Waiting for the end of the world

Religious people all over the world are jonesin' for the apocalypse, so much so that they are no longer willing to wait for it. According to the Los Angeles Times, religious groups of various faiths are trying to bring about the End Times by making the world more comfortable for the Messiah, whether it's converting every person in the world to Christianity or the president of Iran making Tehran prettier for a holy stay.

Conversely, some Jewish groups in Jerusalem hope to clear the path for their own messiah by rebuilding a temple on a site now occupied by one of Islam's holiest shrines.

Artisans have re-created priestly robes of white linen, gem-studded breastplates, silver trumpets and solid-gold menorahs to be used in the Holy Temple — along with two 6½-ton marble cornerstones for the building's foundation.

Then there is Clyde Lott, a Mississippi revivalist preacher and cattle rancher. He is trying to raise a unique herd of red heifers to satisfy an obscure injunction in the Book of Numbers: the sacrifice of a blemish-free red heifer for purification rituals needed to pave the way for the messiah.

So far, only one of his cows has been verified by rabbis as worthy, meaning they failed to turn up even three white or black hairs on the animal's body.

Linking these efforts is a belief that modern technologies and global communications have made it possible to induce completion of God's plan within this generation.

The LA Times also reports that 40 percent of Americans believe that a series of events presaging the end of the world already is underway. That means four out of 10 people reading this blog expect either a spot in heaven or in bloody damnation some time in the not so distant future. If you are one of the four, please post a comment. It's bound to be entertaining.