Eastern Orthodox Christian Perspective on the “End Times”

Some time in 2007, I happened to be tuned in to a radio station and heard a discussion that struck me as highly relevant to this blog. Unfortunately, I wrote a draft but never got to the point of publishing it. So, 6 years later, here it is!

>> I was listening to the radio today and was amazed at how many of the apocalyptic points he hit on that overlapped with the site’s content. Although I’m not sure what to make of some of his theology, I do want to say that his knowledge of world affairs and evaluation of the direction the world is headed in is expansive and realistic, and stems from a strongly biblical perspective. Some major points he touches on are the compatibility of faith and reason, anthropologically-driven apocalypse, the unsustainability of modern civilization, and a few doctrinal issues.

Original link, now broken: http://www.wbez.org/Program_WV_Segment.aspx?segmentID=13012

Chicago Public Radio program description: Many in the United States are unfamiliar with the Eastern Orthodox Church. Many believe it’s just a Greek or Russian version of the Roman Catholic Church. Closer examination reveals that this ancient branch of Christianity differs from Roman Catholicism and also Protestantism in significant ways.

Food troubles are here to stay

Another dimension of Israel. It’s hard to grasp the extent to which oil is a part of our lives until the reality starts to hit us in the face and pocketbooks. And even then, some of us still don’t grasp it, or don’t care because they’re fine now.

Christians, let’s use our greatest resource – the church – to start addressing some of the problems people – whether the average American, or those in Haiti or Indonesia or Israel – are running into and try our best to raise awareness and develop plans of action, because they’re going to get worse.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/980076.html

The government sends calming signals and says no dramatic shortages are expected. The Economist says do nothing, market forces will sort it all out. But as the global food-price crisis hit Israel this week, something told us we are not being told the whole story.

Around the world food prices are soaring. Since January 2006, the price of rice has risen by 217 percent. Wheat, corn and soybean prices have more than doubled, and in several countries, milk and meat prices have also doubled.

Food prices and falling wages have sparked riots in more than 30 countries from Bangladesh to Egypt to Haiti – where the prices of rice, beans, fruit and condensed milk have gone up 50 percent over a few months, while the price of fuel has tripled.

Energy Crunch Threatens South American Nations

By now the talk about global warming on this site amounts to beating a dead horse, as the granting of the Nobel prize to Al Gore should demonstrate. Clearly, because we fail to take necessary action now as well as in the immediate (as in, the next 3-5 years) future, we are headed towards some catastrophic changes in the way the ecosphere functions to support our main life support systems. There are irreversible changes occurring all around the planet due to the chain of events started by industrialization, the least of which are the opening up of the Northwest passage, the melting of the Siberian permafrost (releasing massive amounts of methane, a far more potent source of pollution than carbon dioxide), rapid melting of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, and increases in chaotic weather (and I’m putting it mildly – like the recent 40 degree drop in temperature from 90 to 50 in the past few days here in Chicago), to name a few.

Global Warming Is Being Seriously Underestimated

I know I haven’t been posting in awhile. The workload at school has become unexpectedly large, and it has unfortunately caused me to detract from writing anything of significance on this blog, which I think to both your and my detriment.

That said, there have been a number of things I wanted to comment on but haven’t gotten around to doing. I was (and am still) locked in conversation with my last thread-mate, sianamech, but our exchanges have gotten unmanagably longer, which I am trying (unsuccessfully) to parcel out time for (sorry sianimech).

If anything, though, the time I’ve spent in my return to school has been revealing in that it’s shown me how entrenched people really are to this idea of “sustainable growth,” and things essentially staying the same way they are. I think that’s farcical (click on some of the topics under “apocalypse” to see why), and this latest article just serves to underscore that in an unbelievably major way. May God’s people be a light in these dark times ahead.

Global Warming Is Being Seriously Underestimated
By John James

03 February, 2007
Countercurrents.org

“One of the hardest tasks we face in life is to be the bearer of seriously bad news … I now have to bring the worst of news … that civilisation is in grave danger.”

James Lovelock, The Revenge of Gaia.

A number of simply gigantic reserves of greenhouse gasses that nature has stored for our benefit are now beginning to flood back into the atmosphere, as described in http://www.planetextinction.com.

In addition to what nature gives back to us, our own greenhouse pollution has almost doubled since 2001. There are a number of major natural sources, besides our own. We are beginning to have some idea of the total on the planet, but the speed at which these ancient stores will be released is still completely uncertain.

Global warming will cost world $9 trillion: report

If someone knows where I can find a copy of the Stern report they mention, please drop me a line.

Indeed, with reports like this coming out nearly every day, it’s hard not to be schizophrenic.

via ABC News Online Australia.

The world’s biggest economic evaluation of climate change says if countries do not act now the world will face a depression worse than that of the 1930s.

The report puts the global cost of global warming and its effects at $A9 trillion – a bill greater than the combined cost of the two world wars and the Great Depression. It represents a fifth of the global economy.

