2012 Doomsayers: Why is this date different to the thousands of failed doomsday dates?

Considering there have been literally thousands of doomsday prophecies to have failed, why do you people insist that 2012 is different? There have been many different reasons for the world ending, ranging from religious fanatics and there rapture dates, to astrological reasons, to ancient texts which have all ended pretty badly for the would be prophets.

Lets look at some that have failed in the past

Pope Innocent III expected the Second Coming to take place in 1284, 666 years after the rise of Islam

Czech archdeacon Militz of Kromeriz claimed the Antichrist was alive and well and would manifest himself between 1363 and 1367. The End would come between 1365 and 1367

Jan Matthys predicted that the Apocalypse would take place on Easter Day (April 5, 1534, Julian calendar) and only the city of Münster would be spared

December 25th, 1814

Jesus was to be re-born on Christmas Day, according to the 64-year-old virgin prophet Joanna Southcott, who claimed to be pregnant with the Christ child.Witnesses claimed that she did indeed appear pregnant. She died on Christmas Day, and a subsequent autopsy proved that she was not pregnant after all.

May 18, 1910

Many people believed the arrival of Halley's Comet would spell the end of the world. Some thought that cyanide gas from the comet's tail would poison the Earth's atmosphere. Con artists took advantage of people's fears by selling "comet pills" to make people immune to the toxins...or so they claimed.

Dec 17, 1919

According to meteorologist Albert Porta, a conjunction of six planets on this date would cause a magnetic current to "pierce the sun, cause great explosions of flaming gas, and eventually engulf the Earth." Panic erupted in many countries around the world because of this prediction, and some even committed suicide

Dec 21, 1954

The world was to be destroyed by terrible flooding on this date, claimed Dorothy Martin (a.k.a. Marian Keech), leader of a UFO cult called Brotherhood of the Seven Rays (a.k.a. The Seekers).

Feb 4, 1962

A planetary alignment on this day was to bring destruction to the world. Incidentally, the Antichrist was supposed to have been born the following day, according to pop psychic/astrologer Jeane Dixon

1978

In his book The Doomsday Globe, John Strong drew on scriptures, pyramidology, pole shift theory, young-earth creationism and other mysticism to conclude that Doomsday would come in 1978

April 28, 1980

Leland Jensen, founder of the Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant -- a small sect that mixes mainstream Bahá'í teachings with pyramidology and Bible prophecy -- predicted that a nuclear holocaust would occur on this day, killing a third of the world's population. After the prophecy failed, Jensen rationalized that this date was merely the beginning of the Tribulation

March 31, 1991

An Australian cult looked forward to the Second Coming at 9:00 am on this day. They believed that Jesus would return through Sydney Harbour!

Dec 17, 1996

Famed psychic Sheldon Nidle predicted that the world would end on this date, with the arrival of millions of space ships

Nov 27, 1997

According to the Sacerdotal Knights of National Security, "A space alien captured at a UFO landing site in eastern Missouri cracked under interrogation by the CIA and admitted that an extraterrestrial army will attack Earth on November 27 with the express purpose of stripping our planet of every natural resource they can find a use for -- and making slaves of every man, woman and child in the world!"

June 5, 1998

The Church of the SubGenius, the only religion worthy of calling itself the One True Faith, designated this day X-Day. Xists from Planet X would arrive in flying saucers and destroy humanity on this day, and only ordained clergy who have paid their dues to the Church would be "ruptured" to safety! When that didn't come to pass, XX-Day (July 5, 1999) was declared the true end of the world.

July 5, 1999

XX-day, according to the Church of the SubGenius. But the Xists and their saucers once again postponed their visit. Now all eyes are on XXX-day: July 5, 2000.

April 2000

The Whites, a family of ascetic doomsday cultists living near Jerusalem, expected the End to take place in March or April after the Ark of the Covenant was to reappear in a cave in the Old City in Jerusalem. They claimed that there was a mistake in the chronology of the Hebrew calendar and that the year 6001 will begin this Spring. In reality, Sep. 11, 1999 to Sep. 30, 2000 is the Hebrew year 5760

May 15, 2003

A Japanese cult called Pana Wave, whose members dress in white, claimed that a mysterious 10th Planet would pass by Earth, causing its axis to tip and engendering devastating earthquakes

Full list

www.abhota.info...

