We're all fucked in 2012.

[Faris]

ok, i know many threads here turn into some religion/belief debate.....BUT I GOTTA!

In the Holy Books, there are many predictions, so far they all came true.
Stick with the Supreme Being when it comes to future...cus he made it.

Pharoah also predicted the future, and demanded that he should be worshipped...look what hapened to him and his people.
In the Quran(I dont know about the other 2 books) it mentions people like nostradamus, it basically says they shouldn't be followed or believed even if all their predictions are correct.

[Lordwafik]

Time to freeze myself til 2013 so I can avoid the end of the world.

What if the freezer breaks

[Khamsin]

Here's a good test to see how good of a prophet he was:

Compare how many of his predictions were such that one could extrapolate a specific event and when it was going to occur before it happens (and then it really happened), versus how many of his predictions were only recognized and associated with a real event after the event already occured.

[Blarg]

If for some reason the world does end in 2012 it will be due to self fulfilling prophesy. The more people who think 2012 is the last year, the better the odds are that it will happen.

[Stolin]

I thought this was an X-files movie promo.

[Septimus]

There was some special on Discovery about this a few months back. To be honest, I kinda got scared although I was high at the time so it could have been that.

I think I saw that special. If it is the same special, one of the skeptics had a very good point: "People have been predicting the end of the world for centuries now, no one has been correct yet."

[Maguspk]

Just remember to rape, pillage and burn that special someone or something on December 12th's eve so as to take advantage of such a serendipitous event as knowing the end of the world!

Mayans are hella cool. They didn't predict other things that's just ignorant, and to the people saying "if they could see into the future" you're basing your argument on the wrong premise. The Mayans were like any other ancient civilization, they worshiped obviously false gods and tried to explain away natural occurrences with them or use them to provide hope. As it stands their belief system and how they lived were probably not anything extraordinary, it was their calendar and perfect understanding of time that made them so interesting.

Their calendar is so arcuate that even today it is only off by thousandths of a second compared to the atomic time we use for precision today. Considering the age they lived in this is a phenomenal feat, and to remain this accurate over such a long time is even more astounding. Now, the end of the world thing is a bit confusing, but the Mayans, iirc, believe the world has ended before and will end again. Now, take that however you want, some believe it means the end of the world, while some could interpret it as a simple global affecting event. Maybe it will be the year we realize global warming has been causing problems we hadn't predicted or observed and will forever change the planet and/or our species. Others might view it as a literal "end of the world" wherein either all human civilization is wiped out or enough wiped out that it's a catastrophic event for all of us.

Personally, I think it's all fake.

[Aerin]

The mayans do kinda predict the end of the world with the end of their calendar. It's said that December 12, 2012 ends the fourth age of mankind and begins the fifth. They say that the transition into the fifth age of man is supposed to be one of turmoil and at least some will die (no not "some" as in the amount people regularly die of natural causes, I mean the result of some conflict).

Also interesting to note, it goes Rapture -> Armageddon (Final battle of good vs. evil) -> Apocalypse (end of everything).

[Kyreth]

Prophecy is correct the same way a broken clock is correct.

And man has been predicting the end of everything for as long as recorded history exists, and then some. The truth is, the world will exist even if we engage in self-extinction. Armageddon myths are simply a way to goad the faithful, since if you don't have anything to live for afterwards, go ahead and do whatever the shepherds tell ya, right?

[Khamsin]

Prophecy is correct the same way a broken clock is correct.

And man has been predicting the end of everything for as long as recorded history exists, and then some. The truth is, the world will exist even if we engage in self-extinction. Armageddon myths are simply a way to goad the faithful, since if you don't have anything to live for afterwards, go ahead and do whatever the shepherds tell ya, right?

Or whatever your own self tells ya! Afterall, if the world's going to end, you don't need to listen to anybody. If people actually knew the world was going to end, there'd probably be anarchy.

[kuronosan]

Anyone who seriously believes in the Apocalypse needs to go see a shrink or get something better to do with their life.

Life's too short to worry about an extinction level event to the point where you become nihilistic. Worry about it just enough to prevent it from happening by leading a good and meaningful life.

This kind of shit is just a scare tactic by either religious zealots or political egomaniacs who want to control society through fear.

Honestly. If you knew when the world was going to end, do you think it's more likely today's current society would repent or do you think they would embrace anarchy?

I tell you one thing. Most wouldn't fucking repent. And I know personally, if I knew the exact date and time the world was going to end, I would be making the most of the time I had left - not shitting myself and crying like some religious lunatic.

[Charla]

Honestly. If you knew when the world was going to end, do you think it's more likely today's current society would repent or do you think they would embrace anarchy?

I think it's the same thing. They would repend for wasting their lives so far and embrace the freedom that anarchy represents.

[kuronosan]

You do have quite the point.

[Exoduso]

The Mayans were retarded.

[Saraphym]

funny thing is, the world could be a day away from Armageddon and you could still probably find people in aery hoping to get a ridill before they die.

[Tyr]

I know personally, topics like this are always interesting--if nothing more than that. I saw the previously mentioned Discovery documentary as well, and I really liked one of the points made by a skeptic: "If we have these predictions, then why aren't we stopping them before they come true?" That's really the strength of any "seer" who prophesied certain events happening; they can be so vague that upon something similar occurring, they can simply say that that was what they meant.

It's like a "psychic" going into a room full of people, putting his clasped hands near his mouth, and saying "Hmmm, I feel like there's a man in this room, who's name starts with a B." The moment Bob stands up, the psychic wins.

[Ohemgee]

I predict tomorrow the stock market is going to lose 20 points.

Where is my fucking TV special?

[Septimus]

I predict tomorrow the stock market is going to lose 20 points.

Where is my fucking TV special?

Sorry, not vague enough. Let's Nostradamus that up a little.

In a place where men gather to exchange.
Somehow one score will be lost.

You see, not only could that apply to the stock market, it could also be someone losing a $20 bill at a grocery store. They way to be a good psychic is to never have your claims be verifiable within your lifetime.

[Ohemgee]

I predict tomorrow the stock market is going to lose 20 points.

Where is my fucking TV special?

Sorry, not vague enough. Let's Nostradamus that up a little.

In a place where men gather to exchange.
Somehow one score will be lost.

You see, not only could that apply to the stock market, it could also be someone losing a $20 bill at a grocery store. They way to be a good psychic is to never have your claims be verifiable within your lifetime.

You have taught me well Jedi Master Septimus.

[Jotaru]

Eh. I tend not to believe stuff like this, but with what's going on in Iran...

well, the timeline fits.