One in 10 believe world is ending in 2012: poll

[doggie]

What is it with people and the world is ending? is this only a christian idea? I mean they have seemed to get this idea going and others are following?

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/1 ... -1.1071291

 

Apparently Harold Camping isn’t alone.

 

Nearly one in seven people believe that the world will come to an end in their lifetime and one in 10 think the Mayan Calendar signifies that it could happen sometime this year, a new poll found.

 

IPSOS Global Public Affairs conducted the poll on behalf of Reuters and surveyed 16,262 adults in 21 countries.

 

Across those countries, the United States and Turkey rank the highest, with 22% believing the world will come to an end . They're followed closely behind by South Africa at 21% and Argentina, Mexico and Indonesia who all checked in at 19%.

 

France was the most optimistic country surveyed, with only 6% of people saying they believed the world will end .

 

While 90% of people surveyed said they do not believe in the Mayan predictions, 20% in China and 13% in Turkey, Russia, Mexico, South Korea and Japan believe that the world may end this year.

 

The Mayan calendar, which has spanned about 5,125 years, is set to end on December 21.

 

“Whether they think it will come to an end through the hands of God, or a natural disaster or a political event, whatever the reason, one in seven thinks the end of the world is coming,†Keren Gottfried, research manager at Ipsos Global Public Affairs, told Reuters.

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/1 ... z1tvCTvGAD

[reds]

I dont know if the world is ending. But I think that something huge and life changing will happen in my lifetime that will make alot of people rethink how they go about in life.

[margiebargie]

Good grief. How many end-of-the-world predictions have come and gone without anything happening?

[TinyDancer87]

Across those countries, the United States and Turkey rank the highest, with 22% believing the world will come to an end .

I'm not surprised that the US is the highest. This country is filled with gullible people with absolutely no critical thinking skills (thanks conservative Baptists and SOTDRT!) Why don't people just do research? The Mayan calendar is circular, like our clocks, and December 21st is the day the calendar completes its cycle, and goes onto the next cycle.

I dont know if the world is ending. But I think that something huge and life changing will happen in my lifetime that will make alot of people rethink how they go about in life.

This is more likely. Theoretically, when the calendar cycle is completed, there will be a "time of change" for the cycle. Nothing necessarily bad or good. There will be a change.

I think it's self-prophytic. Remember Y2K? People were going crazy. Come December, people are going to start hoarding stuff and acting all crazy, and society might "collapse" temporarily, and people are going to say, "See? The world has changed! The Mayans were right!" When in reality, their actions were based on a false theory, and the outcome is coincidental.

[quiningseven]

The mayans didn't have leap years- really the world should already have ended last year. :P

[BlackHawk]

As someone who just finished a fiction novel about end times... I sure hope it doesn't end! I'd like to get this one published... and in order to do that, I need people around who will read it. The world cannot end until I complete a life goal or three! C'mon now!

That said... I don't think anything will happen.. much like Y2K. If anything it'll be self fulfilled prophecy of people who want it to end so bad they contribute to societal collapse. I told the partner that we will make sure to stock up... not because I think the world will end, but because I don't want to be near a grocery store around Christmas time. Seriously.

[formerlegalist]

I dont know if the world is ending. But I think that something huge and life changing will happen in my lifetime that will make alot of people rethink how they go about in life.

Collapse of the US Dollar after creditors refuse to lend any more to us?

[ladypuglover]

The mayans didn't have leap years- really the world should already have ended last year. :P

I have a problem of getting freaked out over things that I know are never going to happen. Maybe it is part of my depression but some part of me gets stressed. Remember the Y2K thing? I had a preemie on oxygen and it took everything in my power not to stockpile water, food and even formula even though he was on breastmilk. My husband kept talking me through it and I found all my stupid fears were for not. well once I found out about the Mayans not counting leap years my panic has thankfully been gone.

I think most people have some degree of worry about the what if's and the unknown and people prey upon that. Why I don't know but I do know those kind of people really suck to do that to others. We do not know the day nor the hour and i'm glad we don't.

I agree something is going to happen that will change how we live life but I have zero clue if that would mean the end of life as we know it.

[geniebelle6901]

End of the world predictions are always being made, so the only thing I'm going to be worrying about on 12/21/12 is keeping my feline headship from climbing and knocking the Christmas tree and getting ready for the holiday.

[BelieveinScience]

I think the end of the world will happen when the sun burns out (unless its been declared not a star recently) and as far as I know,no one can predict that!

[geniebelle6901]

This is what comes to mind when I hear an end of the world predictions

Z0GFRcFm-aY

[alysee]

I have a problem of getting freaked out over things that I know are never going to happen. Maybe it is part of my depression but some part of me gets stressed. Remember the Y2K thing? I had a preemie on oxygen and it took everything in my power not to stockpile water, food and even formula even though he was on breastmilk. My husband kept talking me through it and I found all my stupid fears were for not. well once I found out about the Mayans not counting leap years my panic has thankfully been gone.