Now with all those, why is 2012 so different? I dont see any difference apart from the fact that its based on the Mayan calender, which doesnt actually end in 2012. Most of you dont know that the Mayan calender is a series of different calenders intertwined. the only calender that ends on that date is whats knwon to anceint text scholars as the long count calender.

Please explain, because Im confused as to why, after the sheer number of failed prophecies, anyone can still take 2012 seriously





[edit on 4/8/2010 by OzWeatherman]

Nice try with all of your predictions there, but I would have to say that 2012 is a little bit more exciting to most people than the regular old predictions becuase MANY past civilizations point to this specific year and date.

Mayan
Hopi Indian
Chinese

etc.,

I'd say that is why more people are interested.

[edit on 4-8-2010 by JackCash]

www.alignment2012.com...

Its called a Galactic Alignment, and it only happens every 26,000 years, and is supposed to go down 1980 - 2016 give or take. So with a mind thats open to logic, 2012 seem plausible.

reply to post by JackCash


Numerous cultures and religions also predicted that 1000, 2000 and a few other dates, would also result in the end of the world. They werent correct on those either

MMXII

because 2012 is pretty in Roman Numbers
and is symetrical MM-X-II, and can be 'coded'/ 'deciphered' in many ways,

by far a very interesting number signifying a date

Its different because it hasn't happened yet. Its different because there is a lot of mystery surrounding it, such as new age philosophy and the coming mental shift that some believe will take place. Its different because of timewave zero (although the date was changed to match december)



2012 phenomenon

reply to post by hillbillydudeman


The galactic alignment theory isnt exactly plausible. A near perfect one occured in 1998, and nothing in that year was even close to the world ending. And since then we are actually shifting away from another one being so close, due to a the usual wobble in the Earths orbit.

I don't subscribe to the doomsday theory of 2012 but there is quite a lot of circumstantial evidence supporting it, IMO plenty to make there a case to be answered. The Myan Calander, Polar shift, weather conditions, web bot, niburu sepicted in ancient sumerian tablets showing our planets long before we found them in modern times etc. etc.

I don't subscribe to the belief, but I don't deny it's a possibility either, one things for sure, if it is true by the time it's accepted by the masses it will be too late to anything anyway, in fact, if it's true it's too late anyway, have you heard of any mass evacuation plans for us?

Me neither

reply to post by OzWeatherman


2012 also roughly coincides with the next solar max. Last time the Boxing Day tsunami and Katrina.

Let's see what happened recently to scare people;

1. financial panic, the meltdown was real

2. flu epidemic worries, did not materialize

3. new war clouds hang over the Middle East. A real problem

4. Frightening oil spill, but now may be under control. Problems with seabed floor in gulf. Fissures leaking?

Also high unemployment, real estate market collapse, foreclosures, bankruptcies, drug war south of the border.

This country is getting to be like a punch drunk fighter. One good slap and down he goes. Under these circumstances anything could be "Doomsday".

well the fact that that date hasn't arrived yet, thats a difference. People want destruction because they are scared to bring it about themselves.

Personally I think that all of the 2012 stuff is pure BS. Simliar to Y2K, and everything else.

However, I do believe that modern society has grown to a point of interconnectivity through global economies and electrical/oil infrastructure, that things are very different now than ever in our history.

I also believe that modern humanity has been realtively luck these last few thousand years. That Mother Earth has been relatively calm, which has allowed us a race, to be able to accompolish the many things that we have. If Mother Earth remains calm, we will continue to prosper.

But, I do not believe that is possible. Some of the biggests events in the last couple of hundred years have hit at a time when our society could manage them, or hit in locations that would not affect the global climate or economy.

Imagine if the great Indonesian Tsunami had happened just off the coast of the US. Or if the enormous Tungaska blast had occurred over Paris or London. Or what would happen to the global economy and climate if a Toba or Tambora type volcanic eruption occurred in any modern industrialized country.

Everyone remembers the recent, and very small, volcanic eruption in Iceland and how it affected millions of people because of flight restrictions.

IMO, our society is made out of straws, and if the wind blows the wrong way, or if the ground shakes too much, it can easily come crashing down.

The esoterical ideas of 2012, Pole Shifts, and all of the rest of the yadi yada stuff is interesting, but I think people in general, should study our ancient history, and more importantly, study Mother Earth with everything possible.

Our ignorance as a race has led to our downfall over and over again.

Deny Ignorance, because..knowing is half the battle!

Well... I don't believe it's a "DOOMS DAY" event. I wont reiterate all of the circumstances that point to 2012, the posters before me already did that.

