JoeDaJuggler - 21 January 2009 06:07 AM

“Interesting” how?  Surely you don’t think there’s anything significant about it, do you?

If you omit the information about the date and just look at what the multitude of different prophecies are saying, it is interesting to me that there are these things in common with them. but remember its just what could happen, not necessarily what will happen which i believe is the true nature of prediction and subsequently prophecy.

Why do different cultures, existing in different times of history, speaking different languages, with different understandings of the physical world say similar things when they have no knowledge of what each other is saying. Also, why do some people buy into it. remember, we didn’t start deciphering the mayan calendar until the 20th century, we didnt even know 2/3 of the ruins were in mexico until the 40’s.

I do not believe that any of the major prophecies are “true” or that they will come true. What will really happen on 12.21.12…..nothing. I want to see what people will say on the 23rd. “oh still here are we, well i guess i got to find another job now”

There is no external force in this universe that will force us to change, we have to do it ourselves. If we want to make the world a better place, then start picking up trash, helping the homeless, and start treating each other with respect love and compassion.

BlogBuster - 22 January 2009 12:30 AM

Why do different cultures, existing in different times of history, speaking different languages, with different understandings of the physical world say similar things when they have no knowledge of what each other is saying.

It happens quite often, really, and for many different reasons.

1)  Whatever the thing or event is, it’s something that is not confined to one culture or time or language.  The concept of the world existing in one way or another is fundamental to every culture, even if they decide that it exists as a dream.  The idea of things having a start and a finish is also common due to everyday observance of the world.  So stories about the end of the world are going to be pretty much a given in any culture.  And things such as floods, fires, storms, earthquakes, volcanoes, and the like are also going to be commonly known agents of destruction and death and chaos to anybody who experiences them, which is likely why they are often named as playing a part in the world’s end.

2)  It turns out that the different cultures in different times do actually have a link.  The earlier culture might have left a legacy of various stories and ideas, and the newer culture has adopted them at least in part.  Sometimes it is obvious when this happens, such as when the Romans came up with a set of beliefs about their gods that was very similar to that of the Greeks.  Other times it is less obvious, and sometimes there’s only the slightest hint that the ideas were passed on from one culture to another.  Such as the similarities between ancient Sumerian and modern Christian American beliefs.

3)  Coincidence.  It does happen.

Pretty much everything I’ve seen of various legends and myths fits into the first two categories.

So a vague commonality of themes isn’t surprising at all.  It would be much more surprising if there was no commonality.  What would be impressive, however, is if there was a truly specific commonality among totally different cultures that are about as separate as cultures can get and regarding things that those people would be unlikely to know about.  If the Incas in the 1400’s, the Tasmanians in 30000 BC, and the bushmen of the Kalahari 200 years ago all said that a strange and exotic woman named “Boo” would in some place called “Scotland” set fire to something called a “secret government physics laboratory” and thus destroy the world, that would be when you should take notice and start worrying.