I think most people have some degree of worry about the what if's and the unknown and people prey upon that. Why I don't know but I do know those kind of people really suck to do that to others. We do not know the day nor the hour and i'm glad we don't.

I agree something is going to happen that will change how we live life but I have zero clue if that would mean the end of life as we know it.

I am with you here. My fiance couldn't handle my insomnia. I have huge anxiety about things like this but thankfully learning the Mayans didn't count leap years I am sleeping again!

[reds]

That said... I don't think anything will happen.. much like Y2K. If anything it'll be self fulfilled prophecy of people who want it to end so bad they contribute to societal collapse. I told the partner that we will make sure to stock up... not because I think the world will end, but because I don't want to be near a grocery store around Christmas time. Seriously.

I haven't been stockpiling food, I am currently collecting books on how to live off the grid and how to homestead in the 1800's.

[geniebelle6901]

Remember the Y2K thing? I had a preemie on oxygen and it took everything in my power not to stockpile water, food and even formula even though he was on breastmilk.

While I thought the Y2K thing was way, way over hyped I definitely understood fears like that. If I had a child or parent that had needed medical equipment, I would have panicked too.

[ADoyle90815]

I think the end of the world will happen when the sun burns out (unless its been declared not a star recently) and as far as I know,no one can predict that!

That's true, but when that happens, none of us will be around at that point.

[darareaksmey]

It's funny how the obviously non-Christian thing (the Mayan calendar) dovetails with the beliefs of those Christians who are always sure the rapture is just around the corner. I guess the latter would say the former are all wet, but the only difference seems to be that the Christians don't name a date certain.

[bananacat]

Honestly, I'm tired of hearing about how the Mayan calendar is cyclic or how they didn't count leap years. Even if the Maya had predicted the end of the world for Dec 21, 2012, why should we take it seriously? Why should we believe that some random group of people were bestowed with the power to predict the end of the world? People can't actually predict the future.

However, I think people in the US are obsessed with Apocalypse fantasies because so many of them like to pretend they are all about Rugged Individualism and they long for the chance to prove to everyone that they can survive without anyone else's help. Of course that's ridiculous. We all depend on each other and that's how our species works. Society is good for our survival. It is impossible for anyone to survive long-term with no input from anybody and relying on others isn't a sign of weakness. In fact, the best way to deal with a hypothetical collapse of society is to build another society.

[ladypuglover]

I haven't been stockpiling food, I am currently collecting books on how to live off the grid and how to homestead in the 1800's.

I love those books too but not for the end of the world reasons.

I'm glad I'm the only one who has anxiety about the weirdest things. :? I'm also sorry you have been suffering too, it really sucks doesn't it?

[BlackHawk]

I love those books too but not for the end of the world reasons.

I'm glad I'm the only one who has anxiety about the weirdest things. :? I'm also sorry you have been suffering too, it really sucks doesn't it?

Oh I am a wanna be homesteader like crazy. If I had extra money to spend on such things, I would for many reasons, not necessarily TEOTWAWKI. I'm a big fan of prepper/SHTF blogs personally... free information is still information.

[geniebelle6901]

The Bible clearly states we won't know when the world will end. The signs given have existed since the biblical beginning of time. So, the end of the world could happen tomorrow or 3 billion years from now. I know not everybody believes in the Bible, and I respect that.

[jaynie]

I dont know if the world is ending. But I think that something huge and life changing will happen in my lifetime that will make alot of people rethink how they go about in life.

I think this will happen, but as a natural result of globalization, global crisises like AGW, and technological advances -- especially this one we're using right now -- rather than any mystical mayan B.S.

[gravelmonkey]

I don't really believe the world will end in 2012, but it certainly is my happy thought when I get down about stupid politicians and their idiotic bills. They can't do much damage when the end is so near! :dance:

[BayLee_10]

I don't really believe the world will end in 2012, but it certainly is my happy thought when I get down about stupid politicians and their idiotic bills. They can't do much damage when the end is so near! :dance:

It's my happy thought at such times, too. Seriously...as I have previously stated, God, if he exists, wouldn't end the world, not while He has us to amuse him, and we must. So what constitutes the world? Just Earth, the Milky Way galaxy, the entired Universe?

[QAF_Rocks]

I'm not surprised, and it's disheartening. There have always been crackpots, but during the Harold Camping debacle, I was reminded just how thin the line is between "mainstream" religion and crackpots. Camping was ridiculed because he set a date, but there are millions upon millions of normal Americans who believe the world will end because the Bible says so. What's the difference? None, in my opinion. Mainstream news organizations were trotting out theologians to explain why Camping was wrong. But their take was that he was wrong not because it's a ridiculous idea, but because he had the audacity to make a specific prediction. :(