Just so as you don't get too depressed thinking about the stupidity of what passes for thought amongst certain people, I thought you might like to read this: http://www.insolitology.com/guides/rapture.htm "They also quote Matthew 24 as saying that Jesus predicted all sorts of wars and catastrophies before the Rapture, but I don't think they read the passage very well. It says that these things always happen, not that they are exceptional. Wait, I was expecting logic, never mind.
"The Rapture will take place "in the twinkling of an eye". It seems simple, but this has consequences which have never been fully explored by Christians. If their brethen might dissapear immediately at any time, then they should be barred from a number of jobs. Airplane pilots, for one. How about supervisors at nuclear plants ? How about those guys who put the caramel in the Caramilk ? If they dissapear, who will replace them ? Anyone who believes in the Rapture should encourage discrimination against his breathen or sistren." Share and Enjoy! Wesley Parish On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 21:29, prezbotchistheultimatechimpanzee wrote: > This was an EXCELLENT post (The Rapture Index and the 2004 Election) > to our Rhetoric site. > > Thank you Jim Morrison for passing it along.I'd like if I may, to > add something to what you posted based on my own personal life > experience in this area. > > I can attest to the truthfulness of the excerpts from Bill Moyers > and George Maniot (hope I got the names spelled right). > > I used to belong to a two different denominations, so called "non- > denominational" evangelicals who subscribed to exactly the scenario > of the rapture described in these excerpts. For thirteen years,until > I fell out of these beliefs and more or less deprogrammed myself, I > heard such teachings every Sunday from the pulpit woven into the > sermons given. > > This sounds wild-eyed and nuts but it is indeed an integral part of > the beliefs of most 'fundamentalist' Christian churches in the > United States. > > I came across an old-style preacher on the radio in the 1970's by > the name of Walter Martin, who had founded an anti-cult apologetics > organization to combat the teachings of non-orthodox teachings such > as Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Sun Myung Moon, etc. > > This radio preacher showed from the Bible how this rapture teaching > is not supported in any reasonable reading of the Bible and he > showed it elowquently cross referencing between books of the New > Testament, to show that the early Apostles believed that the Church > (believers) would GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION. But you can't > convince any right-wing, fundamentalist today hardly anywhere of > this. They have swallowed this, I would call it, heresy, hook, line, > and sinker and they are adamantly convinced that it is literally > coming to pass before our eyes. > > I am ashamed now to admit that I too at one time believed this as > a 'given' until I began questioning it after I heard the > aforementioned broadcast radio evangelist, Dr. Walter Marin, who > died in the late 1970s or early 1980's, but his organization lives > on in the form of the Christian Research Institute in Southern > California. > > I just wanted to thank Jim Morrison for passing this along to us. It > explains a lot in terms of support for George Bush among so-called > Christians, who are very sincere (but I believe sincerely wrong) in > their dedication to such teachings being literally true about the > rapture and doing all they can to 'help it happen'. > > It explains why they are 'proof' against any objective, rational > analysis of Bush's myriad crimes and failures. It is mystifying to > us who practice empirical observation just HOW these people can be > so 'programmed' but programmed they are and they DO believe it is a > matter of ETERNAL' life and death and their duty to propagate this > belief and these politics by any means possible in order "to save as > many as possible for Christ". > > I know whereof I speak. I (red faced now but really believed it back > then)...was ONE OF THEM. > > Thank you again,Mr. Morrison, for sharing such a valuable insight. > It hit the proverbial nail on the head. Bullseye. Thank you and I > hope this is a wake up call to us who consider > ourselves 'progressives' that the power of religious fervor is > indeed strong, and I believe, very dangerous because it now is > playing with the use of weapons of mass destruction. Whether Islamic > fundamentalist or "God's Cowboys" here in America, we have a world > teetring on the brink of any number of disaster scenarios. > > I can't remember where I heard it said, but I like this saying: > "There is no man so dangerous as that man who KNOWS that he is > RIGHT". > > That is a good part of how GW got back in. We thought we had the > momentum behind us, we who are sick to death and sick at heart when > we think of the slaughter, economic damage, damage to America's > prestige and credibility....we progressives thought that finally > RIGHT was on our side...and it was.....but the religious right > marches to the beat of a "proof texted" "jury rigged" Christianity, > as American as hot dogs and coca cola. And it indeed IS driving > George Bush's Iraq policy. > > INSANITY to those of us, Christian or non Christian, who I believe > are rational, but SALVATION to the programmed "rapturist-Fallwell- > Robertson-Right-Wing-God's-American-Political-Army" people > > ********************************************************************* > ****************************************************************** > > Excerpts from an address given by Bill Moyers to the Society of > Professional Journalists 2004 National Convention, September 11, > 2004 > > The Rapture Index and the U.S. election > > How do we explain the possibility that a close election ... could > turn on several million good and decent citizens who believe in the > Rapture Index? That's what I said ­ the Rapture Index. Google it > and you will understand why the best-selling books in America today > are the twelve volumes of the Left Behind series which have earned > multi-millions of dollars for their co-authors who earlier this year > completed a triumphant tour of the Bible Belt whose buckle holds in > place George W. Bush's armour of the Lord. These true believers > subscribe to a fantastical theology concocted in the l9th century by > a couple of immigrant preachers who took disparate passages from the > Bible and wove them into a narrative millions of people believe to > be literally true. > <snip> -- Wesley Parish * * * Clinersterton beademung - in all of love. RIP James Blish * * * Mau e ki, "He aha te mea nui?" You ask, "What is the most important thing?" Maku e ki, "He tangata, he tangata, he tangata." I reply, "It is people, it is people, it is people." ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. 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