The universe has been around for over 13 billion years. The earth has been around for over 4 billion years. There are over one hundred billion galaxies in our universe, and each one has an average of one hundred billion stars. This makes our sun one out of something like 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars in the universe.

Both our time and our place in the universe are amazingly insignificant. The sheer scales involved in both the time and space of our universe are mind-bogglingly large. I'd even argue that humans are incapable of grasping intuitively just how big the universe is.

Despite all of this, some humans believe that the universe is actually coming to an end within the next couple thousand years. This quote from NotReady is a great example and is what inspired me to make this thread:

This is just a modern version of geocentrism. The idea that a gazillion stars and 13.7 billion years will just be wiped out or "redone" because of some events here on our tiny planet is downright delusional.

By all means, go ahead and believe that a guy from 2,000 years ago that we know very little about is going to return to Earth and bring about the destruction of the entire universe. Just don't expect anyone to think that there is a shred of rationality in your beliefs.

Don't forget how it took him 13.699998 years to show his face the first time.

EDIT: even after homosapiens had already been around for ~250,000 years.

Not to derail.. but in the Craig v Hitchens debate Craig said that only 2% of the humans that ever existed, did so pre-Jesus.... so actually Christ came at the perfect time! heh

I think you've discovered the next big theistic talking point! A dual to the First Cause argument...the Last Effect argument. It goes like:

(1) Everything that exists has an effect.
(2) There cannot be an infinite progress of effects.
(3) There must be a Last Effect.
------------------------------------------------
(4) This Last Effect is what we call God, and isn't it interesting that Jesus said He would return to destroy Heaven and Earth?

What caused the Last Effect? The last effector! Who caused the last effector? The first causer!

NOW IT ALL MAKES SENSE.

edit: Or maybe the last causer caused the last effector.

I doubt NR meant it the way you're interpreting it. I think he thinks universes are finite so you could interpret the bible as anticipating the time of the end of the universe. Also God is the "god of the universe" per the bible so its possible the bible only addresses the bounds of just this one universe.

Yep, and many Christians believe the end of the universe will happen in the next couple thousand years, which is ludicrous.

Was anyone talking about other universes?

Well you said in your OP that its ridiculous that the universe hinges on our events.

I'm just pointing out that if the bible is from the mind of God it could be the opposite. Revelation could be a prediction of events that will happen in the universe that will impact us.

I'm not talking about the Bible. I'm talking about the irrational belief that the entire universe will end within the next couple thousand years.

It's not so irrational.

A comet can hit us at any time and take the whole planet out.

No one is talking about the planet. Did you read my OP? I made specific mention of the huge numbers of stars in the universe. Many Christians believe that the entire UNIVERSE is coming to an end within the next couple thousand years.

I've never heard a Christian mention that. Do you have a link?

rofl its in the op... no wonder the romans ran around killing you guys.

Who are these "thousands"? NR doesn't equal thousands just one.

I don't think this is a creationist idea either.

ROFL!

this comment has sealed the deal for me. youre fake.

Winner winner chicken dinner!