500 detained in China over doomsday rumors

[Saru 6,762]

Police in China have detained over 500 individuals for spreading rumors about the end of the world.

Chinese police have detained more than 100 people, among them members of a fringe Christian group, for spreading rumors about the world's impending end, state media reported Tuesday.

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[TwilightSilver 78]

Great read! Thanks Saru! These Apocalyptic "cults" as I'll put it are pretty much insane. Whoever would hurt people and force their religion upon them are no representation of the Bible they preach. I'd rather have a few people knock on my door than to be dragged away and tortured.... Shameful....

[AsteroidX 2,108]

Sorry I didnt read the link but thank you for bringing to our attention from a Human Rights perspective.

I must say I am not suprised. Must be tough to live somewhere without freee speech

[and then 36,247]

While I understand the reticence of the Chinese government to have a group agitating in this way I also doubt anything coming from the "officials" in this State. I believe the Chinese government fears any religion that would take away the population's fear of the authority of that government.

[Simbi Laveau 4,705]

Christianity is frowned upon in many Asian countries . There are a lot of Christians in China though .

I don't get why they would prattle on about this,as its not a Christian prediction .

[libstaK 6,400]

Christianity is frowned upon in many Asian countries . There are a lot of Christians in China though .

I don't get why they would prattle on about this,as its not a Christian prediction .

From the article:

"Nearly half those detained are reported to be members of the group Almighty God, which is also called Eastern Lightning, after a phrase from the Bible’s Book of Matthew. Widely regarded as a heretical Christian sect, the group preaches that Jesus has reappeared as a woman in central China. It has been accused of targeting Christians, kidnapping and beating them to force conversions."

Apparently if you don't accept this woman as the "second Christ" you will face a horrible death - not specifically at their hands, just basically you will be damned for all eternity, the usual fair yadi yada from what I have read of them.

I am not sure of the claims of kidnapping and forcing conversions, that does have odour of Chinese politics of oppression of it's peoples but we'll see.

The cult is quite pervasive and have views extreme enough to cause real damage to folk, psychologically if not physically, from what I have gathered.

[Lava_Lady 1,347]

Sorry I didnt read the link but thank you for bringing to our attention from a Human Rights perspective.

I must say I am not suprised. Must be tough to live somewhere without freee speech

You might want to read the entire article.

It does seem like a human rights violation from just the title alone, but, I think their main concern is that the cult members will hurt other people. If this state run news paper is telling the truth then the cult sounds dangerous. While I don't necessarily agree with what the state did, I can understand the fear of a cult related massacre.

[Clarakore 3,453]

A Christian group in China wanting to overthrow the "red dragon" would be viewed there as a Communist group in America wanting to overthrow the "bald eagle".

[King Fluffs 338]

Haw haw haw!

I wish this would happen to those around here who spread those kinda rumours.

[Professor T 2,288]

Good read..

And good to see at least one government in the world is actually taking action against doomsayers.

[zaroaster 2]

they shouldn't go around frighting people will be back hear on 22nd and then when these crackpots realize nothing happened maybe we can all then enjoy x-mas lunch.

[Saru 6,762]

The number of people arrested has risen significantly since this story was first posted up and is now closer to 500, most of which being members of the 'Almighty God' group. There's also been a related knife attack on more than 20 children.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...-china-20775882

[Lava_Lady 1,347]

The number of people arrested has risen significantly since this story was first posted up and is now closer to 500, most of which being members of the 'Almighty God' group. There's also been a related knife attack on more than 20 children.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...-china-20775882

Omg...thanks for the update.

Although, I honestly I probably shouldn't read any more about children being murdered... I'm just depressed fromthe helplessness I feel ... want to do something to help the families but what? Aside from sending them positive energy.

[Drayno 2,298]

Man, oh man.. This doesn't really surprise me. China often does crazy things.

[TwilightSilver 78]

The number of people arrested has risen significantly since this story was first posted up and is now closer to 500, most of which being members of the 'Almighty God' group. There's also been a related knife attack on more than 20 children.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...-china-20775882

Wow...I was unaware of the updates. If you get fanatical, then yes. Lock 'em up. The scariest thing about this supposed "doomsday" are the people going nuts over it and hurting people.

[Sormac 2]

Do people seriously trust the Chinese governments descriptions of dissidents in their country?

[Sormac 2]

In Qinghai of all places...

[GirlfromOz 38]

Why don't these people realise that if they are supposed Christians,even in China's underground,that,if they were true Christians,they should know better & know that,"No-one knows the day or hour,not even the Son.Only the Father knows". Meaning that none of us is to know!Only God the Father!Which also means that if anyone follows the Mayan calendar's end & reads it as the true end of the world,then they are truly deceived & as I would put it,insane. I also hope to God that no-one mistakenly places the TRUE Christians under the same category of the deceived & the insane. Of course we will all wake up on the 22nd without a hitch.Anyone that has heard that

the end of the world is coming on the 21st should know better.Treat it as another of the many doomsday prophesies that have repeated themselves throughout history!Many of the so-called prophets have had egg on their faces! Also,if they were to have had the misfortune of being in the time of ancient Israel & had stated that they were a prophet & the end was coming,their life would have been snuffed out by being stoned to death after their prophecy had not been fulfilled because of the fact that they were not a true prophet of God & their source was compromised by the evil one!

Edited December 19, 2012 by GirlfromOz

[AsteroidX 2,108]

why I do I feel like the number in the OP is going up every time I see this thread.

[ImJustMe 1]

People shouldn't be arrested for for speaking their opinions no matter how crazy those opinions are, but I don't think they should go around scaring people either, the Chinese Government are crazy though so no story which comes out of that country surprises me

[libstaK 6,400]

Omg...thanks for the update.

Although, I honestly I probably shouldn't read any more about children being murdered... I'm just depressed fromthe helplessness I feel ... want to do something to help the families but what? Aside from sending them positive energy.

Thankfully none of the children in this incident died, they would be traumatised at being attacked by a man with a knife though and that is awful.

[dmgspycat 16]

Christians have been looking for this stupid doomsday to happen just to prove their religion. How petty to get it wrong so many thousands of years so by chance when a calamity does happen, they can feel justified in their beliefs. Unbelievable...

[teetay08 0]

- like foreal were not goin anywhere .. nobody know when when dying/when the world will be ending ... read the book of relvalations DUHH !

[pallidin 9,938]

Welcome to the forums ImJustMe.

Love those lips.

[freetoroam 34,236]

Shows how much the World has changed, you would never had heard about this a few years back.