"Is it worth making the effort to build a case for there being any real world consequences to the utterances of a hermit muttering away in a cave."
Interesting question. I suppose it depends how much time you think you have, what you feel is important and what you feel would be useful from your "hermit muttering" ruminations.
".. or do we allow fundamentalists to weave stories with this stuff that fosters superstition, ignorance and a diminution of the human potential ?"
Seems pretty clear that your opposition doesn't deflect them even a mm and in fact just supports the feeling they are right and persecution and mockery from non believers proves it.
More than likely anyone who falls for such beliefs will only fall for something else if released from that.
Probably better to just treat them as a yardstick and target for your own research.
However, now that wotsup is joining in on the Apocalypse, things are looking up. Possibly because of his close contact with the Spirit of Truth he is able to give dates and real world events with names of the baddies, specific countries and even the means they will use.
MrG is a bit of a hedger with lame threats of "soon" and vague mentions of apostate religions, kingly powers and harlots etc.
