Here it is! With only a few slight modifications (a comma here, a new paragraph there), this is the article I mentioned before. It got an A! Hope you like it!....
The Rev. Matthew Young, of the Elysburg Presbyterian Church, says that there is little to fear from the 2012 Doomsday prophecies.
With the approach of the world's latest speculation regarding the date of Doomsday, many people will look to the church for answers.
Having been an authority for those who feared the Doomsdays now past, how would the church respond to the stigma of 2012?
As many documentaries and articles have pointed out recently, the 2012 deadline is not exclusive to the Mayan civilization. Many prophets from across the globe, including the I Ching, Merlin (the nomad, not the wizard) and even Nostradamus have all pinpointed 2012 as the year when the world comes to a cataclysmic, hopeless end when humanity can progress no further.
To this, Young says, "Contrary to those who see humanity as simply evolving to greater and greater self-capacity for good, the Christian faith sees us moving toward a moment of judgment and final destruction of evil within and around us."
Additionally, Young believes that the Kingdom of God that is promised to arrive at the End of Days in the Bible is already present today.
He says, "In such places (like, hopefully, in churches!), we have what amounts to a sneak preview of the blockbuster event in the coming of the Kingdom."
Therefore, if 2012 is the fulfillment of the biblical End Times prophecies, things will only continue to improve.
Aside from the numerous legends that fuel the lore of 2012 outside of the Christian faith, the year will also mark the occurrence of a celestial event that inspired the Mayans to end the most accurate calendar the world has ever known on Dec. 21, 2012. On this day, it is thought that some of the planets will align with the sun as it crosses the galactic center.
Regardless of these theories, it is well known that religious beliefs and scientific theories do not always agree. However, many people believe that the book of Revelation in the Bible may indicate a validation to the galactic-alignment theory. But not everyone is so convinced of this idea.
Young says, "I would be quite disinclined to connect these images with a prophecy for some specific date, since our Lord never talks in ways that focused us on specific dates, nor does Holy Scripture move in that direction."
So before Christians and desperate believers decide to flock to the nearest chapel on Dec. 21, 2012, Young encourages people to leave the future to faith and live in the now.
"Every day, we Christians are called to be faithful followers of Christ, trusting Him with everything, knowing that whatever happens and whenever it happens, we belong to Him and He is in charge, as our Lord and Savior...the 2012 prophecies and such completely miss the consummation element (of God's love) and obsess about the purgation element. All Destruction plus no hope equals, 'Bummer, dude.'"
With stories circulating and panic rising, Young believes that the hype surrounding 2012 is more of an expression of the human desire to know the future than a likely catastrophe.
For Christians and nonbelievers alike, Young has a hopeful message regarding how people should view the upcoming pseudo-apocalypse and the time during which it will happen. "Our God, the Savior God, wants to save people," he says. "So whether Christ's return happens to coincide with the Mayan calendar or Aunt Millie's sneeze or Grand-pappy's poops, it doesn't matter. There is always hope for everyone, because of the shepherd character in Jesus Christ, who is both the Judge and the Savior."
Bare in mind that this is set to the AP grammar and style rules as interpreted by my Introduction to Journalism Professor.
So, there it is! Hope you liked it! That's just a three-page paper that is derived from a six-page interview transcript. Pastor Matthew had a lot more to say. I might post the interview transcript eventually, but for now I guess there's really nothing to be afraid of, guys! :)
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