Ideas about the impending end of the world have had something to do with the recent world events in the Middle East and Asia. Jews, Christians and Muslims, who look at their texts literally, believe that the Day of the Judgment is round the corner and very soon the redeemer will appear in the world. But, their visions of the end are different, hence the conflict.
The number of these fundamentalist – or evangelicals -- is large enough to influence governmental policy in the United States. It has been estimated that about 20% of the Americans are evangelicals (according to one survey, 33% of the Republican Party voters). Their great influence also stems from the fact that George Bush himself is a born-again Christian.
This Christian belief in the end of the world is centered on the idea of Rapture, when born-again Christians will be lifted out of their clothes and meet Christ in the sky. This will happen unexpectedly, and people will suddenly rise from wherever they are -- while they are walking, or driving, or in their living rooms -- into the heavens. (One can only hope that the disappearance of drivers and pilots will not lead to horrendous accidents.) Once in paradise, they will sit to the right of God, watching the non-believers being tormented by boils, sores, locusts and frogs during the seven years of Tribulation that will follow, which will culminate in a nuclear war with the Antichrist at the Armageddon. The ones who are left behind will have a second chance to go to heaven at the end of the Tribulation if they follow Jesus during the seven years.
Any of the current political leaders is seen as Antichrist, as was Saddam Hussein before the Iraqi war. Even the Wal-Mart Corporation is a candidate, because it has started to radio-tag its stock, which is seen as the Mark of the Beast.
The period of these wars is supposed to be 2003-2012, with the faithful convinced of this by several signs: Israel's occupation of the rest of the biblical lands and the US's occupation of Iraq.
After the Antichrist has been vanquished and everyone on earth has accepted Christianity (which is why it is very urgent to convert the idol-worshipers in Asia now), Christ will begin his thousand-year reign on Earth. When this millennial reign comes to a close, history will end and there will be a new heaven and a new earth.
The infidels may laugh at this, but the influence of this vision on the recent world events is evident. No doubt, not everyone in the Bush administration believes in it, but those motivated by the need to control oil or create a democracy in the Middle East to counter terrorism in the future, find their short-term goals in agreement with the evangelicals.
The evangelicals are also pushing very strongly for conversion in the non-Christian nations because it is essential for the Rapture to happen. Some Christian groups, like the Mormons, do not only wish to convert the non-believers, but also their deceased ancestors. Saving the already dead earns extra brownie points.
Cosmologists' View of the End of the World
In contrast to the Christian view of the world, with its romance of disappearing people, war and pestilence, science has a rather dismal scenario for the future. In about five billion years from now, the Sun will begin to run out of fuel. As the core runs out of hydrogen and then helium, it will contract and the outer layers will expand, cool and become less bright. The Sun will become a giant red star and its atmosphere will envelope the Earth, consuming it in fiery death. During the time of the destruction of the Earth, the size of the Sun will be several times larger than normal, and poetically, one might call it the fire of several Suns.
Beyond this, the Sun will eventually evolve into a red supergiant as it exhausts the helium in its core, and its outer envelope will extend out towards the Jupiter. It will now begin to lose mass in a powerful wind. Eventually, all but a hot core of carbon imbedded in a nebula of expelled gas will remain. Radiation from this hot core will ionize the nebula, producing a `planetary nebula', much like the nebulas seen around the remnants of other stars. The carbon core will eventually cool and become a white dwarf, the dense dim remnant of a once bright star.
The Hindu View
The Hindu view of the end of the world is also boring compared to the Christian one. I have seen an essentially identical account in the Mahabharata and `Yoga Vasishtha', and I take it that the same account is to be found in the Puranas as well. Here is Vyasa describing the end in the Mahabharata (Shanti Parva, Chapter 233):
When the time comes for universal dissolution [a few billion years in the future], a dozen Suns begin to burn. All things mobile and immobile on Earth first disappear merging into the elements, making it shorn of trees and plants, looking naked like a tortoise shell.
Then water takes up the attribute of earth element -- that is, the earth element becomes fluid. With mighty billows and roars, it pervades space. Next, water is transformed into heat. Dazzling flames of fire now conceal the Sun, and space itself begins to burn in a vast conflagration.
