# Why do many people seem to think that the world will end on May 21, 2011? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 24, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621 "2010-05-24T21:44:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/181 "2010-05-30T03:34:41Z")
> [@jasourdough](#): > > It is well known(at least by most), anyone resorting to name calling simply cannot debate the facts. Let us know when you have some. ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/182 "2010-05-30T04:13:17Z")
**kanicbird** , your presence is requested here. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/183 "2010-05-30T06:13:50Z")
> [@toofs](#): > > **kanicbird** , your presence is requested here. I believe you have to say his name three times in a row. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/184 "2010-05-30T08:24:06Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Are you suggesting Jesus should have had a blog? Most definitely. And his lackeys…I mean, disciples, should have been sent to all corners of the earth pimping its message, not followed him around like a gaggle of fame-struck groupies wanting him to lay hands on them and do party tricks. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/185 "2010-05-30T10:48:38Z")
I may have missed this, but… **jasourdough** , is it your contention that Mr Camping is correct about the events which will take place on May 21, 2011? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/186 "2010-05-30T11:19:30Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > … so it would be reasonable to assume that whatever mechanism was draining the ocean was also supplying the mountain springs. But for all they knew, a bucket brigade of angels was hauling water from the ocean and dumping it up in the mountains. Or there was a system of secret underground pipes. The actual passage in the Bible just assumes that the water that flows into the ocean somehow eventually winds up back in the mountains again, without providing any information about what the actual mechanism is. The actual mechanism was assumed and understood, then, to be God; verily, a supernatural process. Yea, I say unto you, we no longer have need of that hypothesis. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/187 "2010-05-30T16:04:37Z")
> [@jasourdough](#): > > What type of man understood thermodynamics or “6th grade science” 3,000 years ago? Certainly middle eastern nomadic herders of 3,000 years ago had a very limited grasp of science and technology. If God told them the whole story of the big bang, evolution, plate tectonics, and the fact that the universe was 13 billion years old, they would have been completely incapable of understanding it. They’d tell him to take a hike and they’d go back to worshiping Baal. Being all-knowing, He would certainly know that. So he tells them a story that works for them, given their level of understanding of science at the time. He also gives them the intelligence to make scientific observations and eventually figure out how things really come to be. Even if the bible is the verbatim word of God, that doesn’t mean every word had to be meant as literally true. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/188 "2010-05-30T19:03:54Z")
Why **tell** them anything? Didn’t he know they were all going to be arguing over the translation at some point and that unless he offered some kind of unarguable proof(That shouldn’t be beyond the abilities of an omnipotent creator.), there would always be doubters? ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/189 "2010-05-30T19:37:58Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > Brother Camping has gone so far off the deep end I’m kind of thinking even his own staff doesn’t support his views. > > His call-in radio show is very addicting; I can’t recommend getting hooked on it unless you are aware you will get sucked in. It could easily compete with a typical SNL skit. My calls to Camping below. In my defense, these calls were made over 10 years ago and I’ve matured since then. 😃 [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mevTzS5N1NE/hqdefault.jpg "Harold Camping- Fisticuffs") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mevTzS5N1NE) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cijMYzDup4Y/hqdefault.jpg "Harold Camping- Son of Ham") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cijMYzDup4Y) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SuA1PMPCaFk/hqdefault.jpg "Harold Camping- To cut or not") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuA1PMPCaFk) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dEiu-Uc4-Ks/hqdefault.jpg "Harold Camping- Ah-nold") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEiu-Uc4-Ks) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/W3DHSVQ9QRs/hqdefault.jpg "Harold Camping- Stars") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3DHSVQ9QRs) ---
**Author:** ![jasourdough](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@jasourdough](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasourdough)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/190 "2010-05-30T23:07:53Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > I may have missed this, but… > > **jasourdough** , is it your contention that Mr Camping is correct about the events which will take place on May 21, 2011? “In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. “ Dan 9:2 “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: “ Matt 13:14 “I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.” Jer 12:7 “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2Pet3:5-7 ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/191 "2010-05-30T23:12:28Z")
> [@jasourdough](#): > > “In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. “ Dan 9:2 > > “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: “ Matt 13:14 > > “I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.” Jer 12:7 > > “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2Pet3:5-7 You appear to be posting random biblical phrases. Would you like to actually engage in intelligent debate? That is what this forum is for. You’re welcome to play. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/192 "2010-05-30T23:24:37Z")
