Bad News for the Tower

Stephanus

When even an environmentalist leftie admits that things are getting better, what hope is there for an early end to this system of things??

http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=718860&CFID=2549102&CFTOKEN=46453898

COMF

only about 0.7% of them are expected to disappear in the next 50 years, not 25-50%, as has so often been predicted.

Uh... what's the difference between predicting something, and expecting it?

COMF

JanH

Steph,

Thanks for providing the url of this excellent article. Here it is in clickable form: http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=718860&CFID=2549102&CFTOKEN=46453898

The author said almost exactly what the late "doomslayer" Julian Simon said many years ago. The footnote in the Economist article indeed tells that Lomborg was "converted" away from environmentalism when he challenged Simon and actually found that the statistic did not support the environmentalist fanatics at all.

Read more about this on this site: http://www.ideachannel.com/Simon.htm In particular, I recommend the article in Wired Magazine that made me aware of the fact that Julian Simon existed: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/4388/wiredsimon.html

The mystery remains: Why are even intelligent and educated people so willing to accept even the most absurd misrepresentations if they just support the idea that the world is going to hell? Is this a secularization of Christian apocalyptics who has permeated the western world for almost two millennia, or does the pessimism lay even deeper in the human psyche?

- Jan
--
Faith, n. Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel. [Ambrose Bierce, The Devil´s Dictionary, 1911]

Stephanus

Yes, I got onto Simon a few years back and realised that just about everything I'd ever been told in my upbringing and later religious (premillennial) indoctrination about impending doom was basically wrong. I was brought up in an environmentalist household during the 60s and 70s and it was not unlike being brought up in a Dub household: I didn't expect to live to see adulthood before the end. Although "the end" of my upbringing was not the start of something good as it would have been for a Dub kid - it was horrible death, either slowly (pollution, ozone depletion, rising sea levels, slow starvation) or quickly through nuclear holocaust.

Life in the west is good and getting better. Not in every case, as my daughter's death testifies, but overall, things are getting better. So, let's stop whingeing and get on with the good life!

For another site which isn't entirely gloomy about the future of this planet and its people:
http://www.overpopulation.com

While I'm at it:
http://www.junkscience.com

You Know

A little bit of knowledge will get you in trouble boy.

The prophecy probably has a future fulfillment during the tribulation. Because environmental concerns have been front page news for the last few decades it has just been assumed that the prophecy had an application to the present period. However, Jehovah's judgment against the nations comes during a time of war, turmoil, and collapse. Likely, Jehovah's prophecy of bringing to ruin those ruining the earth will come about during/after WWIII, aka the great tribulation. Wars do have a way of messing things up and just a few nukes and chemical weapons could literally ruin the earth for years to come. Obviously Jehovah God is extremely tolerant and he just doesn't fly off the handle in a rage an start killing folks. When he finally does intervene to crush wickedness it will be because mankind has reached the brink of extinction and ruined the earth on a scale now unimaginable. Then, when at last it has been demonstrated beyond dispute that humans have no business ruling the world, when not even an apostate will be able to wag their tongue against Jehovah, then, then, Jehovah becomes mankind's Savior and destroys those responsible for destroying the earth. By the way, your observations that things seem to be getting better is actually the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy that says the the king of fierce countenace makes his move to bring many to ruin "during a time of freedom from care." It is not that things actually are getting better but that people would imagine that they were because of the successful ruse perpetrated upon them by the king. Perception is everything in Satan's world. Truly the day of Jehovah has nearly overtaken you. / You Know

funkyderek

So, basically, You Know, what you're saying is that whether the world is getting worse or whether it appears to be getting better, it's all in accordance with prophecy?

--
Ubi dubium ibi libertas

Stephanus

Sorry YK, but the weight of evidence is against you, no matter how bad you may "feel" things are getting. You're a sick bastard, trying to deprive those of us who suddenly realise we've now got a life to look forward to of that little bit of enjoyment. Why not just inwardly gloat about our impending doom instead of your continual predictions which always seem to be a "little premature"? It would certainly make you appear to be nearly as smart as you believe yourself to be. Bluster away, YK, but we're looking forward to a 24 degree temp day here in Wollongong tomorrow, at the tail end of winter. We'll have a wonderful apostate BBQ in Sydney on Sunday too, God willing. Don't take life for granted, but take advantage of it when it is granted to you.

You Know

So, basically, You Know, what you're saying is that whether the world is getting worse or whether it appears to be getting better, it's all in accordance with prophecy?

In many places around the world things definitely are getting worse, much worse. Africa is on the verge of genocide because of AIDS. South America is near collapse. Russia is on the ropes. Japan is on the verge of panic. Only the Western world is insulated from the harsh realities for the time being. The world is in fact on the edge of the aybss at this very moment. That's because of the impending crash of the dollar and the Anglo-American hegemony. That's not what most people would consider progress. The fact that you only imagine that things are going great is the fulfillment of prophecy. It is evidence of the masterful way in which your mind has been expertly manipulated by the ever-pervasive propaganda. At the appointed time according to Jehovah's timing of affairs, the illusion of prosperity is violently shattered and the trap is sprung and the world is plunged into a situation from which there will appear to be no way out. That so many have been deluded by popular opinion into such a sense of complacency and apathy sets the stage for the knee-buckeling terror that will drive many right out of their wits and send shivers of dread through the apostate. Hope that helps. / You Know

This is what I am talking about>>>> http://cnnfn.cnn.com/2001/08/15/markets/wires/bonds_re/

funkyderek

So, if I understand you correctly, the world is definitely a terrible place right now, which fulfills prophecy, and if people believe the world is great, that fulfills a prophecy too, as does their agreeing that the world is on the decline. I want to ask you a question, You Know, is there any event or situation that could occur that is not in accordance with prophecy? Is there any imaginable (vaguely plausible, at least, please) political or economic situation which, if it occurred would disprove these prophecies?

--
Ubi dubium ibi libertas

Bad News for the Tower

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