End Times Bulletin - No 2

Magazine Overview

Title: End Times Bulletin
Issue: No. 2
Publisher: Kevin & Sue McClure
Country: United Kingdom
Date: Not specified, but implies a publication date around late 1982 or early 1983 based on content.

This issue of 'End Times Bulletin' (ETB) announces a shift in its publication strategy, moving to three issues per year (October, February, June) with an increased page count of 24 pages per issue, aiming for a more professionally finished product. The editor, Kevin McClure, expresses gratitude for the subscriptions received and requests continued support and material for publication. The bulletin is printed by Copy Sprint in Leicester.

The Future of ETB

Kevin McClure outlines the future plans for 'End Times Bulletin'. He acknowledges a slight delay in receiving the current issue, attributing it partly to his demanding job and the need to produce a full-length book by March 1983. The publication will now appear three times a year, with each issue expanded to 24 pages. The subscription price is set at £2 in the UK and $6 or equivalent abroad, which is noted as being cheaper per page than the current rate. Readers are encouraged to re-subscribe and submit material for publication.

Millennialism and Futurism by Robert Anton Wilson

Robert Anton Wilson, author of 'Schrodinger's Cat' trilogy and 'Cosmic Trigger', contributes an article that critiques 'New Age' philosophies for lacking a connection to real-world events. However, he expresses encouragement from the idea of a new age that offers an escape from serfdom and poverty. Wilson identifies himself as a sociological millennialist, believing a dramatic change is imminent for humanity. He cites Carl Jung's work on the UFO phenomenon as evidence of a shift in collective unconscious archetypes. Other indicators include renewed interest in Nostradamus, millennial Christianity, and notions of a Pole Shift. Wilson sees these as manifestations of a planetary 'rendezvous with destiny', paralleled by the emergence of scientific futurism or 'future studies' at a higher intellectual level.

Futurism Scenarios

Wilson then presents six futurist scenarios that have gained popularity:

1. Immortalism: The belief that extreme longevity or physical immortality is achievable, with predictions of life extension drugs becoming available between 1989 and 1999.
2. SMILE: An acronym coined by Timothy Leary, representing Space Migration, Intelligence Increase, and Life Extension, aiming to change human life parameters before the year 2000.
3. Utopia or Oblivion by 1989: Buckminster Fuller's assertion that modern technology offers a chance for global affluence through international cooperation, but nuclear holocaust is probable by 1989 if competition and hostility continue.
4. The Third Wave: Alvin Toffler's model describing societal transformations, with the Third Wave, beginning around 1945-1950 with computers, set to transform the world more rapidly than the First (agricultural) and Second (industrial) Waves.
5. The Paradigm Shift: A change in the scientific community's model of reality, similar to shifts from Ptolemaic to Copernican astronomy or from Genesis to evolution, which has significant social and cultural consequences.
6. The Anderla Statistics: Georges Anderla's findings on the accelerating rate of knowledge accumulation, showing knowledge doubling times decreasing dramatically from 1500 years to just six years by 1973.

Wilson concludes this section by emphasizing the enormity of these transformations and quoting James Russell Lowell on the importance of choosing between light and darkness.

Sources

Kevin McClure details the sources he has used, emphasizing the importance of accuracy and encouraging readers to consult original materials. He highlights two publications:

• 'PROPHETIC WITNESS': A Christian monthly publication (£5.25p per annum) from Prophetic Witness Publishing House, Eastbourne. It is described as traditional, aimed at older men, with a focus on the conversion of Jews, adherence to Scripture, and occasional attacks on the Catholic Church.
• 'MARANATHA REVIVAL CRUSADE': Described as more extreme and gripping, this organization publishes material from Secunderabad, India. Their UK publications include a 'Monthly Message' and booklets on topics like 'Mystery Babylon' and 'World War 3'. A notable publication is 'Mystery 666', a 168-page book on conspiracy theory, Satanism, and the Illuminati.

McClure also mentions 'Protect and Survive', a British 'Survivalist' magazine that has ceased publication, with a humorous anecdote about its editor.

Last Writes

This section, intended to become a larger part of the magazine, features reader contributions and items of interest. It begins with a critique of Nostradamus prophecies, stating that few are correctly interpreted before events occur. Rene Noorbergen's book 'INVITATION TO A HOLOCAUST' is reviewed, which reinterprets Nostradamus' quatrains to predict World War Three. Timothy Green Beckley's 'THE NEW WORLD ORDER', a collection of 'channelled prophecies from space', is also discussed, featuring communicators like Ashtar and mentioning themes of UFO surveillance, inner-Earth inhabitants, and a 'selection' of chosen ones for a global disaster.

