This happens so many time, that people prophesy the end of the world. Even there were groups in the 19th century that did things like sell all their possessions and move to Mt Carmel (the Carmelites). And let's not forget Y2K! when everything was supposed to crash.

I may have some insights now and then, but I'm not psychic, so don't listen to my predictions! However, I think that if there have been prophesies about "end times" I wouldn't take them literally.

Drastic? If you think about all the s**t that has been going on in the world for decades now, I wonder how dire it's got to get? I think that some things will continue to worsen until people wise up. We were discussing racism on another thread, for example -- there are so many enlightened views about differences that, in an _international_ discussion that couldn't have existed several decades ago. So, yeah, I think it's birthing pangs. Or it's like the little chick pecking away at the shell and breaking the shell because it can no longer contain the growing life within.