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Zeitgeist
The Irresistible Attraction of Conspiracy Theories
How they suck you in
When I was growing up, my mother, a very strong, conservative Christian, would often remind young, impressionable Mark and his even younger sister that the world was rapidly approaching the End Times.
She would refer to biblical passages such as and to support this, pointing to constant wars and increasingly frequent floods and bushfires as evidence that the world was approaching its end.
She also told us that soon, there would be a “one-world government,” which would rule every aspect of people’s lives, and would try to exterminate all Christians.
During our daily family devotions, she would bring out a small paperback book with rather frightening images of a jet fighter and a skull on its front cover. The contents were even more threatening, describing impending nuclear war and worldwide destruction, referencing passages from the Book of Revelation in the Bible.
It wasn’t long before young Mark was frightened out of his skull.
I was curious about when these cataclysmic events would occur.
