China cracks down on 'Doomsday cult'

[downbeatplumb]

[Minimalist]

I'm always amused when jesus freaks claim that "xtianity" is making great gains in China.

THIS is the kind of stupid shit that is spreading among the ignorant over there.

[Faith No More]

Why are christians so keen for the end of the world?

Because they think Jesus is coming then, which will simultaneously vindicate their religion and give them a chance to look down their noses at all of the people whom they tried to warn but wouldn't listen.

[Something completely different]

I find it repulsive that the chinese authorities cracked down on this movement.

Cult or not, stupid ideas or not. It`s not a reason to crack down on them for exercising their free speech.

[Anomalocaris]

In their civilizational experience, tolerance of apocalyptic or utopian cults generally precedes social upheaval, bloody civil wars, dynastic collapse. They have long memories and a strong cultural reliance on civilizational experience. They also have a high appreciation for sophisticated, case by case pragmatism, and a contempt of the western concept of general "principle", whether that concept is applied to "free speech", "free market", "rights", etc.

To them, no one should have any freedom to speak in a manner which experience has shown to threaten social stability. If a "principle" contradicts this, then obviously the principle is overreaching, stupid and needs to be scraped.