rapture ready

Here is an interesting message boads I recently located called "rapture ready".These people are convinced that Jesus is returning soon, and this thread shows that many of the people are rather glad of the current escalation of hostility in the Middle East.They seem to have the good grace to be a bit torn due to the deaths and suffering and all, but not so upset that they can't also talk about their scrapbooking in the same thread. (what IS it about these Christian women and scrapbooking? They ALL seem to do it)Anyway, I think that this site is also interesting because they have separate fora for men and women.This site alone has over 10,000 active users.What I'd like to discuss is everyone's opinions on how dangerous this apocalyptic attitude is to the world. Edited by schrafinator, : No reason given.

Thread moved here from the Proposed New Topics forum.

Well, being eager about any kind of death is kind of weird, Middle East or not. But I think that people like that, who anticipate war as a biblical sign, while weird, are pretty harmless. I would think that the only problem would be if a person who was serious about war acting as a sign for the return of Christ got into a position of power where they could influence policy. And while we definitely do have some pretty religious people in power in this country, I don't think there is anyone that is that far gone.I would be curious to see what a Muslim's view is on people wanting a war in the middle east to fulfill a biblical prophesy.

Yes, IMHO it is the one of the greatest dangers facing mankind. It is not new, there have been apocalyptic cults down through the ages, the folk at Jonestown, the Heavens Gate people, the Manson Family and others. In the past they could simply be ignored as only a threat to themselves and little danger to the rest of the world.Today though we can no longer simply laugh them aside. Today it is actually possible for man to bring an end to civilization, perhaps even to all life on the earth. If no other steps are taken, we must at least become aware of those people that subscribe to the apocalyptic myth and watch them like hawks. If they are in positions of power their acts and actions must be made public so that we can step in and remove them from those positions if they behave in a manner that is likely to lead to an apocalypse.Edited by jar, : fix subtitle

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

schrafinator I think I would like to e-mail the site to both Israeli and Arab TV stations to let them see how these people are looking at them as though they were apocolyptic entertainment. Though I doubt they would air it I suppose it would be worth a try.

I browsed the link a bit. The groups mission statement while quite fundamentalist is not extreme enough to be labeled cultic. They acknowledge in #7 that they are not necessarily in agreement with other Christians. I think that eagerness for the Lords return is a plausible mainline Protestant belief, although realistically immature.I mean, even IF Christians take the Rapture belief seriously, we can hardly expect to be watching and cheering an N.F.L. football game or a NASCAR race or worse yet a tragic conflict in one of the global hotspots one minute and then,*poof*expect to be Raptured harmlessly to Heaven and be in any sort of mental orspiritualstate to began singing 24/7 praises to the blessed Creator of life the very next instant! I would not go so far as to label apocolyptic beliefs as cultic, but I would also expect that God would leave many of "us" behind to take care of the mess we have made on behalf of anyone left!Edited by Phat, : speklling and add by edit one sentence

There is a rather prominent and scary thread within modern mainstream Christiantiy (at least that I am exposed to as part of my own Christianity) that is absoultly obsessed with the end times.In my opinion this has nothing to do with Revelations but rather our seeming newly found hyper-obsession with end-times commentary and fictional writings. The "Left Behind" series was hugly popular among people I know and it was a bit scary to see a number of folk who got really deep into that world. Just imagine if star wars or LoTR junkies turned apocalyptic fundie.I actually enjoyed the series up to about the 6th or 7th book. It is rather heartwrenching and immensly suspenseful at points but towards the end I couldn't stomach it anymore. There is just something about Christian renegades running around shooting the soldiers of the anti-Christ with directed energy weapons in order to protect a mass of migrating Jews that screams bat-shit-lunatic to me.The problem I see is that many Christians today are focusing all of their doctrine around the end times and the book of Revelations. I cannot imagine the impact it would have if I told most of my Christian friends and family that I don't think Revelations belongs in canon.Really though when you look at it, it really is a psychotic book and it seems like it has done nothing more than induce other more sophisticated and personal styles of insanity in other Christian works and preaching of the day.I predict that this will only get worse before it ever gets better.

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Of course, biblical creationists are committed to belief in God's written Word, the Bible, which forbids bearing false witness; --AIG (lest they forget)

I dont wanna get left behind!!!!!

Well, Jesus Himself said these words: How can people worry about getting to Heaven when we have not even graduated from
Love Thy Neighbor: 101? I agree with you that Left Behind is a rather immature view.Edited by Phat, : spelling and add by edit the last sentence

No, in fact, that's exactly what the Rapturists believe - that the Rapture will cause the deaths of potentially millions of nonchristians, as Christian airline pilots, drivers, and others in crucial positions are suddenly assumed into heaven. It's all there in the Left Behind series of books, which are sort of the Rapturist's Bible Companion.Personally I think it's an argument - a humerous one, of course - against allowing Christians into any sort of position of power, authority, or control. If they're apt to disappear at any moment, it endangers the rest of us to allow them to be pilots, allow them to drive, allow them to be in charge of anything.

Of course, that would only play into the hands of a persecution complex and vast worldwide conspiracy!The solution against Rapturemania, IMHO, is education---specifically like the discussion we are now having, among other things.

Yeah, but how would they argue against it? "You're right, of course, that we might disappear at literally any moment; but you can't use that against us! We have an absolute right to kill nonchristians just so that we can be pilots and drivers!"

You have a point. One cannot argue against ones own logic (or illogic!)

I had a read of some of thir postings and apart from the mutual back-slapping and beleif affirmation they seem no more bonkers than any other funky fundementalist group.They just think it's (rapture) going to happen soon. As I understand it all xians believe Jesus will come back one day. Is it any more palettable that that time is way in the future (so no one mentions it) or in the near future (wich makes one take a long hard look at what it would logically mean)?As for dangerous? I reckon any one who is fundementalist should NEVER have any political power. Full stop.ABE: By the way, is that you on the pony?Edited by Larni, : No reason given.

The difference is in how different Christian groups see the incident.For many of us there is no one moment where Jesus returns and all are either condemned or pardoned, rather it is an individual moment that each of us will face.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion