With the very beginning of human civilization, when human species began
their thought process and questioned their existence, and existence of
whole universe; two questions dominated the entire quest. First, from
where we came, means beginning of our existence and second question was
just opposite of the first, means when and how our existence will come
to an end?
When so called scholars found their scholarly unable to find the beginning of our existence then they left this question, concealed it cleverly and focused on the second question. The word they opt to accost it, is 'doomsday'. They did so to maintain their importance and in order to achieve it they used human psychology, as humans by nature are more interested in future, than past.
In 2012 'doomsday' took a profound place in discussion as some modern soothsayers claimed 21st Dec 2012 as the end of the world on the basis of "Maya Calendar". A Mesoamerican civilization, The Maya civilization is known for its rich culture of art, architecture, religion, and scientific advancements like mathematical and astronomical systems. During a period of 2000 BC to AD 250, The Maya civilization was spread over Belize, Honduras, Republic of Guatemala and western El Salvador and the most Mexican states, for more than 1,000 km. At that time this civilization has discovered a sacred calendar which starts with, 13th of August, 3114 BCE, as beginning and ends on 22nd of December, 2012. On the basis of this calendar, last date in accordance with the cycle has been declared as a date of 'The apocalypse' or 'doomsday'.
Through examples we can understand that doomsday is nothing but a psychological toy to play with people, whose common sense is not so common, but let's begin with a story of a clever astrologer in which he plays with the intelligentsia of a king and shows how being a scholar he can trick his scholarly practices:
Once upon a time, there lived a king who was very anxious to know about future. In order to fulfill his wish he summoned an astrologer and the astrologer said, "Your majesty, I am very sorry for you and I do not intend to disappoint you, but it seems to me that you will not live very long."
The king lost his temper on hearing astrologer words and ordered his guards to kill the astrologer.
The astrologer said, "I shall obey the king's command, but there is a fact I want to disclose before I die. The king will survive for only three days after my death."
On hearing this, the king instantly changed his decision, and he prayed for the rest of his life that, the astrologer would live for a long while.
It is not the first time when many prophesiers have tried to predict the end of our existence. As it was discussed in very beginning of article that, it is as old as our civilization, let's see some example:-
>>> In first century A.D. many Christians believed that, Jesus would return on earth, and an end to life as they knew it, as described in Mark 13:24-26: "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give its light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."
>>> In the 1840s, a preacher named Miller predicted that, Jesus will return to Earth in March 1843. He claimed this on the basis of complex mathematical calculations and promoted it by giving sermons and distributing pamphlets during the 1830s and early 1840s; this way he got around 100,000 followers. As the predicted date came near, many of his followers sold their properties and donned white robes, and climbed on mountains to await their rapture into heaven. When nothing happened, Miller moved the date to October 1844, need not to mention that on second date also nothing happened.
>>> During 1910 when a celestial body 'Halley's Comet', was about to make a pass, the claims of impassioned astronomers inspired fear in a surprising number of people. They predicted that the comet's tail was made of poisonous cyanogen gas, and when it will pass, the toxic fumes would cause widespread death. Like earlier times when deadly date approached, many refused to go to work, sold their properties and waited for their death, but nothing happened except some more new scientific research and advancement. Even opportunists tried to profit from the hysteria, selling "comet pills," masks and bottled oxygen intended to help survival of people.
>>> In 1954, a 54-year-old housewife Dorothy Martin declared that aliens from the planet Clarion had send messages informing her that the planet earth is going to be destroyed by a massive flood. Her deadly prophecy succeeded in gathering followers. Many of them quit their jobs and sold their belongings in anticipation of the end. On the eve of Christmas they all gathered at Martin's home praying to god and with a hope to be saved by the aliens in their flying saucers. But, suddenly on Christmas Martin announced that God is now impressed with their prayers and would no longer destroy the Earth.
These are very few incidents which caught eyes of many people. History is full of such stupid trials. With the date almost near, the panic process has begun. In California, some part of China, while several parts across Russian and French cities and in India people are developing mass hysteria, and fear psychoses. China has detained around 100 people for spreading doomsday rumors by preaching through a loudspeaker on the streets, distributing leaflets with doomsday warnings. Here question arises that, how people of 21st century can believe on a mere calendar of Maya culture? Yes it is true that they were among one of the developed societies but comparatively they were not advanced as we are in present. Science has never been as powerful as it is today. How so many well educated people can fall prey to few self-proclaimed prognosticators? How an end of calendar can bring end of our existence? These are some question yet to be answered.
