From yesterday's biblical prophecy to today's “Black Moon”: why do people continue to predict the end of the world?
Today's so-called “Black Moon” makes people guess what might happen. And rumors about her reach the end of the world.
So, Ian O'Neill wrote in his Seeker section: “If you read the tabloid press, you probably heard about the Friday arrival of the Black Moon. But you probably heard about it with all the wrong comments. Some believe that this “rare” astronomical event is a signal that the world may end, and this is a prelude to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Why? Well, some people from social media talk about this. ”
O'Neill and others explained why the “Black Moon” expected tonight is a completely natural and harmless event. But still, the question remains: why do people think that her arrival was a sign of the end of the world, and why people would seem so eager to perceive our pale blue dot as an object destroying all life?
Part of the answer lies in the history of superstitions and magical rites. For millennia, people have searched for signs of our personal and human experiences noted in the sky. Thus, eclipses, meteors and other celestial events were perceived as supernatural signs - sometimes promising luck, and sometimes death. And this concerned not only rare events: even full moons, which happen quite often, inspired the appearance of strange beliefs (from werewolves to madness). Scripture and “Science”
Apocalyptic predictions, as a rule, are of two main types: writing on the basis of prophecy and pseudoscientific predictions.
Authors Jim and Barbara Willis in their book “Armageddon Now: The End of the World from A to Z” noted that “scenarios about the end of the world, or at least the human race, occupy a prominent place in the writings and doctrines of many religions, and were recorded during thousands years". Many fundamentalist Christians believe that we live in the end times, and that Armageddon is literally the final battle between the forces of good and evil. And this event is inevitable.
In a recent example, Harold Camping, the head of the Family Radio Worldwide ministry, after a careful study of the Bible, concluded that the end of the world would come on May 21, 2011. When the apocalypse passed unnoticed on May 21, Camping decided that he had made a mathematical error in the calculations and the end of the world must come in the coming months (approximately December 21). After the world managed to survive and this critical date Camping departed from the predictive business. He died in December 2013. Other belief systems made similar statements. Thus, in 2012, the May calendar and a new apocalyptic rush appeared in the arena.
The second type of prediction is based more on science than on faith. And, to be more precise, on pseudoscience. These more inclined believers claim that the end of the world will be due to catastrophic cosmic forces.
A recent example was the problem with “Black Moon”. One of the events was described in 1997 in Richard Nun’s book with the ominous title “5/5/2000 Ice: The Final Disaster”. According to the author, from May 5, 2000, a mass of Arctic ice with a thickness of 3 miles will begin to form, which will lead to a global ice death of the entire planet. The 350-page book demonstrates charts and a detailed explanation of why exactly Nun’s “scientific” prediction was absolutely correct. Now it can be purchased at Amazon.com for one cent. Why are so many people fascinated by the end of the world? For some Christians, this is, paradoxically, a good event: the fulfillment of a thousand-year prophecy about the return of Jesus. For others, it is simply a part of the natural understanding of the world: where we come from, how the Universe enters into non-existence and how life ends.
And, of course, the Earth (and, consequently, the gradually expanding humanity), being in danger - this is one of the main actions in thriller films. People enjoy visiting such plots as “2012”, Armageddon ”,“ The Day After Tomorrow ”,“ Facing the Abyss ”and many others to see the mass extermination of people. Such paintings allow you to survive the possible horror, danger and destruction.
Part of the clue may also be the desire of people to see the last chapter in the history of the world - even if it means their end. If astronomers are wrong (and “Black Moon” will destroy us), then we all will die, and not having time to understand what really happened. And it suits me.
