So, I have studied the Mayan's and what little is known about them in many history classes thus far throughout my college career. With that being said…For a moment…Lets just say that the Mayan's did make a prediction about the end of the world…JUST SAYING (I know that they did not…but IF)….what would even make their prediction relevant seeing as they couldn't even predict when their Empire would fall how the heck would they have any idea about when the world would end? I guess the gist of this is why are the Mayan's viewed as an all knowing type of people/culture? What makes them so special besides the fact that they had a vast knowledge and understanding of astronomy and space considering the times they were in?
In nearly every response I give regarding the Maya, their calendars or their non-prediction, I try to make note of the fact that even if they had made some sort of doomsday prediction, it would still be utterly irrelevant to us.
It's not relevant, it's one of the answers we always give. Its no more important than any other cultures rapture or what have you myth.
A lie can travel half way around the world before the truth can get its boots on.
Exactly right, their calendar has no relevance to our modern civilization. Calendars derived from all parts of the ancient world as a way to keep track of time and future events. The jews did it, muslims, and the Chinese budha's. Even the modern world has come up with more accurate ways of keeping time like the atomic clock. Clocks and calendars go hand in hand.
That is what I thought…there is really no relevance of their culture to us when it comes to predicting the end of time…even if they had…I just can't seem to wrap my head around what the difference in me saying the world is ending in 2200 vs them saying (if they had of) the world ends this year on dec 21….just odd how irrational peoples brains can be
I honestly think the end times were preached in each culture as a way to permeate fear. The fear of the end, and all that were bad and didn't obey the king or gods would perish forever. I think it was a way for ancient cultures to keep people at bay and obedient. Today we have police, government, lawyers, and judges using this very same principal of fear. Instead of using end times, we use fines, jail time, and death sentence. That is what I take from the bible, or ancient cultures. And as for irrational, that would be modern man interpretting ancient drawings as if they are a prophecy. In those days, everything revolved around the gods, kings, and the stars and planets. Just imagine living during those times. Knowledge was ultimate power. Being able to keep track of time and celestrial objects could've been divine power during those times. Kings could've preached they were given this knowledge from the gods. Who knows, so much is unknown, and its unfair for people to make haste observations on a culture we know so little about.
I think exactly the way you do about preaching of fear to keep people in line. After watching the Da Vincci (however you spell it lol) Code I really started to look at things differently. Like the part where they mentioned that a "council" made up the bible and such to keep people in line…(more or less is what they said)….I can totally see that…The movie didn't say that God and Jesus were not real…they just depict the bible and stuff in more of a realistic manner…a way of keeping people in line and doing what they "should" be doing…Then he mentioned that Jesus is not immortal, he was just a man like everyone else….that movie really really made me think about Religion and God and why we have the laws we have and how we are preached to about the end and why we should follow these rules of the bible in order to get into Heaven. I am a Christian and believe in God but, I do have a lot of questions….
Every ancient civilization has their own ideas of how things start and end and they're all…a bit..off…and there's so many versions of each of their stories. And that's all they would be anyways. stories.
A lie can travel half way around the world before the truth can get its boots on.
This might sound daft but it just dawned to me now, is it the same as the Chinese New Year?! Just because it's not on the same day as the Gregorian Calender, we don't look at that and think, this is the end of the world?!
The Mayans had their own ideas. I don't see why they are superior to other civilizations like the Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, etc. Even if the Mayans did promote the idea of an end, so does Christianity. The rapture is a way to scare people into believing. The Mayans had their religion, and western civilization has their own. I would suggest people look up the "Great Disappointment" which was basically a Harold Camping like following led by William Miller in 1844.
We'd like to think people are becoming more independent in the way they think, but these last two years bring doubts to my mind. Harold Camping in 2011 and now this nonsense in 2012. Either way, people still misinterpreted what the Mayans meant, and all of the proponents have been silenced. Especially a certain Patrick Geryl.
and all of the proponents have been silenced. Especially a certain Patrick Geryl.
Yes it's fallen into the hands of the hardcore believers with YouTube channels now.
2 weeks and not a peep from geryl.
A lie can travel half way around the world before the truth can get its boots on.
Patrick is probably in his bunker going insane from 2012 only being a few days away. At this point we would definetly start seeing massive disasters take place. I can't wait until this is all over. Then I can go back to my life.