Next, heat is transformed to wind, which becomes greatly agitated. In its attribute of sound, it begins to traverse upwards and downwards and transversely in all ten directions.
Next, wind is transformed into space, with its attribute of unheard or unuttered sound. Finally, space withdraws into Mind.
The chain continues a bit further until merging into the Consciousness, which is the ground-stuff of reality.
There is logical reasoning that underlies the Hindu view. But it is too complicated to be given here. The reader might like to examine the texts directly to discover this reasoning. For a background to the cosmology behind the Hindu view and its parallels with scientific ideas, see my new book The Architecture of Knowledge (CSC, 2004).
The cosmologists' or the Hindu visions of the end could never have any mass appeal. More short-term scientific scenarios such as that of global warming do have a strong constituency around the world.
I expect the evangelical fervour about Rapture to continue for several years until 2012 or so, when the believers, like the lonely prophets in the west who announce the end of the world every winter at street-corners and go back home disappointed as the New Year dawns, would withdraw from the public space they occupy now. That is, unless one of them does trigger the nuclear war they are awaiting in the battle of Armageddon.
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Posted by Egret on Jun 5, 2004
>>Hi Subhash,
The Hindu interpretation that you mentioned is strikingly close to that offered by science, but I wonder if this the result of a biased translation of the sanskrit works. I mean, if I knew about what science predicts, and agreed with it, I would try to relate the purport of the (decidedly mystical) Hindu texts, to the scientific view.
Egret >>
Egret,
I understand that many times such interpretations seem to follow discoveries of scientific notions/observations: leading to a view that the interpreter borrowed the idea from science and cooked the view to present the ancient texts to suit a greater audience.
However, there is a book "Vedic Physics" by one Raja Ram Mohan Roy (not the great social reformer of the British India). You do not have to believe whatever he says there. But you can find that it gives alternative interpretations of what we read/know about Vedas. Besides, it not only explains Rig Veda in a perspective of quantum/cosmic physics, it "predicts" certain aspects of cosmology. For example, based on Rig Veda, it explained that the "Universe is finite". And, in the second half of 2003, two stunning papers in the prestigious science journal Nature argued for the same thing: Universe is Finite! If you or anybody else is interested, I can send the papers in PDF or html versions personally. Of course, they do not refer to Roy or his book or even the Vedas.
anil
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Unlike other civilisations, Indians realised quite early that the Creation is without begining and without end and at the same time it has both beginings and ends.To make it possible, they proposed a cyclic order of creation and 'Pralaya' comprising several 'Chaturyugas' and 'Kalpa' etc. Where as Cristians thought that this world is only six thousand years old,indians realised that this world is unimagingly old.Even today's thinking is that the universe is about 15 billion years old. This figure is many many times more than what Cristians thought ealier and nearer to the Indian thinking that the creation is unimagingly old. So far cyclic order of creation is concerned,we must realise that science has not said the final word as yet.
Ancient Indian sages must be given credit for their high level of imagination. They imagined many things and gave credence to them, even though there were no rigourous proofs or evidences available then. For example, they seriously thought that time flows at different rates in different worlds.We now know that time flow is influenced by gravitational field. They realised that living beings on earth procreate through 'Maithun' but there may be other methods of procreation also. A soul passes through passes through 84 'lacs' 'Yonies'(species) before taking birth as Humans.We know how living creatures evolved on this earth before comming to their present shapes and forms or level of development.
Thanx
cps
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"that article is plagiarized. It is an excerpt from one of Sri Sri Ravishankars books or talks. "
Warpster, I dont know about that.. I merely posted it from chinadaily.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-05/31/content_335195.htm
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maruti
that article is plagiarized. It is an excerpt from one of Sri Sri Ravishankars books or talks.
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abraham bro wrote:
"The much touted research connecting prayer and cure that was praised by Rapturists has just been exposed as a fraud:"
-- Abraham bro, why are you posting such commentaries on the esteemed portal in the world wide web called sulekha bro??
why not post the same commentary on the raptures peepuls websites bro??
Me aint no dhamkifying you; Me mistyfying to the core only. pleas note the matter.
How come a peepul with the name 'Abraham' posting something bad about his religion?? Mistifying to the core again. is it not like putting the right boot in the left foot, bro??
the ivangelical peepuls may get upset with the comments of yours bro.
