Recently I have found myself drawn to the 2012 forums and as that day approaches more and more people on ATS will start to read it. Not only that but our membership is going to sky rocket with people who want to fill themselves with all the 2012 information they can get their hands on. We on ATS have to recognise this and as a result be responsible in the information we give these people. Above all else we should be aware that these people will most probably be fearing what they think of as being a impending doomsday.

As fearful people write threads and fearful people respond and this fear we are only going to multiply the fear and this could have dire consequences. My primary fear is a ATS suicide pact, or even such a group becoming associated with ATS. What is ATS as a whole going to look like the day after if we find out that 50 of our members have gone through with a suicide pact based on what they have read on this site? I don’t want people thinking I am saying that it will be the blame of ATS, rather that we should be mindful of this possibility when writing our threats. It is reasonable to expect this is going to happen, people may commit suicide based on the 2012 conspiracies they have read about on this.

This has happened before in the case of the 1997 Heaven’s Gate UFO religion were in a mass suicide pact 39 members of the group killed themselves. I we should expect the same to happen after 2012, we should be making every effort to discourage anything like this. As it stands these threads are full of scare mongering, we need more threads being sceptical of 2012 to bring some balance to the argument.

I do not know what is going to happen on 21/21/12 nor am I going to pretend to. The word might end, then again it could end tomorrow for all i know. Does anybody else agree with me or hold similar fears?




[edit on 30-7-2010 by kevinunknown]

I have no idea what, if anything, will happen. But I think as the date draws nearer, food companies, insurance companies, the Government, etc. will start fear mongering more. I think there is a good chance that fuel, non-perishable food items, medications and other commodities will sky-rocket in price. If nothing happens, probably all will return to normal within a few weeks. But rest assured, there are going to be those individuals and companies who will try to capitalize on it and make a quick buck. As BlancaRose stated about her mother, I'm sure lots of people, starting around the middle of next year, will start doing the same thing.

I know in the past the suicide pact has been an issue. I have never even considered it being one for the 2012 Doomsday conspiracy though. It seems absurd but I suppose that's just my mindset.

I don't know what will happen come 2012. I can't imagine that anyone really knows for sure. But to have a suicide pact on it ... Well, I would have to assume that these individuals have some sort of mental issues to decide on something like this.

But you can't stop people from posting about it. It's an area of interest to many. Nor can anyone say for every doom & gloom thread there needs to be a positive one. As the time gets closer, we'll see many more of them spring up. Though, there's a problem when someone makes a thread about it and then others jump in with no real logical observations just outright calling the ones worried stupid or something of the likes. It can get ugly at times.

As far as a solution, I don't know. Maybe a disclaimer saying to basically to take it with a grain of salt. (Which everyone should be doing anyway) and maybe a link to a suicide hotline or something of the sorts.

I really don't want to see people not being able to handle this. What a sad waste it would be.

Just my 2 cents

I condone this suicide pact if that is the "easy way out" that some see as the only answer, but clearly ATS has enough pro and con where such a dreadful thing is less likely.

Personally I feel the up-and-coming suicides will be the ones who cannot cope the moment the dollar is gone. I know the dollar is already defunct, but I mean when it is done: I can see a day when the dollar is sewn in the holes of tattered clothing to keep them together. I can even name several people close to me that would opt out because they fear financial loss so tremendously.

Seriously, anyone who puts food away, stores water, and eliminates debt is someone that is not thinking suicide! To "tease someone for years to come" over such a thing is sick and demented.

I never was a part of Y2K internally; no part of it moved me to fear because long before that I began giving away anything of value. I did not want to own anything. I did not want to owe anything. I literally wanted to become a non-person. It was in 1993 when I first became debt-free, and I walked into 2000 debt-free. I am still completely debt-free.

If anything ATS will save a few lives. The validation of others outweighs the negative input from some members on ATS. Sometimes just knowing that we are not alone in our "craziness" we are better able to face those fears. Unless I am missing something I do not think I have even seen any posts that have solicited 'suicide pacts', or suicide in general, nor do I see any 'cult' activity going on.

Originally posted by Greensage

Seriously, anyone who puts food away, stores water, and eliminates debt is someone that is not thinking suicide! To "tease someone for years to come" over such a thing is sick and demented.

My Mom even had to laugh at herself. It was funny. I went to use the bathroom at her house, and found, I kid ya not, 50 gallon containers of water, plus the bathtub was full. I guess you had to see it for yourself!

It's been about 10 years, and I'm sure she still has cans of greenbeans!

I hate to sound too terribly callous about this, but I don't think it should be encumbant upon anyone here to post anything by way of warnings or disclaimers regarding end-times prophecy. Let us go about our business, and for those weak-minded enough to enter into suicide pacts, let Darwinism take its course.

i find the only thing scary about 2012 is other people not voicing there thoughts, the silent one's make me nervous, what are they up too? and why do they buy ammo by the truck load?

Your thoughts manifest.

The Mayans never predicted ANYTHING for 2012..... Their calender just stops just like the other like 10 that they have just stop on random dates for no reason. There have been "predictions" of the end of days for quite a LONG time now.

And none of them have come true, and these are people that are ACTUALLY predicting the end of the world. The mayans NEVER did predict it. Look it up, it's a hoax designed for you to go out and but tons of supplies and look like fools.

All you are doing is spreading fear and becoming ignorant. Don't believe what they tell you. The people that run this world want you in constant fear. Whether it is fear or death, terrorism, end of the world, viruses, and who knows what else they will use in our future. I can't wait untill Jan 1, 2013 so I can flame up all the morons who so easily believed in this garbage.

Originally posted by Reign02
The Mayans never predicted ANYTHING for 2012..... Their calender just stops just like the other like 10 that they have just stop on random dates for no reason. There have been "predictions" of the end of days for quite a LONG time now.

And none of them have come true, and these are people that are ACTUALLY predicting the end of the world. The mayans NEVER did predict it. Look it up, it's a hoax designed for you to go out and but tons of supplies and look like fools.

All you are doing is spreading fear and becoming ignorant. Don't believe what they tell you. The people that run this world want you in constant fear. Whether it is fear or death, terrorism, end of the world, viruses, and who knows what else they will use in our future. I can't wait untill Jan 1, 2013 so I can flame up all the morons who so easily believed in this garbage.

They predicted many things. Their whole calendar system is based in astrology. Not astronomy, though it was used. Every single day has a prediction of some sort.

Since we had only a single codex to study, I postulate that modern man knows very little about the correct interpetations of their calendar.