Torch, Winter 2012

A Culture of Fear by William E. Brown, Ph.D. When times are uncertain, doomsday prophets prey on people’s sense of helplessness. It’s easier to expect the worst than to hope for the best. H e predicted the exact date Jesus Christ would return. Thousands of followers sold everything they owned and joined him in issuing warnings of coming judgment. They preached, shouted in the streets, held signs, and waited expectantly for the end. But the appointed day came and went uneventfully. Followers were stunned. One said, “Our fondest hopes were blasted … we wept and wept.” The event became known as the “Great Disappointment.” This was not radio evangelist Harold Camping and his May 21, 2011, prediction; this was Samuel Snow, and the date was October 22, 1844. Snow and Camping are in a long line of leaders who have foretold the end of the world. Montanus did it in the second century. So did William Miller in 1843 and the Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, etc. Hal Lindsey did it in 1970 and Pat Robertson in 1980. Apocalyptic prophecies usually come at times of uncertainty and change. People are edgy, fearful, and quick to grab on to the promise that “it will all soon be over.” Fear: The Horizontal View In times like these, it is not surprising that self-proclaimed prophets have convinced so many people that they have an inside peek at the calendar of end times. They claim either a direct revelation from God or an ability to decipher hidden codes in the Bible. 2 TORCH | Winter 2012 DON BAYLEY | ISTOCKPHOTO