I don't believe the mayan's and other cultures actually SAY it's going to be the END of the EARTH.... just.. change.

The Fear mongers are the one's talking about DESTRUCTION!!* TSUNAMI'S!# ASTEROID'S * enter extremely dark and Scary music here* ..VOLCANO'S!!! !!@ EARTH TILTING OR ROTATING UPSIDE-DOWN!! AHHHHhhh!!!!.

love the history channel, but throw up in my mouth a little when I see advertisements for Armageddon week.

Personally, I think all that fear mongering regarding 2012 is a distraction to keep people from focusing on what it's really about... the ascension of the human consciousness.

No matter what a person thinks regarding 2012, if people get fed with enough of the DOOMS DAY crap... it probably WILL manifest it's self into just THAT.... if you get enough people BELIEVING that the world is goign to end in a couple of years... the mentality changes, and people are like.. Screw it... world's gonna end soon anyhow...

*straps dynamite to chest...walks in *enter public place of your choice here*_________

I read a very good book about 20 years ago.. it's called a History of the End of the World. So i can understand why you would post this question...
So in 1999, i didn't freak out...and i've never freaked out or believed in the end of the world after reading that book...

what i DO believe in....is the shifting and development of mankind's spirit. I think everyone would have to agree...it is in Dire need of a lift. I think something is going to happen, to make everyone stop and take pause of the state of this beautiful planet.... and then we will all go from there..

reply to post by lifttheveil

a lot of circumstantial evidence supporting it, IMO plenty to make there a case to be answered. The Myan Calander, Polar shift, weather conditions, web bot,

Don't forget Mrs. Blossom Goodchild's friends of light helping with ascention as an addition to that fantastic & wonderful list of evidence!

reply to post by lasertaglover


Oh yeah... and i also read a book about the history of the weather on earth...and your point is valid.. regarding the weather here on earth, as far as the life of this planet goes... we HAVE been lucky, and it's been pretty damn decent weather.

Hope it continues...but if not.. i ain't skeerd!

Mostly people still cling to that date because that date hasn't come and gone yet. Which of course it will come and go with nothing drastic happening.

I think that a lot of people, especially the younger under 40 crowd, have grown up being told how different and special they are. It is just impossible for them to comprehend that they realistically are no better and no different than anyone else. They need to believe that there is more for them than the workaday lives of their parents and grandparents. They just refuse to believe that they are ordinary. They don't feel the need to be responsible for themselves for whatever reason that I can't understand. So 12/21/2012 - while a little ways off, is still close enough for them to look forward to with hope. If they believe that it is "the end of the world as we know it" (teotwawki), they likely also believe that they are among the chosen "special" or "enlightened" people that will come through it and begin the worldwide society of love and peace and hope and change. They will all be standing around holding hands singing kumbaya living in peace with each other without the evil banking system and the evil corporations destroying the world.

What they don't seem to get is that a lifetime of sitting on mommy and daddy's couch playing their playstations is not going to help them to survive in a world without productive people producing food, water, clothing, electricity, etc. They think that this "enlightened" new world will still cater to their fairly useless lives or that some magical benevolent aliens will come down from space and teach them how to do nothing but still have everything.

Of course there will be the other people who have cashed in on the 2012 sheeple and they will quietly close down their websites and comfortably retire in an island country where extradition can be avoided with a little bribe. Some will start new websites for the sheep and get a few more dollars for their "corrected" predictions.

It all boils down to wishful thinking about the misinterpretation of a calendar that ends around that date. What will actually happen is that day will come and go and there will be people who come forward with new information about how things were mistranslated or misdated and the new TEOTWAWKI will be in 2013 or some other not too far off date. And those of us who still doubt this scenario will still be called debunkers or idiots or haters or on the government payroll or....

edited for spelling

[edit on 4-8-2010 by tallcool1]

I have to ask the same question.

I remember back in 1999 when I was first introduced to the whole "planetary alignment to destroy the earth" fears with the great aliment of 5-5-2000.

Back then it was if you can live thru Y2K, then May 5 will kill ya!

Here is a snippet from one of the books written about this "catastrophic event":

On May 5 in the year 2000, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be aligned with the Earth and her Moon. On that day the ice at the South Pole will upset the Earth's axis--sending trillions of tons of ice and water sweeping over the surface of our planet. Not since the days of Noah has Humankind been faced with this ultimate catastrophe.

link to book page

I remember I bought a book and started to worry. Then the date came and went.......