Me asking peepuls like you to leave the hindus to themselves bro.
Thanking to you for giving me the opportchunity to post my commentary against your commentary.
PS: me posted my commentary against your commentary only for the sake of intellectual debate in the web. Me aint no intention to harm you physically or mentally. if you feel the matter i posted as above as offencing, me request the peaceful and loving soul like you to pray for the me and ask for the pardon by the god you choosed as your.
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Why the East is superior to the West ...
masterkung Updated: 2004-05-31 10:08
Within the religious fanaticism you will find a basic lack of understanding of other religions. A comprehensive study of various religions would support the broader view that one supreme and caring Intelligence has expressed itself to different people at different time and in different ways.
Fanaticism comes to people who feel insecure. This broader view gives a sense of belongingness while still allowing people to be well-founded in their own tradition.
There are ten major religions in the world, six from the far east and four from the Middle East. In the Far East, Hinduism is the oldest. Then came Buddhism, Jainism, Taoism, Shintoism and Sikhism. From the Middle East, Zoroastrianism is the oldest, and then came Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Three of the Middle Eastern religions are rooted in the Old Testament: Islam, Christianity and Judaism. In the Far East Shintoism and Taoism have completely separate sources. Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism have roots in Hinduism.
The six religions of the Far East have peacefully coexisted and intermingled over the centuries. Buddhism and Taoism have so completely accepted each other that you can find statues of Buddha in Taoist temples. Hinduism accepts Jainist and Buddhist thought.
Contrarily, the religions of the Middle East with a common root have warred with each other. The brothers of the same house fight while friends live with each other in a coherent manner.
When I was in Japan I met several Shinto priests and Buddhist monks. They told me a story of travelling with President Bush of America. He asked a Shinto priest what the population of Shintoists in Japan was. The priest said, "Eighty percent." And he asked a Buddhist monk what the percentage of Buddhists was and the monk said, "Eighty percent." President Bush said, "How could that be possible?" And they said, "It is possible! Buddhists go to Buddhist temples and Shinto temples and Shintoists go to Buddhist temples and Shinto temples." In this story, we have a healthy model of cultures maintaining their identity and at the same time interacting with each other.
And we can find a model in India also. Within one family you will find Jains and Hindus and Sikhs. Individuals are free to choose whatever representation of Divinity they wish. They are not expected to adhere to the choice of the father or mother. This coexistence can happen when we put values first and symbols and practices second.
The above content represents the view of the author only.
This is from a Chinese newspaper.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-05/31/content_335195.htm
Readers’ voice
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The much touted research connecting prayer and cure that was praised by Rapturists has just been exposed as a fraud:
Guardian
Exposed: conman's role in prayer-power IVF 'miracle'
One of the authors of a university report on infertility has admitted a multi-million-dollar fraud, reports Paul Harris in New York
Sunday May 30, 2004
The Observer
It was a miracle that created headlines around the world. Doctors at one of the world's top medical schools claimed to have scientifically proved the power of prayer.
Many Americans took the Columbia University research - announced in October 2001 after the terror attacks on New York and Washington - as a sign from God. It seemed to prove that praying helped infertile women to conceive.
But The Observer can reveal a story of fraud and cover-up behind the research. One of the study's authors is a conman obsessed with the paranormal who has admitted to a multi-million-dollar scam. Daniel Wirth, now under house arrest in California awaiting sentencing, has used a series of false identities for several decades, including that of a dead child.
Wirth is at the centre of a network of bizarre scientific research, often working with co-researcher Joseph Horvath. Horvath has pleaded guilty to fraud, has used a series of false names and is accused of burning down his house for insurance money.
Many scientists are now questioning how someone with Wirth's background was able to persuade Columbia University Medical Centre to unveil his research in such a high-profile way. They also want to know why it appeared in the respected Journal of Reproductive Medicine, whose vetting procedures are usually strict. 'We are concerned this study could be totally fraudulent. It is an amazing saga,' said Dr Bruce Flamm, a clinical professor at the University of California.
The study claimed to show that a woman's chances of conceiving through IVF treatment doubled when someone prayed for them. 'IVF is a very difficult procedure. Increasing the success rate by 100 per cent would be a huge breakthrough, a revolution,' said Flamm.