Survivalism and Guns

A piece from 'Future Life' (June '81) discusses the US Survivalist movement, quoting Kurt Saxon on the importance of guns and ammunition over gold. It notes a sub-section of the movement that attracts men who miss wartime and may look forward to societal breakdown. The article suggests these survivalists, by providing for themselves, may become targets for a 'lunatic fringe'.

Six Questions For Survival

A list of six questions is presented, seemingly from a survivalist company, inquiring about belief in nuclear conflict, family preparedness, confidence in shelter manufacturers, desire for shelter installation, willingness to pay for a shelter, and availability of a deposit for a 1982 waiting list.

Recent Books Reviewed

This section reviews several books related to end-times prophecies and futurism:

• 'DOOMSDAY 1999' by Charles Berlitz: Criticized for vagueness and lack of accuracy, presenting a random collection of theories without a clear focus on the stated end date.
• 'INVITATION TO A HOLOCAUST' by Rene Noorbergen: Reinterprets Nostradamus' prophecies regarding World War Three, predicting England sinking and conflict with Arabs and Chinese.
• 'THE NEW WORLD ORDER' edited by Timothy Green Beckley: A collection of channeled prophecies from space, discussing UFOs, inner-Earth civilizations, and a coming global disaster.
• 'THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS' by John A. Greed: Described as a genuine eccentric work, it is a comprehensive collation of religious and pseudo-religious material on the end of the world and Armageddon, praised for its referencing and indexing.

McClure laments the difficulty of obtaining such well-researched books compared to commercially successful but less substantive works.

Comets, Ions and 1988 by Molly Reid

Molly Reid, who previously worked in Genetics and Animal Behaviour, explores the historical and potential future impact of comets and atmospheric ions. She quotes an account from 1608 describing a comet's appearance alongside natural disasters and plagues, suggesting a link to atmospheric conditions or positive ions. Goldsmith's 'Animated Nature' is cited for its description of the 'Sameyel' wind and the potential for comets to leave a positive condition in their wake. The article references Fred Soyka's 'THE ION EFFECT' which details the adverse effects of ion imbalances on living creatures. Reid posits that the 'tail' of a comet could positively charge the Earth's atmosphere, potentially exacerbating existing tensions. She notes that comets have historically been associated with war and unrest. The author expresses a premonition that the year 1988 looms large, indicating a potential for significant events, possibly an atomic war, exacerbated by adverse atmospheric conditions and a lack of logic among world leaders. She warns of the risk of producing future generations of monsters due to radiation-induced mutations.

Readers Letters

This section features correspondence from readers:

• Roger Sandell challenges Jenny Randles' positive view of Nostradamus, arguing that his prophecies are rarely correctly interpreted and his forecasts are inaccurate. Sandell provides examples of Nostradamus' predictions that did not materialize, such as the greatness of the Venetian Empire around 1800 and a French Prince Henry uniting Europe. He also suggests that the word 'Hister' in Nostradamus' work likely refers to the Danube River rather than Hitler.
• Clive Harper suggests a possible origin for 'Mark of the Beast' stories in Willard Cantelon's book 'The Day the Dollar Dies', which allegedly describes a conspiracy by the Illuminati to wreck the financial system, leading to a world government, a world religion, and a computerised credit system.

Editorial

Kevin McClure reflects on receiving an article from Robert Anton Wilson. He appreciates Wilson's ability to confuse him and make him think, likening his style to George Bernard Shaw. McClure connects Wilson's ideas to Alan Garner's children's book 'The Owl Service', where misinterpretations of patterns lead to trouble. He emphasizes that ETB aims to be a combination of intelligent analysis, humor, and objective research, but cautions against a collective belief in the end of the world, suggesting that such a consensus could make it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around prophecies, futurism, and potential end-of-the-world scenarios, including millennialism, survivalism, and the impact of celestial events like comets. The editorial stance, as expressed by Kevin McClure, is one of cautious analysis and objective research, while also warning against the dangers of mass belief in apocalyptic predictions. There is a clear interest in exploring fringe theories and alternative interpretations of historical and future events, but with an underlying skepticism towards unsubstantiated claims and a call for critical thinking.