Page 31 - 200911 - The 'X' Chronicles newspaper - November 2009

november2009_june_july_2009.qxd 23/11/2009 4:37 PM Page 31 31 Doomsday In The News 31 Doomsday In The News Mexican expert: Don’t due out November 25, showcases a father and Riley says. Science provides a story as well, he Mexican expert: Don’t believe false 'end of son navigating a post-apocalyptic world of ash, says, "but it's very open-ended." The believe false 'end of cold and cannibals. And the indie documentary eschatological narrative, on the other hand, says world' Mayan "Collapse" gives voice to one man's belief that, "the world is going to come to an end, and it's world' Mayan likely going to come to an end in my lifetime. as we exhaust natural resources, civilization is prophecies ready to crumble. So conveniently, everything is going to wrap up prophecies Such concerns have always been with when or before MY life wraps up." us, says Alexander Riley, a sociology professor Which is where Hollywood, longtime Catholic News Agency at Bucknell University who's incorporated manufacturer of great stories and seeker of Catholic News Agency eschatology (the study of the end times) into his customer satisfaction, comes in. iReporter: See Mexico City, Mexico, Nov 20, 2009 / courses. "2012" in theatres. 05:54 pm (CNA).- Renowned Mexican "It's been a constant part of the Movie history is replete with end-of-the- journalist Carlos Villa Roiz wrote an article this landscape in the Western world for a long time," world scenarios, whether driven by religion week urging Mexicans to learn their country's he says, though it's been particularly present in ("The Seventh Sign"), alien invasion ("Mars history and to reject the supposed end of the recent times, perhaps driven by ever-quickening Attacks!"), environmental disaster ("The Day world prophecies that Hollywood scriptwriters social and technological change, he adds. After Tomorrow"), warfare ("Dr. Strangelove") attribute to the Mayans in the film “2012” that Examples can be found through the or much of the above ("Beneath the Planet of never existed. centuries. At the end of the year 999, pilgrims the Apes"). Wheeler Winston Dixon, Ryan In an article published by “Impacto El made their way to Jerusalem, convinced that the Professor of Film Studies at the University of Diario,” Villa Roiz points out that the Mayans Last Judgment was at hand. In 1843, thousands Nebraska-Lincoln, points out that the topic is surfaced around 1500 B.C and existed until the of followers of the religious leader William almost as old as film itself: The first sound film end of the 17th century. “They were Miller gathered on New England hilltops, of Abel Gance, who made the groundbreaking astronomers, mathematicians, priests, warriors waiting for ascension. In 1982, some believed 1927 silent "Napoleon," was 1931's "The End of and wise men who developed two complex but the "Jupiter Effect" -- the rough alignment of the World," in which a comet slams into Earth. precise calendars based on the “katun” (periods several celestial bodies -- would cause (It flopped.) of 20 years). One was the solar or civil calendar catastrophe. Such films allow us to enjoy the present of 365 days and the other was the Tzolkin lunar And the coming of the year 2000 led to while watching a fantasy about the future, he calendar of 260. They ran together because they fears about technological collapse -- in the form says. both are divisible by five,” he explains. of the Y2K bug -- and rumblings about the "I think it's a desire to sort of say ... 'We Villa Roiz notes that “although there are return of Jesus. won't have to worry about the future, because different interpretations about the equivalencies The fact that none of these events led to there is no future,' " he says. "And so therefore, between the Mayan dates and our calendar, the the end of the world hasn't calmed end-times we can do what we want now, and all the debts director of the movie took advantage of this in fears. Indeed, many people are still trying to are put off and all the responsibilities are order to concoct that 2012 would be the end of interpret alleged prophecies -- such as the avoided." an era, and his fantasy was embellished by the biblical Book of Revelation, Nostradamus' Besides, "the complete destruction of suicide of a Mayan community (that was verses and that 2012-focused Mayan Long the world has always been attractive, because ... already mixed-race) that fell into despair Count calendar -- in hopes of figuring out by witnessing that act and staying outside of it, because the time of fulfillment of the Mayan exactly when the other shoe will drop, and you've witnessed the apocalypse," he says. "It's ‘prophecies’ was approaching.” humanity will be freed from its vale of tears. much like a horror movie. It allows you to According to Villa Roiz, “When it Riley observes that end-times passions participate without risk." comes to novels and movies, scriptwriters can find particularly fertile soil in the United States, "We love adrenaline," adds Peter do what they want, they can dream up aliens, which has a higher degree of religiosity Hankoff, a writer-producer of documentaries for goblins, witches, whatever. The result can be compared to other developed nations, according the National Geographic Channel and the fun, deplorable or offensive, such as the case to a 2008 Gallup survey. At the evangelical Discovery Channel, among others. "We always with the Dan Brown books. What is worrisome Friends Church in Yorba Linda, California -- have this need to be vigilant or hypervigilant. is that people buy into them and turn these one of the largest Quaker churches in the world So when something like this comes on our radar fantasies into supposedly hidden dogmas.” -- Phil Hotsenpiller, the church's teaching of the possibility of the end, it peaks our “Now well-into the 21st century, when pastor, gives a yearly series of lectures on end- adrenaline level. ... We love disaster, and we many people shun the historic religions under times concepts and says interest has been high, love to avert it." the influence of materialism, relativism and with "lines out the door." But Hankoff, a pleasurably acerbic scientific methodology, it is deplorable that this He says that he tries to educate his skeptic who has made documentaries about vacuum is filled by horoscopes, tarot card or tea audience about the sources of apocalyptic Nostradamus, says it's hard to persuade people leaf reading, and film,” he writes. thought, and why biblical prophecy is such a invested in end-times theories to revise their “In Mexico,” he adds, “where draw for some. views. embarrassingly people read maybe two books a "Biblical prophecy lays out a scenario "The problem is, when you're faced with year, it is sad that many believe all these lies,” that God says this is what's going to happen, and the facts, and faced with finding real concrete and therefore he urges students to read Sylvanus just watch for these signs," he says. proof ... 2 plus 2 equals 4, no matter how many G. Morely, one of the foremost experts on the The movie business has taken notice: times you add it up." Believing in the end offers Mayans. “What the Bible says about the end of The Weinstein Company, producers of "The power to the dispossessed, he adds: "[If] there's the world is merely that ‘no one knows the day Road," asked Hotsenpiller to take his show on, this level of feeling of insignificance, what's the nor the hour, but only the Father’,” Villa Roiz well, the road to discuss themes of the film. greatest equalizer in the world? The end of the concludes.[] But it's not just Christian groups that world." iReporter: "2012" good, not great have an end-times fascination. Riley says that Sometimes, the fixation can lead to Waiting for the end of the all the major monotheistic faiths -- Judaism, tragedy. In 1995, members of the Japanese Waiting for the end of the world Christianity and Islam -- have variations on the group Aum Shinrikyo released sarin nerve gas world belief that God interacts directly with humanity, into the Tokyo subway system, killing 12 By Todd Leopold, CNN and has made a promise "to wrap things up, and people. Two years later, members of the By Todd Leopold, CNN then we'll get on with Act Two." Heaven's Gate cult committed suicide in the (CNN) -- This is how the world ends -- at least That idea of an Act Two -- or, better yet, belief that a spaceship was going to come and at the multiplex this month. a conclusion -- satisfies something innate in take them off earth. humans, he says. Last weekend's box-office champ "2012" "Lots of people have an interest in primarily uses an ancient Mayan prophecy to cultural narratives ... that have a closure that (This articles ic Continued of Page 32) spin a tale of world destruction. "The Road," coincides to some degree with their own lives,"