The study was based on an IVF programme in Korea. Prayer groups in the United States, Canada and Australia were shown anonymous pictures of women on the programme and asked to pray. The subjects were not told they were part of a study, but the results claimed to show that the group had double the success rate of a group not being prayed for.
The research listed three authors of the study: Daniel Wirth and two Columbia fertility specialists, Dr Kwang Cha and Dr Rogerio Lobo. Kwang Cha has since left Columbia and now helps to run fertility clinics in Los Angeles and Korea. Lobo is still at Columbia. Neither returned phone calls and emails requesting an interview. Wirth's lawyer, William Arbuckle, also failed to return The Observer's calls.
On 18 May, Wirth pleaded guilty to multi-million-dollar fraud charges against US cable telecommunications company Adelphia Communications. While working for Adelphia, Horvath had steered $2.1 million of contracts to Wirth. The pair now face up to five years in jail and up to $250,000 in fines.
FBI papers filed during the case also show that Wirth has used a series of false identities over the years. In the mid-1980s, Wirth used the name of John Wayne Truelove to obtain a passport and rent apartments in California. The real Truelove was a New York child who had died as an infant in 1959.
He also used the name of Rudy Wirth, who died in 1998, to establish an address in New York and claim social security benefits. It is not clear whether Wirth and Rudy Wirth were related.
It has emerged that Wirth has no medical qualifications. He graduated with a law degree and then took a master's in parapsychology at John F. Kennedy University in California, where he met Horvath.
Wirth and Horvath have co-authored numerous pieces of research claiming to prove paranormal activities. Many of them are linked to a body called Healing Sciences Research International, which Wirth heads. However, the institute appears to be only a mail box with no telephone number.
Horvath also has a long criminal history and has used many fake identities, including Joseph Hessler, a child who died in Connecticut in 1957. It was as Hessler that he was jailed for fraud in 1990. But it was as John Truelove - using the same false identity as Wirth - that he was arrested in 2002 for burning down his own bungalow in order to claim the insurance. Horvath has also pleaded guilty to practising medicine without a licence after posing as a doctor in California.
Sceptical scientists liken the two to a pair of conmen, similar to the character played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the film Catch Me If You Can. 'They seemed to think they were cleverer than everyone else. It was maybe the love of the game that spurred them on,' said Professor Dale Beyerstein of the University of British Columbia, who has been investigating the pair's research for several years.
Columbia University would not comment on the Wirth case. However, shortly after the prayer and fertility study was published, the Department of Health began an investigation into the university's research. It found numerous ethical problems. Lobo, a respected scientist who was named initially as the lead author of the research, had only provided 'editorial review and assistance with publication' on the study.
Scientists are pressing Columbia and the Journal of Reproductive Medicine to disown the research. But the JRM still has the study on its website. Phone calls to the journal were not returned. Columbia removed the press release announcing the study from its online archive shortly after receiving requests from scientists for comment after the Wirth fraud charges. But the university has not officially commented, ignoring clarification requests from the Commission for Scientific Medicine and Mental Health.
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it is beyond incredible that a huge chunk of the US population should ardently believe in such bizarre, outlandish stories. Even a 7 year old could tell that these are plain absurd.
But the sad thing is that it is true. frighteningly true that even the president of USA can harbor such sentiments. wow!
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For an excellent article on Rapture and the Republican Party, see
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1195568,00.html
by George Monbiot, Tuesday April 20, 2004, The Guardian
"To understand what is happening in the Middle East, you must first understand what is happening in Texas. To understand what is happening there, you should read the resolutions passed at the state's Republican party conventions last month. Take a look, for example, at the decisions made in Harris County, which covers much of Houston. "
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Religions divide humanity, and such views that denigrate other schools of thought while glorifying one are nothing but lies. Subhash Kak should realise that only his version of story is not necessarily the real or true version.
While he doesnt hesitate to bring down Hinduism , he strays away from explaining the logical reasoning for the end of the world in the Hindu religion completely.
It is my sincere request to the website owners to not allow people like Subhash Kak to publish any more articles of this type, or expect others to respond in equal measure to such trash.
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