17% of Americans believe the world will end in their lifetime
This scares me... what makes our lifetimes so special?
2006-08-27 04:48:55 · 42 answers · asked by MrPotatoHead 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
no, I don't think it is.
100% of a person's world will end when they die.
2006-08-27 04:50:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
If you have read the New Testament, you'll see the eager anticipation that the authors had that the end of the world would come soon. This expectancy has been present among some Christians from the very beginning. There are writings throughout the Christian ages declaring the end of the world is coming soon. Some even have predicted exact dates. (Did you read the predictions of calamity on August 22?)
This kind of thinking spawns from 2 possible emotional stances: [1] Current life is only barely tolerable (either through personal pain or anxiety over the state of the world) and the idea that God will bring it all to a close provides an element of relief. [2] Feeling like you know the future (some detail of the end of the world) gives the believer a sense of superiority over those who disbelieve it, and even if it never happens, the sense of self-righteousness doesn't ever have to yield.
Be grateful that it is only 17%. About 80% of Americans are Christians, about 2/3 don't accept evolutionary evidence, almost half believe the earth is about 6000 years old, and about half voted for George Bush.
2006-08-27 05:06:44 · answer #2 · answered by NHBaritone 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I take by end you mean ( God will come back and his people go to heaven) as a Christian I find comfort in that. I am human and I too feel fear the end times. I think why people always believe it will come (in their time) is all times are filled with wars and strife (something the bible predicts for the end times.
The bible also says no man knows the hour or day.
I say make peace with God and live each day the best you can.
You world can end tomorrow in a car wreck, disease or many other ways, with a much higher % than 17 percent( I am sure) I am not a mathmatician.I think it is natural to fear the unknown be it death or the end times. Christian or not. I guess it's not our lifetime that is so special the end times have been predicted before by others. About every 10 yrs you start hearing these predictions. The state of our world is getting worse all the wars and natural disasters and making for a lot of news and as I said that predicted in the bible.
I have read it but am not as well studied as I would like to be.
Best advice is to read it and live life to it's fullest even if the world does not end in your lifetime, you only have so many years here with youth and good health enjoy it and give something of yourself to others.
2006-08-27 04:58:53 · answer #3 · answered by Eeyore 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yeah... and about 50% of Americans believe it will happen within the next 50 years... and are looking forward to it with gleeful anticipation, under the insane delusion that they will be bodily sucked up into heaven to party with Jesus. And we have nut jobs in government who think that they are doing "the Lord's work" by helping to set up the conditions on the ground in the Middle East that are necessary for the final battle (Armageddon) to take place. That's why our present administration seems to be so unconcerned about the national debt, global warming, damage to the environment and the oceans, etc... it is because they ARE unconcerned... because they think that Jesus is coming soon, and none of that stuff will matter anymore.
Be afraid... be VERY afraid.
2006-08-27 04:57:42 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing more than made you past lifetimes special. Actually this is a lower percentage than past generations. Study history and you will see this to be true. Rely more on prayer than the media for your answers, remember, the more dramatic and scary the story is, the more likely it is to get top billing on the evening news. In broadcasting the rule seems to be, scare them to death to get the highest number of viewers. The world is actually a much nicer place than the television makes it out to be.
2006-08-27 04:57:33 · answer #5 · answered by Jimbo 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
uuuummmmmmmmmm - yeah, about that... I think the world will end during my lifetime and I am so scared. I even started reading Revelation to prepare for it. I'm so scared. You should ask Mr. Christian about this; I did - www.askmrchristian.com
www.gty.org
www.wayofthemaster.com
2006-08-27 04:53:00 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is not that special, its just the question was not asked before,
The world will not end in our lifetime if all of us work harder to improve each others lives and i am not a American but Americans do cough up lots of money for relief for countries they don't even know when things go wrong
2006-08-27 04:58:38 · answer #7 · answered by pete 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
ya well if we humans stop waging wars then it wont end...
lets see in the past 4 years...we had....
9/11
Spanish railway system blast
7/7 (london blast)
numerous blasts in other parts of the world
Afganistan war
Iraq war
Lebanon/Israel War
The way we have been travelling in airlines for the past few decades has been changed due to security alerts....
Situation related to IRAN is escalating
Situation related to SOUTH KOREA is escalating
IRAQ is plunged in a BLOODY CIVIL WAR
DIfferent religions in this world are getting impatient against each other
Sucide bombing is on the rise
According to all the major religions situation of todays world is very very similar to the era before armageddon(and I HOPE IT IS NOT...)
What can I say...even if you look at the world 6 years ago...it was completely different....violence is escalating at alarming rate..
Why cant we all live united as humans....arent we as species suppose to be intelligent,I hope we learn our lessons before situation worsens.
2006-08-27 05:12:55 · answer #8 · answered by sCrUbs 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the Human animal is incapable of forseeing their future, it is hard for them to imagine themselves at 40,60,80, etc. because they have not yet experienced it...therefore they feel that because they cannot grasp the concept of old age that must mean it was not meant for them. So they assume that means they will not be around for it. When they bring this idea up to friends they feel the same about themselves. So they think that if nobody is going to be around for old age then logically they conclude that the world must be coming to an end. To sum it all up...they're idiots!
2006-08-27 04:56:26 · answer #9 · answered by Passionfire 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Christians of all generations have believed this, and often in far greater numbers. They have no knowledge of or interest in history other than the psuedo history they get from their fellows or they'd know how often this error is repeated and knock it off. My fear is these morons will someday get their finger on the red button and make it happen thinking it will bring Jesus back.
2006-08-27 04:54:17 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is deeply disturbing - America is fast becoming a land of complete ignorant fruitcakes. America is starting to make Middle East countries look sensible.
2006-08-27 04:54:10 · answer #11 · answered by Gallivanting Galactic Gadfly 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