This nonsense about Jesus returning is nothing new. I seem to recall a book called ‘when Prophecy Fails’ by a guy called Festinger, who wrote about what people do who foretell the end of the world only to find they were wrong. They do what all good religions do. They adapt. They find the date was wrong, they had misread the ‘tea leaves’. But they never doubt their own hubris.
Humans need to believe. They need to follow. They need to be told what to do.
Yes, it’s remarkable how we humans psychologically respond to being wrong. I’m sure it’s debatable, but I’ve always thought religious cults teach their followers maladaptive thinking & behavior— which is why they don’t question everything about their religion after their leaders continually get the rapture date wrong.
This nonsense about Jesus returning is nothing new. I seem to recall a book called ‘when Prophecy Fails’ by a guy called Festinger, who wrote about what people do who foretell the end of the world only to find they were wrong. They do what all good religions do. They adapt. They find the date was wrong, they had misread the ‘tea leaves’. But they never doubt their own hubris.
Humans need to believe. They need to follow. They need to be told what to do.
Yes, it’s remarkable how we humans psychologically respond to being wrong. I’m sure it’s debatable, but I’ve always thought religious cults teach their followers maladaptive thinking & behavior— which is why they don’t question everything about their religion after their leaders continually get the rapture date wrong.
I believe Jehovahs Witnesses got the date wrong about the end of the world a couple of times - but I’m not sure of this.