# 42/100 of America beieves we are in End Times **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 19, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035 "2006-10-19T02:13:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/61 "2006-10-20T16:41:11Z")
[QUOTE=DeadlyAccurate] They were blow-up sex dolls. > **[Did a Woman Die Mistaking an Odd Roadside Scene for the Rapture?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/leap-of-faith/)** > > The story originated from a publication invested in testing readers' ability to discern between factual and fictional accounts. In the Sightings section they mention it was a June 2004 episode. I remember that one; it was pretty funny. [/QUOTE] Go Elroy! Elroy Willis was a poster on alt.atheism when I used to be there (m aybe still is) and often created great fake news stories for EAN, the news service of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy (EAC) which doesn’t exist. :D. This story was just one of his many fine pieces that actually got picked up and believed by people. If there were any justice in the world Elroy would be making a fortune writing for the Daily Show or something. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/62 "2006-10-20T17:03:24Z")
I’d take anything I heard on the Glen Beck show with a grain of salt the size of the rock of Gibralter. I’m not saying the poll doesn’t exist, just that I’d like a second source. Also context. I’m an atheist, but I think it’s more plausible that we’re headed for a man-made apocalypse than it was two-three hundred years ago, what with climate change and the vast nuclear stockpiles the U.S. and Russia still posess. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/63 "2006-10-21T14:57:42Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] While I am not happy to see a claim that 42% of the country believes some odd thelogy that was invented in the last 170 years, I would be curious to see how the number has changed over the last 60 years. [/QUOTE] Me too. Does anybody have any cites? [Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6584537&postcount=25) is a survey suggesting the U.S. is, arguably, much less of a Christian country (depending on definition) than it used to be. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/64 "2006-10-21T15:16:27Z")
If one reads the way the earth will end according to the New Testament, it is impossible for any one to inherit the earth( as Jesus said the Meek would inherit the earth). Should the stars fall, the sun and moon no longer give it’s light the earth would be totally destroyed or unfit for human existence. The writers of those days did not know the closest star was our Sun,and there were many stars and solar systems. As far as the end of times each person faces this at it’s death. Monavis ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/65 "2006-10-21T15:28:59Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] Reasons to doubt- [/QUOTE] [You forgot this](http://http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2024:36-44;&version=31;): > [@](#): > > \*\* "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. \*\* As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. > > "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. **So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.** ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/66 "2006-10-21T21:59:27Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] [You forgot this](http://http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2024:36-44;&version=31;): [/QUOTE] Well, yeah- and all adding in another reason to doubt… much of the typical “End Times” stuff may have actually occurred, not on the global or cosmic scale as expected, but on a limited scale with the 3 1/2 year persecution of Christians and siege of Jerusalem under the rule of a man whose name equals 666- the Tribulation of 64-70 AD under Nero Caesar, resulting in the end of the Old Covenant priest-Temple-sacrifice system, the end of the Caesar bloodline’s reign, and the Christian struggle/entanglement with Rome, which is still working out in history. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/67 "2006-10-21T22:31:52Z")
[QUOTE=monavis] If one reads the way the earth will end according to the New Testament, it is impossible for any one to inherit the earth( as Jesus said the Meek would inherit the earth). Should the stars fall, the sun and moon no longer give it’s light the earth would be totally destroyed or unfit for human existence. The writers of those days did not know the closest star was our Sun,and there were many stars and solar systems. [/QUOTE] Or maybe they were talking about meteorites or, just assuming for the sake of fun, actual visions of post-20th century warfare, nuclear missiles? The prophecy could be accurate enough, just not as literal as you would have it be. I don’t necessarily believe that to be the correct interpretation, but your “the Bible says stars will fall. We know that real stars falling to Earth would be impossible but if they did, they would destroy it. The Bible writers didn’t know what they were talking about” is badchad-like in its reverse fund’ism, tho much nicer. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/68 "2006-10-22T03:59:26Z")
