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Post by wisechild on Mar 3, 2009 18:44:58 GMT -5
Will enthusiasm for the Rapture wane within ten years? By that I mean as a whole. I'm sure there will probably be churches who will still think that The Second Coming is imminent , but will Evangelicals, in general, get away from that "five to ten year mentality," that makes them think that world events will unfold towards Armageddon?
I say ten years, because fear mongers have kicked it into high gear since the Sixties, when society went through some rebellion, and in ten years, half a century would have passed since. 1970 + 50 = 2020.
Will Evangelicals leave the "any day now", five to ten year mentality behind? And move towards a hundred year mentality of, say, "mainline" Protestants.
Yeah, yeah, sounds naive, I know, there will always be Fundies who believe crazy things, but as a whole, after fifty years has past since socially conservative folks lament what they see as a great social (and "moral") decline, will there be a feeling, among a majority of relatively sensible Evangelical Christians that society needs to feel like moving in a bright, progressive direction? Causing all sorts of doom and gloom of End Times thinking to fade away? Or will it take longer? There is, of course, the question of disillusionment, in some small or big measure, as well.
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Post by Mira on Mar 3, 2009 18:46:21 GMT -5
They have been doing this for almost 2000 years now. I don's see them stopping anytime soon.
Its just a couple days a way, like next Wednesday, I swear!
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Post by The Lazy One on Mar 3, 2009 18:50:20 GMT -5
They have been doing this for almost 2000 years now. I don's see them stopping anytime soon. Its just a couple days a way, like next Wednesday, I swear! No, they're too late. The Rapture was last Thursday. Three people and a cat named Mr. Pickle were taken up.
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Post by Jebediah on Mar 3, 2009 18:53:40 GMT -5
I can't imagine waiting for something to happen for 2000 years. I would just give up. I mean, really, if JC hasn't come back by now, it's just not going to happen.
Although, if he does comes back, I wonder if it would be anything like this.
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Post by wisechild on Mar 3, 2009 19:45:53 GMT -5
I can't imagine waiting for something to happen for 2000 years. I would just give up. I mean, really, if JC hasn't come back by now, it's just not going to happen. Well, I'm talking about fifty years in some people's memories. Society seems to be headed towards an attitude adjustment, and some of that might bleed into the Evangelical community, greater optimism, some of them may not think about the end of the world, so much. If society becomes brighter, more optimistic and Evangelicals want to mimic part of this zeitgeist then The Tribulation would be a downer. This question seemed silly, earlier today, I'm sorry, I'm having a difficult time expressing what I want to say. I'm thinking that the idea of the end of the world will eventually wear out.
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Pookie
Junior Member
Posts: 55
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Post by Pookie on Mar 3, 2009 19:55:16 GMT -5
There will always be some nut out there claiming armageddon (such as the laughable Y2K crisis, which had everything to do with a misunderstanding of technology and nothing to do with religious fanaticism), but I think if the world drifts more in favor of science and less in favor of superstition, you might see a decline in enthusiasm for the Rapture.
At least until a very-real and very-massive asteroid is found to be in a direct collision course with earth, then I think we might have a problem.
Unfortunately, though, there are a lot of weak minds out there who can be led to believe anything, including the end of the world. Think of how many cults of Christianity (which even Christians, thank goodness, scorn) that predict the end of the world and gather disturbingly large numbers of people to their causes.
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Post by mistermuncher on Mar 3, 2009 19:57:01 GMT -5
Not a chance it will ever wane it the hearts of the kooks.
Any "sign" means it is closer. No signs means "no man knows the hour", therefore it's closer still. Take a look at RR's rapture index, for example (and guffaw heartily at the supposed factors that enter into their Biblical literalism), and it becomes clear. It's like the Ferengi Rules Of Acquisition, if you will. All things are good for profit. All situations mean more profit. There is no contradiction involved in diametrically opposed "causes" having the same "effect".
In short, it's a self-sealing knot of bullshit.
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Post by MozMode on Mar 3, 2009 20:03:20 GMT -5
I think enthusiasm will definitely wane, of course. But like Pookie said, there will always be weak minded individuals that will keep believing in such nonsense. It's going to take a lot longer than 5 years for there to be any considerable, noticable shift towards progress.
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ModernBunny
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Agnostic Theist and Ex-Christian
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Post by ModernBunny on Mar 3, 2009 22:36:31 GMT -5
Belief in the Rapture may fade, as it is bound up with contemporary Middle Eastern politics and a sense of "the world's gonna end real soon now!". The Christian church hasn't always acted like a doomsday cult. Unfortunately, the Rapture can easily be replaced by some other goofball nonsense.
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Post by m52nickerson on Mar 3, 2009 22:46:07 GMT -5
I don't see it going away to soon.
..........lets fact it.......it has been the end times since the beginning.
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rhi
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The day needs my saving expertise!
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Post by rhi on Mar 3, 2009 22:53:37 GMT -5
It's not about what's going on in the world at large. Certain types of people will always WANT the Rapture to be real, and will find justification for it wherever they look. If you point out how world events are contradicting one part of the Scripture they're clinging to, they'll ignore that and pounce on another part that might fit the situation better, and use THAT as their proof that Jesus is coming SOON!
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ModernBunny
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Agnostic Theist and Ex-Christian
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Post by ModernBunny on Mar 4, 2009 0:00:24 GMT -5
When I was a kid in 1980s Texas, surrounded by Baptists, the Rapture was not standard fare. Some believed it was The End Times, but not everyone, and the Rapture did not appear to be accepted by all Christians at that time. Not that people didn't have goofball ideas. But the Rapture wasn't absolutely everywhere as it is today. Even though I was once a fundamentalist, I never believed in the Rapture. It sounded too much like waiting for the Mothership. Evangelical leaders like John Hagee relentlessly preach the Rapture for a reason. It *could* fade, easily. And since Rapturists tend to be infatuated with the State of Israel, a good deal of their belief in the Rapture hinges on the State of Israel. Every time Israel and Lebanon/Iran/Whoever so much as glare at each other, the Rapturists pack their bags and get ready to "go home". The Rapture can be replaced.
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Post by Star Cluster on Mar 4, 2009 0:22:40 GMT -5
Actually, the concept of "The Rapture" didn't get started until the early 1700's by the Puritans. Even though Christians prior to that believed that Jesus would return, it wasn't until the 1780's that the word Rapture was used in reference to it.
Pookie mentioned the Y2K scare as it pertained to computers, but the year 2000 was big in church circles also because it was strongly thought by rapture believers that Jesus would return at that time. There was a great build-up to it and some Christians worked themselves into a euphoric state anticipating it. I think that is why there has been such an emphasis on the rapture over the past 15- 20 years. I also think that the further away from the year 2000 we get, the less we'll hear about it. Personally, about the only time I hear it anymore is when it is brought up here from someone quoting the fucktards over at Rapture Ready.
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Post by Caitshidhe on Mar 4, 2009 0:58:41 GMT -5
Unfortunately, I don't believe that people will stop believing that the rapture is SO CLOSE, either. They've all been waiting for it and weirdly HOPING for it for such a long time. The only thing that matches it is the number of OTHER people going, "Yep, can't be long now--they'll figure out it's all crap and they'll stop believing in it soon enough. Yessiree, any day now!"
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Post by antichrist on Mar 4, 2009 1:33:11 GMT -5
Nah, now they're all hung up on 2012 Next it will be 2033 (2000 years after Jesus left) Then they'll grab onto Newtons prediction of 2060
I've been listening to it since the 60's. I think the only thing making it more noticeable is the internets.
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