> [@jasourdough](#): > > “In the first year of his reign…\ But is it your contention that Mr Camping is correct about the events which will take place on May 21, 2011? ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/193 "2010-05-31T02:17:42Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > Certainly middle eastern nomadic herders of 3,000 years ago had a very limited grasp of science and technology. If God told them the whole story of the big bang, evolution, plate tectonics, and the fact that the universe was 13 billion years old, they would have been completely incapable of understanding it. They’d tell him to take a hike and they’d go back to worshiping Baal. > > Being all-knowing, He would certainly know that. So he tells them a story that works for them, given their level of understanding of science at the time. He also gives them the intelligence to make scientific observations and eventually figure out how things really come to be. > > Even if the bible is the verbatim word of God, that doesn’t mean every word had to be meant as literally true. See, I’ve never liked this explanation. People back then weren’t stupid. They were ignorant, yes, but that was just due to the lack of exposure to a technological society. Their brains weren’t fundamentally different from ours. If we took someone from thousands of years ago and brought them to the present, and took the time to explain some of the current cosmology in simple terms, they’d eventually be able to grasp it in some way. We feel so great about ourselves in the present that we tend to look down upon people from the past as if they were a bunch of morons for not inventing computers and airplanes and all this stuff we have now. This is why some refuse to believe that the Egyptians could’ve built the pyramids by themselves, as it seems way beyond the capability of people back then, except that it wasn’t. If some knowledgeable entity (God, aliens, whatever) approached mankind 4,000 years ago and wanted to tell them how the universe really works, the Bible would not be the result. If it were, then we’d be able to match some of the vague parts of the Bible to the laws of physics. Unfortunately, the Bible outright contradicts reality no matter how much you contort it (the earth being created before the sun being one egregious example). So it’s revealed for what it really is, a book of fables written by people who didn’t know better at the time. We can’t fault them for it, but we know better now so we don’t need myths to explain things anymore. As an aside, some might think that telling people back then about the Earth being 4.5 billion years old and the universe being 13.7 billion years old would blow their feeble minds. On the other hand, Hindu mythology is used to big numbers, with the creator god Brahma having a lifetime of [trillions of years](http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Hindu%20Primer/yugatime.html). ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/194 "2010-05-31T07:06:33Z")
> [@Yumblie](#): > > See, I’ve never liked this explanation. People back then weren’t stupid. They were ignorant, yes, but that was just due to the lack of exposure to a technological society. Their brains weren’t fundamentally different from ours. If we took someone from thousands of years ago and brought them to the present, and took the time to explain some of the current cosmology in simple terms, they’d eventually be able to grasp it in some way. And if you brought a baby forth from that time, it would have no difficulty whatsoever fitting in eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/195 "2010-05-31T16:55:08Z")
OK, “completely incapable of understanding” wasn’t the right phrase. There’s no reason to think they were intellectually inferior in any way. But given their state of knowledge and lack of education, I still think the ideas of modern cosmology would be a tough sell. But my real point is that even if we ignore the literal mountains of evidence to the contrary, and grant our creationist friend a stipulation that God personally dictated every word of the Bible to the scribes who wrote it down, that _still_ doesn’t necessarily imply that whatever the Bible has to say about earth science and chronology is factually accurate. It’s perfectly reasonable to assume that he would tell them something that would make sense to them in their own context. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/196 "2010-05-31T17:53:53Z")
> [@jasourdough](#): > > What is the method of dating Mr. researcher? Well, you could offer to buy Mr. Researcher a drink. Perhaps make a few complimentary remarks. (“My, that’s a nice lab coat you’re wearing.”) After that, just trust your instincts. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/197 "2010-05-31T17:57:56Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > OK, “completely incapable of understanding” wasn’t the right phrase. There’s no reason to think they were intellectually inferior in any way. But given their state of knowledge and lack of education, I still think the ideas of modern cosmology would be a tough sell. > > But my real point is that even if we ignore the literal mountains of evidence to the contrary, and grant our creationist friend a stipulation that God personally dictated every word of the Bible to the scribes who wrote it down, that _still_ doesn’t necessarily imply that whatever the Bible has to say about earth science and chronology is factually accurate. It’s perfectly reasonable to assume that he would tell them something that would make sense to them in their own context. And he focused on that particular bunch of people, at that time, to lay out his message. Any particular reason why? Come on, I’ve got to know…what was so special about that time and place in human history to make God decide to communicate so blatantly with his subjects? ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/198 "2010-05-31T19:07:22Z")
I believe the traditional explanation is that he Chose them. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe … ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/199 "2010-05-31T20:47:49Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > OK, “completely incapable of understanding” wasn’t the right phrase. There’s no reason to think they were intellectually inferior in any way. But given their state of knowledge and lack of education, I still think the ideas of modern cosmology would be a tough sell. Oh, I dunno… we still casually use terms like “sunrise” and “sunset” despite their lack of strict cosmological accuracy and a great many modern humans still buy into that astrology crap… I’d guess that a time-transplanted person would cobble together some mix of knowledge and belief, like most modern humans do, though some obviously prefer the belief to the knowledge and even claim equivalence. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/200 "2010-06-01T12:52:30Z")
> [@Meatros](#): > > You seriously believe in a global flood? Do you believe the earth is only 6-10k years old as well? > > If that’s so, do you believe that the earth has been [hit by meteors, comets, etc](http://www.unb.ca/passc/ImpactDatabase/CIDiameterSort2.htm)? > > If both of those are true, please explain how life exists - since the fact is, if all the craters on the earth occurred within 10k years, no life would be possible. I’m not just talking about the KT or the vredefort craters. To quote from another board where I brought this up: > > "There have been 5+ huge meteors that have struck the earth, in addition there have been over 140+ large meteors that have also hit the earth. The reason I bring up the 5 is that each of those five, by itself, is an extinction level meteor. Meaning that when it hit the earth, the entire earth was effected by it. > > In otherwords it’s simply not even remotely possible that the earth is around 10k years old. It has to be older, unless there is some explanation of how mankind was able to survive these meteor strikes. There certainly isn’t any biblical support for all of these strikes. > > So how do YEC explain them? For the most part, it seems that the YEC I’ve encountered have simply ignored them. " > > In short, **a young earth isn’t possible from the evidence on this planet**. Anything? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621.md?page=11)