Written by Luz Marchena
Dec. 21, 2012, has become a frequently mentioned topic around the world. Some people believe that on that day an event will happen that will change the Earth forever. Others even say that this day is when the world will come to an end.
Supporters of this idea rely in the fact that the Mayan calendar will end that day, which represents the ending of their Great Cycle. The Mayans, aMesoamericancivilizationof thepre-ColumbianAmericas, are known for fully developing awritten language, as well as being proficient developers ofart,architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems.
Those who believe this idea have also claimed that an asteroid or comet will possibly hit the Earth that same day. This belief is based on the publishings of Nostradamus. Nostradamus was aFrenchapothecaryand reputedseeramong the popular culture who published collections ofpropheciesthat have since become famous worldwide.
However, is there any truth behind these arguments? The fact that many peoplearound the world have taken them seriously has helped the creators of the recently released movie “2012” to have huge economic success with the film, earning $65 million dollars in the USA and $160 million in foreign box offices.
When asked about his opinion on how reliable the facts are that are presented by the movie, David Cole, geology teacher and chair or the Department of Ministry at Harding University, said he wants to see the movie just because he thinks will be fun to watch.
“Just as I wanted to see Batman or Superman movies, is that I really want to see 2012, because it seems that the movie is a truly success as an entertainment element,” David Cole said. “That does not mean that it represents the scientific truth, which is very far from what the script of the movie illustrates.”
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, the organization has received several letters on behalf of people who say they are going to commit suicide if they are confirmed about the end of the world on 1012, since they did not want to be present that fatal day. On response of that, the organization created a question-and-answer blog in which people had the opportunity to ask NASA about the truth behind the rumors.Read more here.
Not only NASA specialists, but also scientist around the world, have claimed that the “facts” presented by the movie and by the people who fear the end of the world in 2012, are just lack-of-sense misinterpretations of the atmospheric, geologic and astronomic behavior of the Earth.
The “2012” controversy has helped a lot the movie industry. This is the reason why some people believe that the whole discussion about the end of the world is a well planned business that takes advantage of the lack of knowledge of the audience about the behavior of the Earth and other celestial bodies surrounding it. It has also been said that the whole thing about the Mayan Calendar is just a misinterpretation on behalf of our modern culture, which is ignorant in ancestral-foreign traditions.
“For the ancient Maya, it was a huge celebration to make it to the end of a whole cycle,” said Sandra Noble, executive director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies in Crystal River, Florida, regarding to the Mayan Calendar argument in an interview with USA Today. “To render December 21, 2012, as a doomsday or moment of cosmic shifting is a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of people to cash in.”
Regarding the spiritual implications of fearing an alleged chaos in the year of 2012, Shawn Daggett, bible teacher at Harding University says that people should live this day as if it was the last one.
“To try to understand when the world will end is useless, because it is supposed to be a surprise.”
On the same matter, Eddie Supratman, former bible teacher at Harding thinks that a divine reason why God does not reveal to us the timing of the end is because He wants us to live by faith daily.
“Christians are not to focus so much on the ‘why’ and the ‘when’, rather on ‘how’ we are to live our lives in the ‘now’,” Supratman says. “We should use this tender moment while they are still thinking about our spirituality to redirect our attention from the time of the doomsday to the author of holiness and love who provides time of refreshment.”