Does anyone else remember that one??

reply to post by JackCash


The Mayan do not have any predictions associated with the end of the Haab calendar.
The Hopi do not have a prediction associated with 2012.

Can you explain what Chinese prediction happens in 2012?

reply to post by lifttheveil


Nibiru was not depicted by any ancients. The ancients only knew of the planets visible to the eye.

Pole shifts are slow events and have not happened in 200Ma, although there is a disputed case from 84Ma.

reply to post by OzWeatherman

Originally posted by OzWeatherman
Considering there have been literally thousands of doomsday prophecies to have failed, why do you people insist that 2012 is different?
...
Please explain, because Im confused as to why, after the sheer number of failed prophecies, anyone can still take 2012 seriously

As best as I can figure it's that so many different systems, from dramatically diverse cultures, predict something large happening in and around this time-frame.

1. St. Malachy's prediction roughly coming to conclusion now.
   
   
   
   
   And the potential hook-ins to the 1917 third secret of fatima.
   
   
2. The National Mayan Council's authoritative position on the situation (see Drunvalo Melchizedek's claims)
   
   
3. Terrence McKenna's Timewave Zero singularity date (@ 2m 20s) from the Mid-70's,
   
   

   
   An astonishing thing about the date I arrived at, by this method is that it's the same date that the Mayan civilization appointed for the end of its calendar. In all eternity ... You know, you may choose not to believe that I didn't know this when I made this prediction. But I didn't, know it! I didn't. Yet I chose not the month, not the same year - the same day, month and year.

   
   
   
4. Similar to McKenna is the expectation in modern science that we're approaching some form of technological singularity. Jürgen Schmidhuber, co-director of the Swiss AI lab IDSIA in Lugano and a professor of Cognitive Robotics at the Tech University Munich, gave a talk discussing a new approach his team has been using to instill "creativity" (a "universal problem solving algorithm") into AI.
   
   At about the end of the talk (@31:00) Dr. Schmidhuber touched on some of his research interests, including a semi- tongue-in-cheek argument that Singularity will occur in 2040 (closer to Newton's 2060 date) based on a seemingly accelerating trend of major events (Moore's Law, Gilder's Law, Metcalfe's Law) that occurred between 1623 and 1990.
   
   
   
   
   (note: this isn't 2012, but it goes to show that there's an expectation that something big is around the corner even in academic and scientific settings)
   
   
5. The Law of One prediction from back in 1981,

   
   After this period of thirty years I am assuming that this will be a fourth-density planet. Is this correct? Ra: I am Ra. This is so (src)

   
   
6. Hopi Prophecy and the 9 signs all seem to be near or at fruition (no definite date though when this was supposed to or should happen).
   
   
7. Dan Sherman's account from 1997 about Project Preserve Destiny in Above Black, stating that,
   
   

   
   "Why have all these people been selected for this project? What's the ultimate purpose?
   
   That's a good question. Unfortunately, I have no answer for you. Most of us only know enough to do our assigned jobs. The long term goals are only known by a handful of Level 1 personnel of which I am not one. All that we've been told is that your abilities will be needed in the future when all electromagnetic communications will be rendered useless." (p. 10)

   
   
   This then corresponding with the much later news broadcast stating that an extremely active solar maximum is expected in and around 2012,
   
   
   
   
   That by all accounts could throw a major wrench in the works,
   
   
   
   
   Quoting a report funded by NASA & NOAA, that's somewhat outdated now,
   
   

   
   A new active period of Earth-threatening solar storms will be the weakest since 1928 and its peak is still four years away, after a slow start last December, predicts an international panel of experts led by NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. Even so, Earth could get hit by a devastating solar storm at any time, with potential damages from the most severe level of storm exceeding $1 trillion. (src)

So, I suppose that there are enough stories floating about to help explain why people expect something significant to happen in the near future.

Does it mean something will occur? Not necessarily, but I think there's intellectual merit for keeping an open mind and maintaining a healthy degree of interest as to whether or not all these events flowing together are simply coincidence, a telling sign of things to come, or perhaps even orchestrated by people looking to make a profit.

If you view it like a 3-ring circus you'll enjoy it at the very least for its entertainment value.

[edit on 5-8-2010 by Xtraeme]

reply to post by OneisOne


I remember that nutty claim. It is the forgotten 2000 doom and gloom prediction that was overshadowed by the Y2K computer issue.