world a better place to live. And make this world a better place with what power we possess.
MAD SWEENEY- The planet may be getting overcrowded , however I feel it's the uneven distribution of wealth which will cause chaos and mayhem in certain countries, not any great event caused by a God. And perhaps certain cyclical weather patterns and natural occurences which happen over the thousands of years also. But between you and me, I feel the earth will keep plugging along. But any significant changes will affect us all - not just non-Christians. Christians would suffer as well. Nobody is immune to earth changes. But it's not the " end of the world " by any stretch in my opinion.
MARY- I know what you mean Mary. I mean, for many of us who were raised in the JW cult, for years ( myself over 44 years ) heard it told to us that Armageddon was just around the corner or " imminent ". If I had a dollar for every time I heard that- I'd be retired by now ! LOL ! But the cult programming runs deep. I find after 7 years of not being around ANY meetings or indoctrination - I truly finally TOTALLY don't believe in " the end ". It was just a scare and fear tactic used to keep us controlled by the WT society. It was intimidation at it's worst. Telling people they will die if they leave an organization is a powerful aphrodisiac for the WT society leaders. But it's also a scam, not true. So we help ourselves live freely with a free mind if we look at it as all crap. How I feel anyway. But I hear ya. And feel ya.
THETRUEONE- Exactly. You hit a very valid point right on the head. Nailed it. Fearmongering among these religious cults is big business ! Whether it's Jehovah's Witnesses, Adventists, or ANY apolyptic cult - it serves the leaders finacial $$$$ pocketbooks well to keep the expectation of a judgment day going to the believers ! And that's the bottom line
Wanted to bump this up for anyone who fears an alleged " end of the world ". All comments welcome
It's a great book.
From http://www.amazon.com/History-End-World-Controversial-Civilization/dp/0060816988:
The question of how and when the world will end has captivated thinkers for centuries. Wars, natural disasters, social upheaval and personal suffering often send believers back to the writings of their prophets and seers, whose gift is to bring satisfying answers to such questions. The book most studied in the Western tradition is Revelation, the last entry in the Christian canon. Kirsch, an attorney and book columnist for the Los Angeles Times, takes the reader on a delightful 2,000-year journey as he explores a text he describes as "a romantic tale, full of intrigue and suspense" and shows how churches, philosophers, clergy and armchair interpreters have promoted their political, social and religious agendas based on their belief that the end was imminent. Some of this history can be quite sobering, as the powerful have waged wars and built societies based on their varying perceptions of Revelation's message. However, consistent with Kirsch's earlier literary efforts, in particular The Harlot by the Side of the Road, the author exercises great care while treating his material with both sobriety and a healthy sense of the ironic. Written clearly and for a general audience, this is a fine book that merits wide readership. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Kirsch has written an important study of the "little book" that almost didn't make it into the New Testament: the book of Revelations. For many, Revelations is a pastiche of symbolism impossible to wade through, so difficult that even scholarly St. Jerome threw up his hands. Christians have often been advised to read it symbolically, but throughout history, it has been read very literally indeed, with adherents calculating dates for the last days and condemning others to a lake of fire. Today it has a massive effect on politics, popular culture, and even foreign policy, evident especially in Lehaye and Jenkins' popular Left Behind series. Kirsch, author of the best-selling The Harlot by the Side of the Road (1997), does a masterful job of leading readers through the labyrinth of Revelations, exploring why it was written (and with sound speculation on who wrote it), what it means, and how it has affected history. Kirsch is like a tour guide, making stops in Florence, to show how Savonarola used Revelations as he stoked the bonfire of the vanities; in America, to explore how Protestants used the book's imagery; and in Israel, to elucidate how the predictions in Revelations have formed the basis of an unlikely alliance between Jews and the Christian Religious Right. Throughout, in highly readable style, Kirsch highlights how Revelations has been used as a justification for culture wars from the earliest times to the present. Fascinating--and sure to provoke heated discussion. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
OTWO- Thanks for the link to the " History " book. I'll have to read that sometime. Sounds like an interesting read for sure. Thanks
BTTT for any who might want to comment . Thanks, Peace out, Mr. Flipper