Important distinctions between Y2K and Peak Oil

This post is actually a repost (without permission) of a thread I was reading on the Peak Oil discussion group, ROE2 (Running on Empty 2). Just another example of the great minds that are gathering to do something (hopefully) to have a positive impact for the future (of which I was again reminded by the weather abruptly turning cold here, and freezing as the result of trying to stay warm with only a small space heater and some winter clothes). Re: Y2K,was Re: Alternate Energies Posted by: “J libby” jlibby331

Thu Oct 19, 2006 4:35 pm (PST)

Y2K would never have been a civilization ending disaster. I suppose worse case scenario, it migh have caused a major recession, but we would have recovered qucikly. As mentioned here some time ago, I worked on banking software in the late 80s and we were making changes to software than. At that time, many programs couldn’t handle 30 year loans because of the 2 digit dates. But it certainly didn’t bring the mortgage loan business to a halt. Things that didn’t get fixed quick enough caused billing problems, but it all got worked out without causing major problems. The same would have been true of Y2K, if things weren’t fixed quick enough, there would be problems. But much effort and money were put into the problem by government and business to fix the problems. But they were known problems and people knew how to fix them. The media is what created the hype on Y2K. You don’t see that on PO.

video: Fox News with Bill Clinton (Chris Wallace Interview)

US Conservatives really need to be educated on spin. It’s too bad for liberals, too, that lack of representation in the Senate and House has led to such sycophancy.

In any case, let’s hope the video stays for awhile before Fox takes it down:

Part I:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-649761639290777197&q=clinton+fox

Part II:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6620818158935418334&q=clinton+fox

[update: Google took it down. Probably due to Fox hounds (pun intended). Download the torrent here.]

Also at Crooks and Liars. Firefox users, I suggest DownloadHelper to rip the video.

Comments (on Part II) by the timestamp of this post included:

I love the smell of Fox napalmed in the morning.
posted 10 hours ago by Hillaryious

Clinton whipped Chris Wallace’s a**ssss!!!! Yeee haw!
posted 10 hours ago by Billdiggity

Rich nations seek stable global path

The problem with economics educations these days is that the most important points – such as market failure (e.g., failure to account for the cost of polluting mutually beneficial community space) – become so marginalized they eventually become tossed by the roadside of free-marketeerism. [google: environmental economists]

And so we fall into the sheeple mentality where “our leaders” will do something about it. “Our leaders” will stand for us. “Our leaders” will protect us, etc.

Leaders can include all types of people, and they’re not necessarily evil. But when people such as the President or pastors are looked at as “lifelong” or even just “life” leaders, we’ve got a big problem.

That is why I write this blog. I want to challenge you to think independently, think logically (e.g., why trust the government vs. “just don’t trust the government”), and to seek God’s guidance and Jesus’ example in thinking correctly (or alternatively, with moral responsibility).

99.9% of our “leaders” lack this attitude, and that is why the continued exploitation of the poor, among many other injustices, will continue to the very end of the Age.

New York Times via International Herald Tribune.

By Steven R. Weisman The New York Times
SEPTEMBER 17, 2006

SINGAPORE Even before the conclusion of the annual gathering of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, a striking swing in the global order has been obvious. China and other fast-growing developing countries are demanding a bigger say in the aging institutions that superintend the world economy.

Situation in Zim ‘tragic’ – IMF

Some more bright news from everyone’s favorite slave-state inducing economists at the IMF:

1200%, people. That means your 50 cent bag of chips in the vending machine would now cost $4; your gas would cost $36/gal. In addition there’s a drought. So the potato field you would plant in response to the prevention of your family’s starvation would be decimated.

I wish I could get some statistics on current worldwide droughts (read my post on the drought in the Amazon), because “modern agriculture” is in response tapping underground water tables and freshwater streams en masse (in addition to multinational corporations like Coke and Pepsi), which is causing rapid decreases of water supplies in many places.

This means:

• In probably 20-30 years, no more underground water reserves in many areas.
• Prolonged droughts will become the norm for many areas.
• Without sufficient transport (oil-powered trucks or boats), many will be forced to immigrate or starve.
• Due to massive immigration, many countries already above carrying capacity will have to shoulder the load of more illegals as well as feeding their own populations.
• What will probably happen is point 3.

The Age of Cheap Oil is over. Any suggestions as for what we should do?
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,,2-11-1662_2000057,00.html

Singapore – The economic prospects for Zimbabwe are “grim”, the International Monetary Fund said on Saturday, after data from the southern African nation showed annual inflation rose to a record high above 1 200% in August.

IMF’s fears over [world] economy must be heeded

A long-argued thesis of mine, here is yet more support. It’s too bad there’s no mention of Peak Oil or Global Warming/Climate Change here, though. These are no doubt the two greatest challenges (or, to be more specific, apocalyptic calamities) that will grind civilization either to dust (population-wise) and destroy much of the technology and information we’ve accrued during the Age of Oil.

And it should be obvious to most of you that not too many people are doing anything about it.

The Six Stages of Job Loss
Stage 1: Shock and Denial
Stage 2: Fear and Panic
Stage 3: Anger
Stage 4: Bargaining
Stage 5: Depression
Stage 6: Temporary Acceptance

You ready for it? Who or what will you stand for, in the end? What message will your life and death be sending out to those around you?

---

Sorry about the delay in posting, for those of you who were on my feed; I’m now back in school to finish my bachelor’s. I’m also hoping to get Part 2 of the “Second Coming” series out by today. [update: okay, maybe by Saturday]
http://tinyurl.com/s3dm5
[note: taken from google news, where it seems the actual fears are far from the dominating header, as would be expected]

You can’t expect the International Monetary Fund to come out and say the world is headed for a global financial crash. And it isn’t saying that.

But what it is saying, in its own careful way, is that the risk of such a calamity is increasing.