About four-in-ten U.S. adults believe humanity is ‘living in the end times’

[Bohdan]

About four-in-ten U.S. adults believe humanity is ‘living in the end times’
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-ta...-believe-humanity-is-living-in-the-end-times/

Periods of catastrophe and anxiety, such as the coronavirus pandemic, have historically led some people to anticipate that the destruction of the world as we know it – the “end times” – is near. This thinking often has a religious component that draws on sacred scripture. In Christianity, for example, these beliefs include expectations that Jesus will return to Earth after or amid a time of great turmoil.

In the United States, 39% of adults say they believe “we are living in the end times,” while 58% say they do not believe we are living in the end times, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

Christians are divided on this question, with 47% saying we are living in the end times, including majorities in the historically Black (76%) and evangelical (63%) Protestant traditions. Meanwhile, 49% of Christians say we are not living in the end times, including 70% of Catholics and 65% of mainline Protestants who say this. Viewed more broadly, the share of Protestants who say we are living in the end times is greater than the corresponding share among Catholics (55% vs. 27%).

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Click link for more.

Interesting how widespread the belief is. Apparently we're reaching a point where it's getting obvious.

 

[daygo]

Believe it for the US but not for rest of the world.

 

[Len]

Believe it for the US but not for rest of the world.

I agree, it's business as usual where I live in Australia ...... I was having coffee with some older folk today and that was their topic but most felt this is just a slump, it will get much better soon ....

 

[daygo]

I agree, it's business as usual where I live ...... I was having coffee with some older people today and that was their topic but most felt it is just a slump and no more and it will get much better soon ....

Thanks Len for the input.

 

[JSTyler]

I agree, it's business as usual where I live in Australia ...... I was having coffee with some older folk today and that was their topic but most felt this is just a slump, it will get much better soon ....

I'm always curious about how people define that bit in bold text. Is it 'better' as in better than it ever was or 'better' as in it's not as bad as it's been recently? What is the analogue or baseline for defining better?

Where I live, in the greater sense, things are back to 'normal' until you take a hard look at details. And when you do, nothing is better overall than before or even better than it was just a few years ago. It reminds me of the Yeats poem, The Second Coming, and while I'm not condoning Yeats per-se, he absolutely captures the carnal nature of lost man facing the total dissolution of society. Here's a selective quote for it...

"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity."

Just asking rhetorical questions here.

 

[Baby Yoda]

agree, it's business as usual where I live in Australia

Business as usual in my industry for sure... even though business is way down everyone believes it will revive as it has in the past. Only a few people I know think it's different this time. Then again, not knowing if we will be called in 50 days or 50 years.... I guess we have to keep going.

 

[GA Watchman]

"The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity."

This is it exactly!​