[QUOTE=athelas] I wouldn’t be surprised if a good number of that 42% are liberals though. How often have you heard leftists spouting about how we’re all screwed thanks to Bush and that the world is about to end? And the whole deal about “Fundies in office with nukes”. I wouldn’t be so quick to implicate the Eeeevil Religious People here. [/QUOTE] Nah, we’re not that pessimistic. We know we’re stuck with George ‘the jury’s still out on evolution’ Bush for a few more years and then someone with a brain can come in and clean up after him. Besides, Iraq has big plans for Bush! [http://www.theonion.com/content/node/43889](http://www.theonion.com/content/node/43889) ---
**Author:** ![overeasy4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b9bd4f/32.png) [@overeasy4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overeasy4)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/69 "2006-10-22T04:11:04Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] We know that real stars falling to Earth would be impossible [/QUOTE] They don’t though. From earth’s perspective, if the stars looked like they were “falling”, it would mean the earth was turning way too quickly to give the impression of star movement. All shook up. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/70 "2006-10-22T11:39:05Z")
[QUOTE=overeasy4] They don’t though. From earth’s perspective, if the stars looked like they were “falling”, it would mean the earth was turning way too quickly to give the impression of star movement. All shook up. [/QUOTE] That is true, and in those days people didn’t know the Sun was the center of our Planet system,they thought the earth was the center and thought the earth was flat and had literally 4 corners. Monavis ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/71 "2006-10-22T11:45:11Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] Or maybe they were talking about meteorites or, just assuming for the sake of fun, actual visions of post-20th century warfare, nuclear missiles? The prophecy could be accurate enough, just not as literal as you would have it be. I don’t necessarily believe that to be the correct interpretation, but your “the Bible says stars will fall. We know that real stars falling to Earth would be impossible but if they did, they would destroy it. The Bible writers didn’t know what they were talking about” is badchad-like in its reverse fund’ism, tho much nicer. [/QUOTE] There is much that people have learned about the cosmos that was unknown 2000 years ago. Jesus said,This generation will not pass until all this has been accomplished, the generation and many generation hve passed so the church leaders decided it didn’t mean that generation. People will still be waiting for Jesus to come 3,000 years or more from now! Monavis ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/72 "2006-10-22T14:08:40Z")
[QUOTE=monavis] …they thought the earth was the center and thought the earth was flat and had literally 4 corners. [/QUOTE] I do hope you see the contradiction, here. (_Eratosthenes of Cyrene had calculated the circumference of the Earth–which requires a global Earth–rather accurately by the third century, B.C.E.; Hipparchus of Nicea had established the general appearance of the rotation of the planets (and, unfortunately, sun) by the second century B.C.E.; Ptolemy Claudius cleaned up the math for the calculations by Hipparchus, thereby getting his name on the planetary model before the end of the second century B.C.E._) Earth centric? Yes. Flat with four corners? Not in the first century. (This has been a Straight Dope[sup]®[/sup] nitpick.) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/73 "2006-10-23T00:18:18Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] I do hope you see the contradiction, here. (_Eratosthenes of Cyrene had calculated the circumference of the Earth–which requires a global Earth–rather accurately by the third century, B.C.E.; Hipparchus of Nicea had established the general appearance of the rotation of the planets (and, unfortunately, sun) by the second century B.C.E.; Ptolemy Claudius cleaned up the math for the calculations by Hipparchus, thereby getting his name on the planetary model before the end of the second century B.C.E._) Earth centric? Yes. Flat with four corners? Not in the first century. (This has been a Straight Dope[sup]®[/sup] nitpick.) [/QUOTE] Some people knew, but some people must have thought that the Greek model (if they had ever heard of it) was just some of that pagan nonsense, just a theory, developed by atheists, and no match for their Flat Earth Science. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/74 "2006-10-23T00:31:35Z")