How lovely and good suggestion someone gave,
"Predicting the end of the world is very excruciating. Of all the possibilities and unseen doors that lead us to assume the end. Keep in mind that even the slightest change of the future can devastate any prediction; let the nature decide, not man."
When so called scholars found their scholarly unable to find the beginning of our existence then they left this question, concealed it cleverly and focused on the second question. The word they opt to accost it, is 'doomsday'. They did so to maintain their importance and in order to achieve it they used human psychology, as humans by nature are more interested in future, than past.
In 2012 'doomsday' took a profound place in discussion as some modern soothsayers claimed 21st Dec 2012 as the end of the world on the basis of "Maya Calendar". A Mesoamerican civilization, The Maya civilization is known for its rich culture of art, architecture, religion, and scientific advancements like mathematical and astronomical systems. During a period of 2000 BC to AD 250, The Maya civilization was spread over Belize, Honduras, Republic of Guatemala and western El Salvador and the most Mexican states, for more than 1,000 km. At that time this civilization has discovered a sacred calendar which starts with, 13th of August, 3114 BCE, as beginning and ends on 22nd of December, 2012. On the basis of this calendar, last date in accordance with the cycle has been declared as a date of 'The apocalypse' or 'doomsday'.
Through examples we can understand that doomsday is nothing but a psychological toy to play with people, whose common sense is not so common, but let's begin with a story of a clever astrologer in which he plays with the intelligentsia of a king and shows how being a scholar he can trick his scholarly practices:
Once upon a time, there lived a king who was very anxious to know about future. In order to fulfill his wish he summoned an astrologer and the astrologer said, "Your majesty, I am very sorry for you and I do not intend to disappoint you, but it seems to me that you will not live very long."
The king lost his temper on hearing astrologer words and ordered his guards to kill the astrologer.
The astrologer said, "I shall obey the king's command, but there is a fact I want to disclose before I die. The king will survive for only three days after my death."
On hearing this, the king instantly changed his decision, and he prayed for the rest of his life that, the astrologer would live for a long while.
It is not the first time when many prophesiers have tried to predict the end of our existence. As it was discussed in very beginning of article that, it is as old as our civilization, let's see some example:-
>>> In first century A.D. many Christians believed that, Jesus would return on earth, and an end to life as they knew it, as described in Mark 13:24-26: "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give its light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."
>>> In the 1840s, a preacher named Miller predicted that, Jesus will return to Earth in March 1843. He claimed this on the basis of complex mathematical calculations and promoted it by giving sermons and distributing pamphlets during the 1830s and early 1840s; this way he got around 100,000 followers. As the predicted date came near, many of his followers sold their properties and donned white robes, and climbed on mountains to await their rapture into heaven. When nothing happened, Miller moved the date to October 1844, need not to mention that on second date also nothing happened.
>>> During 1910 when a celestial body 'Halley's Comet', was about to make a pass, the claims of impassioned astronomers inspired fear in a surprising number of people. They predicted that the comet's tail was made of poisonous cyanogen gas, and when it will pass, the toxic fumes would cause widespread death. Like earlier times when deadly date approached, many refused to go to work, sold their properties and waited for their death, but nothing happened except some more new scientific research and advancement. Even opportunists tried to profit from the hysteria, selling "comet pills," masks and bottled oxygen intended to help survival of people.
>>> In 1954, a 54-year-old housewife Dorothy Martin declared that aliens from the planet Clarion had send messages informing her that the planet earth is going to be destroyed by a massive flood. Her deadly prophecy succeeded in gathering followers. Many of them quit their jobs and sold their belongings in anticipation of the end. On the eve of Christmas they all gathered at Martin's home praying to god and with a hope to be saved by the aliens in their flying saucers. But, suddenly on Christmas Martin announced that God is now impressed with their prayers and would no longer destroy the Earth.
These are very few incidents which caught eyes of many people. History is full of such stupid trials. With the date almost near, the panic process has begun. In California, some part of China, while several parts across Russian and French cities and in India people are developing mass hysteria, and fear psychoses. China has detained around 100 people for spreading doomsday rumors by preaching through a loudspeaker on the streets, distributing leaflets with doomsday warnings. Here question arises that, how people of 21st century can believe on a mere calendar of Maya culture? Yes it is true that they were among one of the developed societies but comparatively they were not advanced as we are in present. Science has never been as powerful as it is today. How so many well educated people can fall prey to few self-proclaimed prognosticators? How an end of calendar can bring end of our existence? These are some question yet to be answered.
How lovely and good suggestion someone gave,
"Predicting the end of the world is very excruciating. Of all the possibilities and unseen doors that lead us to assume the end. Keep in mind that even the slightest change of the future can devastate any prediction; let the nature decide, not man."
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