Comments on: Whatever X, Day XXX http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/09/30/whatever-x-day-xxx/ I FORGET WHAT EIGHT WAS FOR Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:37:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Tony http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/09/30/whatever-x-day-xxx/#comment-49409 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:04:33 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1892#comment-49409 Here’s the story of another Great Disappointment:
http://www.epicure.demon.co.uk/endworld.html

]]> By: Anonymous http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/09/30/whatever-x-day-xxx/#comment-49408 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:59:38 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1892#comment-49408 The second time-setting date of William Miller’s prediction for the return of Christ was October 22, 1844–not October 21. It is incorrect to say that nobody died as a result of Miller’s predictions. Some actually committed suicide following the so-called “Great Disappointment.” Many others, according to Lunatic Asylum records, suffered from Millerite Madness–a serious form of hysteria. Moreover, William Miller was constantly annoyed by various young women prophesing due to supposedly receiving visions from God. Ellen White, with her husband’s help, finally emerged as the dominant prophetess among them.

Interestingly, when October 22, 1844 came and went without anything happening, William Miller still had a nice farm home to enjoy in upstate New York. However, many of his devout followers sold all their possessions to further the Millerite cause. They further didn’t have gardens to feed their families because they felt planting a garden would be a denial of their faith in Christ returning in 1844. Consequently, many disillusioned Millerites ended up in Shaker communes for survival. They didn’t stay in Shaker communes any longer than absolutely necessary because the Shaker’s would not allow the Millerite husbands and wives to sleep together.

Dennis Fischer
E-mail: dennisfischer@neb.rr.com

]]> By: Jeff Zugale http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/09/30/whatever-x-day-xxx/#comment-49407 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:28:31 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1892#comment-49407 Isn’t it grand how knowing that the world is going to end within your lifetime (or pretty soon after one’s own death anyway) allows one to totally absolve oneself of any responsibility whatsoever for trying to change things for the betterment of all humanity? Especially when one knows that only oneself and other like-thinkers will be the only ones to survive the end, transported to some idyllic existence, while everyone who disagrees will be tortured for all eternity?

That sort of thought just warms my little heart.

Oh wait, no, that’s brutal acid agida heartburn at the self-righteous narcissistic douchebag-ity of that entire concept.

Sometimes I get them confused.

]]> By: Dave Robinson http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/09/30/whatever-x-day-xxx/#comment-49406 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:54:25 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1892#comment-49406 I’ve actually seen excerpts from children’s literature published under the Third Reich. To call Hitler as depicted in those stories a messianic figure is probably an understatement.

It’s fascinating in a terrifying way.

]]> By: MikeT http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/09/30/whatever-x-day-xxx/#comment-49405 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:43:20 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1892#comment-49405 I’ve always liked the idea that the whole “no man will know…” thing is what keeps the Apocalypse from happening. As in, God is up in heaven, marshaling the troops, and then some nutjob prophet upstate says it’s coming on June 15th, and the whole thing gets scrapped for another date.

]]> By: Giacomo http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/09/30/whatever-x-day-xxx/#comment-49404 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:28:43 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1892#comment-49404 (Crap. Caught in the filter. Let’s try with one link.)

Thomas Muentzer.

Did you read Q? (“Q (novel)” in Wikipedia)

I don’t know if it’s still available in English, but you can download it from the authors’ website here: http://www.wumingfoundation.com/italiano/downloads.shtml

]]> By: Patrick http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/09/30/whatever-x-day-xxx/#comment-49403 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:57:49 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1892#comment-49403 Damn you and your Cult of the Sun Will Explode When It Runs Out Of Hydrogen Killing Us All…

Pessimist!!!

]]> By: Twilight2000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/09/30/whatever-x-day-xxx/#comment-49402 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:55:38 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1892#comment-49402 You *do* realize that with that flag image, you’ve just been banned from France?

*snerk*

]]> By: BeVibe http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/09/30/whatever-x-day-xxx/#comment-49401 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:34:25 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1892#comment-49401 My grandparents (Dad’s father and stepmother) were Pentecostal. Grandma Georgie used to talk about how you always had to be good, because the end was coming. She also talked about how she leave and one day live in a mansion, either when *THE* end – or her end – came.

As a child, I would cry and ask her not to leave (she called her death her ‘time to go’), and told her she had a beautiful house and didn’t need a mansion. (i remember being very upset. she would laugh and tell everybody what i said)

Grandma really overplayed ‘The End’. She was alive and dying my whole life. I didn’t believe she was really sick until she was really dying. (i know, not religion, ‘Peter & The Wolf, but still… they do tie together)

Grandpa & I would actually discuss religion. He always said if you were truly sorry and repented of your sins, you would go to heaven. I remember as a child discussing this with him and asking if Hitler repented (you just knew we were going here), would he be in heaven, too? Grandpa said yes, if he truly repented and asked for forgiveness, Hitler would be in Heaven, too. I did’t buy it then, either.

My sister and I were taken to their church when we were young and stayed with them overnight. They went to church 5 times a week. The result – I believe in *God*, just not in *church*. My sister grew up an aethist, became a psychologist, and believes in Freud, Jung and psychotherapy.

]]> By: Chris http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/09/30/whatever-x-day-xxx/#comment-49400 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:04:04 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1892#comment-49400 I thought when Barney first appeared it was the End Times. That thing is the Anti-Christ.

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