"11:00 PM had my first bout of nausea; Rx took care of it. I feel wonderful. Absolutely no pain, I can't finish a sentence or remember words so Cary, Laura and Laurie did their best to understand what I am trying to convey. I usually get enough…"
 |
The World's Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!
Are larger earthquakes a sign of the times?
Every few years, the Jesus-is-coming-and-boy-is-he-pissed crowd comes out with some unsupported claim that earthquakes are increasing in frequency and intensity - in the buildup to the Rapture, of course.
Well, it turns out that several scientists have now independently been taking a very close look at that question - and what they have found is what they find every time the look into this question (which they have several times in the past, that I can recall) - that the intensity and frequency of earthquakes is not outside the range of normal statistical fluctuation.
No Mayan calendar running out, no Nibiru approaching the south pole, no Ananaki lizard-people, nor Jesus-comin'-with-a-vengeance explanations needed. Here's the link you can send your freaked-out friends:
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Natalie A Sera on -
Fortunate I am, not to have any freaked-out friends, although I do have some genuinely religious ones. A naive and credulous soul needs to have some explanation, and how they cling, regardless of how many times they've been disappointed in the past?
-
-
Permalink Reply by Rudy V Kiist on -
Not that complicated. The perception of more earthquakes is easily explained...
#1; We hear about more earthquakes due to technology and the "information highway".
And 2; We have a much higher population density than ever before, therefor the human devastation is potentially much greater.
I suppose a 3rd could also be added...we humans seem to have a short memory...
-
-
Permalink Reply by Alice on -
Oh you heard about the lizard people too! Now that one was far out… LMHO… I knew a bunch of hippies in the hills who just fell in love with that one! Trying to give me tapes with proof and everything. Something about George Bush being one of their descendants or some madness - LOL
-
-
Permalink Reply by Natalie A Sera on
-
Now, George W. Bush being descended from a lizard is something I would believe!!! :-P
-
-
Permalink Reply by Micah Johnson on -
The thing I never understood about arguments like these, that the biggest earthquake/tsunami/hurricane/etc. since 1900 or something... how is that a sign of the end times if they've happened before? It may have been a long time since the last one, but events on that scale are certainly not unprecedented, just rare. Was it a sign of the end times back then as well?
They might have more of a point if there are statistically higher frequencies of disasters with magnitudes never seen before - still not the best argument, since they could have happened in the past before measurements were taken, but it would be a better argument. They just hear about more disasters and think that they're more frequent, without looking into the actual numbers.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Scott Bidstrup on -
As the article notes, there is some evidence that the frequency with which very large earthquakes occur can change over time, but it doesn't happen to be changing at the moment. But yes, large earthquakes are always taken by the gullible as evidence for the end times. Tribulation, rapture, the approach of Nibiru, whatever. It goes way, way back.
That's all part of human pattern seeking, and is nothing that is surprising to psychologists. That it gets framed as religious evidence shouldn't surprise anyone. That's part of pattern seeking too, and so it shouldn't be a surprise when patterns get glued together in the seeker's mind.
-
CONNECT WITH ATHEIST NEXUS
Latest Activity
- Top News
- Everything
John Hutcheson posted a blog postAre the media too giddy over the Pope?
With all the media attention the on the Pope, important stories are being missed, human rights violations, Monsanto protection act, Russia march to blasphemy laws, and of the big story this week did Harry Potter vanquish dementors?See More
Ian Mason commented on Ruth Anthony-Gardner's group Hang With Friends"The medical profession seems to have improved in some areas at least. Personally I think some of that is due to the higher level of education of society as a whole. We know too much to put up with bad treatment now. I saw a documentary last year…"
Nerdlass replied to Ruth Anthony-Gardner's discussion Cicadas taste like asparagus in the group THE KNIFE & FORK"Thanks. Now I have "Glory of Love" stuck in my head. ^^;
I'm not sure if I could get used to eating bugs. It's like... if they're mudbugs or sea-bugs, that's one thing, but it's hard to imagine them tasting good…"
Nerdlass commented on Debra Stevenson's blog post Some Wiccans and their seeking approval from Christians"I converted to paganism (through wicca, but didn't stay there) from xianity. During that conversion period, I tried to reconcile the beliefs, which ultimately, I couldn't. There are some who find a way (probably used to cherry picking, so…"
Hiram replied to Hiram's discussion Epicureanism: a Secular Doctrine for Happiness"There are currently two Gardens of Epicurus: one in Chicago and one in New Jersey. Please visit if you're in the vecinity!"
Hiram commented on Maruli Marulaki's group Epicurean Atheists"There are currently two Gardens of Epicurus: one in Chicago and one in New Jersey. Please visit if you're in the vecinity!"
© 2013 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: Richard Haynes.