[QUOTE=overeasy4] Am I the only doper who is one of those 42 %? [/QUOTE] No man, you’re totally not. I keep trying to tell people that there’s only 187 shopping days until The End Times but the damn commies won’t listen. Fuck them. They’re missing some good sales. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/75 "2006-10-23T12:30:21Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] I do hope you see the contradiction, here. (_Eratosthenes of Cyrene had calculated the circumference of the Earth–which requires a global Earth–rather accurately by the third century, B.C.E.; Hipparchus of Nicea had established the general appearance of the rotation of the planets (and, unfortunately, sun) by the second century B.C.E.; Ptolemy Claudius cleaned up the math for the calculations by Hipparchus, thereby getting his name on the planetary model before the end of the second century B.C.E._) Earth centric? Yes. Flat with four corners? Not in the first century. (This has been a Straight Dope[sup]®[/sup] nitpick.) [/QUOTE] Agustine,said iin the City of God," it would be impossible for the earth to be round".The people of Jesus (3d century B.C.E.)region had little, or no contact with the Greeks or Romans or the writings we have today.and the Bible writers speak of the 4 corners of the earth. Monavis ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/76 "2006-10-23T13:27:08Z")
[QUOTE=monavis] Agustine,said iin the City of God," it would be impossible for the earth to be round". [/quote] Well that proves the concept of a round earth was out there doesn’t it? > [@](#): > > The people of Jesus (3d century B.C.E.)region had little, or no contact with the Greeks or Romans People of Jesus region ? Of course the people of Jesus included the Greeks and the Romans. Please note as well, Jesus people didn’t exist in the 3rd century B.C.E. > [@](#): > > .and the Bible writers speak of the 4 corners of the earth. Yea, but that could just be a phrase of vague meaning like the old oceanic explorers who refered to the entire Pacific Ocean as the “South Seas” ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/77 "2006-10-24T10:48:50Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Well that proves the concept of a round earth was out there doesn’t it? People of Jesus region ? Of course the people of Jesus included the Greeks and the Romans. Please note as well, Jesus people didn’t exist in the 3rd century B.C.E. Yea, but that could just be a phrase of vague meaning like the old oceanic explorers who refered to the entire Pacific Ocean as the “South Seas” [/QUOTE] I was not referring to the 3d Centry B.C.E. I was referring to the time when Jesus was ‘said’ to walk the earth. My referral to Agustine was that even yet in his life time pople thought the earh was flat! Monavis ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/78 "2006-10-24T18:33:30Z")
[QUOTE=FinnAgain] And as one of those Jews, who you evidently won’t even specifically name, I’d like to cordially invite you to go fuck yourself. And you can shove your unmitigated arrogance and sense of superiority up your ass while you’re at it. If your Chruch isn’t complete without a seperate religion that has no desire to be part of your club, then that aint nobody’s fault but your own. [/QUOTE] From what I’ve heard, we don’t have too much to worry about from that. Joseph Telushkin says that, every year in the US, more people convert to Judaism (most of them probably from an at least nominally Christian background, like me) than Jews convert to Christianity. Yes, there are reasons to worry about the decline in Jewish population in the US, but AFAIK, that’s not one of them. **FriarTed** can believe what he likes, however odious I might think it is, as long as he leaves people like me, who are not interested in converting to his beliefs, alone. ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/79 "2006-10-25T13:27:18Z")
To those still operating under the delusion that fundies are responsible for these figures, let me refer you to [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7899869#post7899869) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/80 "2006-10-25T14:57:55Z")
This End Times prediction stuff has been going on for a long time. In any given year, there are dozens of pulpit pounders warning their flocks that This Is The Year. In my files, I have a full-page 1987 newspaper ad from a wild eyed preacher who was absolutely sure that the end would happen that year. He had a long list of things from the prophecies that, in his evaluation, had come to pass. He was wrong, of course, and it probably wasn’t a good career move. :smack: I wonder sometimes what happens to preachers who pin their whole reputations on predicting the Second Coming, in error. How can you step into the pulpit again after being so arrogantly, spectacularly wrong? How can the flock continue to trust a guy who lied to them so dramatically? :dubious: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035.md?page=5)