Thank you for listening to Spotlight, I'm Sara DeKoster. And I'm Rebekah Schipper. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
A recent news study reports that the earth has a fifty percent chance of ending.today!
There are cultures and religions all over the world that talk about the end of the world. There are different names for it that you may have heard: the apocalypse, armageddon, the end times. The truth is, many people are wondering if, how, and when the world will end.
There are many different theories about the end times. You can search the Internet and find hundreds of websites about it. Western cultures seem to be the most interested in talking about the end times. Every year, Hollywood releases major summer films. Many of them show people what the end of the world could look like.
So what are people saying? How do people think that the world will end? Well, here are some of the most popular theories.
The Mega-Tsunami A Tsunami is a large wave. There is a Spotlight program about Tsunamis that you may have heard. Some of the largest Tsunamis have destroyed whole cities along the ocean. But it would take a very large tsunami to destroy the whole earth. It would take a very large volcano or earthquake to cause a tsunami like that. It could not cover the whole earth with water, but a mega-tsunami could destroy all of the world's cities along the oceans. Super Volcano There are only four known super volcanoes on the earth. They lie far below the earth's surface. But scientists believe they are the most powerful natural force that exists. If one erupted, it would send burning hot lava into the air. This lava could cover whole continents. The ash from the fire could be very thick. It could block out the heat from the sun. This would make the earth too cold for people and animals to survive.
Near Earth Objects You may have seen a Hollywood film about these dangerous space rocks. There are many objects floating around in space. They can be very large. Some of them are larger than the earth. If one of these objects hit the earth, very bad things could happen. Even a small object could cause volcanoes to erupt. It could cause a mega tsunami. But the most dangerous effect would be the large smoke clouds released into the atmosphere. These clouds would destroy the earth's atmosphere and could kill all life on the planet. Nuclear Warfare Right now, there are over forty thousand known nuclear weapons in the world. These large bombs together could easily destroy the world many times over. If one country decided to use a nuclear weapon, many more countries could follow. It could get out of control. Right now, no nation has a reason to use them. But people are always concerned that these bombs could go off.
Biological Warfare Right now, there is a great fear in the world of biological warfare. Evil governments and terrorist groups are harvesting diseases. They can store them for many years. Then, they can release them into the world. These diseases can kill many people in a small amount of time. Also, they would create a sense of fear around the world. People would be too afraid to live normal lives. Biological warfare could have terrible effects on the world.
Alien Invasion Are there other life forms in the universe? Can they travel to the earth? If they do, will they hurt us? There are many people who believe that we could experience an alien attack. If aliens to come to this earth, they probably will not want to share it with us.
Rising Sea Levels!
Scientific Experiments!
Robots!
Genetic Engineering!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Well it is no surprise that so many people are thinking about the end of the world. All of these things can make us feel very afraid.
But is it a good thing to feel so much fear about the end of the world? Well, it is good to know how our actions affect the earth. It is good to know what could happen if people use nuclear or biological weapons. It is good to know how we can help repair damage to the environment that could cause natural disasters.
But, it is not good to feel fear. In fact, Christians believe that children of God have no reason to be afraid of the end of the world.
There is a story in the Bible about a great flood. God sent the flood to destroy the whole world. It rained for forty days and forty nights. Everything was destroyed. God saved only one man and his family. When the water finally dried up, God sent the family a sign. He put a colourful rainbow in the sky. The rainbow was a sign that God would never destroy the world again like with a flood.
Christians believe that God is in control of the whole universe. The Bible says that God created it and he holds it in his hands. He knows every detail of this earth. He knows every leaf that falls from the trees. He knows how many hairs we have out our heads. When God sent his son Jesus to the earth, he told people not to worry about their lives. Jesus said, "Do not be afraid, just believe." If people believe in Jesus, he gives them life forever. They do not have to worry about what will happen to the earth. They know that God will protect them.
In the Bible, God promises to come back to the earth one day. He promises that he will save the earth from evil. Christians know that the end of the world will only happen when God wants it to. And we do not need to be afraid of that day. God is always in control.
This program was written by Sara DeKoster. The voices you heard were from the United States. Computer users can hear these programs, read our scripts, and see our wordbook on our website at www.radio.english.net. This program is called 'The End Times'. We love to hear comments and questions from our listeners. You can write to us care of this station. Or, our email address is radio@english.net. We hope you can join us again next time for Spotlight, Good-bye!
