Several hundred arrests were made in China involving members of a doomsday cult who were spreading rumors about the world ending on December 21. According to the Associated Press, over 500 members of this cult were arrested so far as the rumored apocalypse approaches.
The "Almighty God" cult group has people in China more worried than they should be about Dec. 21. The group was spreading rumors around the country that the sun would stop shining and there would be no electricity for three days starting on Dec. 21, but hat's just the beginning of the rumors.
"They are telling everyone that on Friday the sun will rise in the west and then disappear for three days and then there will be 72 days of terrible natural disasters starting from January 1, 2013," one 24-year-old former cult member whose 50-year-old mother is still a member said, according to Shanghaiist.
"They've also told all members to withdraw their money from the bank in preparation for the end of the world," he said.
The group goes door to door and spreads the message around public areas. They're telling people that only they can save them.
Over 100 arrests took place when members of the group attacked police and fooled people into giving them their money.
In China's Qinghai province, more than 400 people were arrested. Arrests were made in eight provinces.
The police seized banners, disks, books, leaflets, and even printing machines from members of the group so they can no longer hang out material.
The Almight God group, also known as Eternal Lighning has been around since 1990. The group is regarded as a heretical Christian sect and they believe that Jesus reappeared as a woman in China. The group has been blamed for kidnapping and beating Christians and forcing them to convert. Members are required to surrender their property to the group.
The group believes that destruction will come on Dec. 21. Many believe that this may be the end of the world as this is the day that the 5,125-year Mayan calendar ends. Fear of this day escalated in the country after the 2009 Hollywood disaster film "2012" was screened in the country recently.
Rumors have caused Chinese people to give away money and possessions and others are creating things like apocalypse survival pods and shelters.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
