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Post by Star Cluster on Mar 11, 2009 5:12:57 GMT -5
Since I pretty much consider myself one of the resident xtian theologians, I have an interesting answer to this. Evangelicalism itself, probably won't last another 20-30 years. Even their own leaders have been coming to this realization. They note that most xtians are either, if wanting to stay protestant, going to the more liberal churches, or, if wanting to stay conservative, are going to the traditionalist catholic and eastern orthodox churches. The only remnants we'll see that far down the road are those in the pentecostal and nondenominational megachurches, and even the pentecostals will probably be dying out. There more than likely won't be anymore evangelicalism or fundamentalism. It will be mostly liberalism and traditionalism, with maybe a few disparate remnant churches here and there. This would be wonderful if it happens. I've seen this espoused before, but honestly, I'm not that confident it will happen this quickly. I certainly hope I'm wrong, though, as I would love to see it happen in my lifetime. Since I'm now in my early 50's, that timetable may be pushing it a little bit for me, but, as the saying goes, hope springs eternal. |
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Post by amindfarfaraway on Mar 11, 2009 9:50:34 GMT -5
Since I pretty much consider myself one of the resident xtian theologians, I have an interesting answer to this. Evangelicalism itself, probably won't last another 20-30 years. Even their own leaders have been coming to this realization. They note that most xtians are either, if wanting to stay protestant, going to the more liberal churches, or, if wanting to stay conservative, are going to the traditionalist catholic and eastern orthodox churches. The only remnants we'll see that far down the road are those in the pentecostal and nondenominational megachurches, and even the pentecostals will probably be dying out. There more than likely won't be anymore evangelicalism or fundamentalism. It will be mostly liberalism and traditionalism, with maybe a few disparate remnant churches here and there. This would be wonderful if it happens. I've seen this espoused before, but honestly, I'm not that confident it will happen this quickly. I certainly hope I'm wrong, though, as I would love to see it happen in my lifetime. Since I'm now in my early 50's, that timetable may be pushing it a little bit for me, but, as the saying goes, hope springs eternal. Yeah, I know what you mean. And if you'll study the history of the protestant churches, movements come and go about every 75-100 years or so, and since the rapture has been in effect for about 140 years, it is it's time to go. |
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Post by ironbite on Mar 11, 2009 14:03:38 GMT -5
HAH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! There I laughed at your proclamation that there won't be anymore evangelicalism or fundamentalism. Because there will be. As long as there's a shred of money to be found from lieing to people or a few closed minds, there will always be those two groups.
Ironbite-I predict that the two groups will lose influence but they won't ever just go away.
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Post by amindfarfaraway on Mar 11, 2009 16:42:24 GMT -5
Many evangelical and fundamentalist xtian leaders are noting how evangelicalism is already slowly dying. The problem with evangelicalism is that it was a "bible-based" socio-political and cultural movement. As that culture is slowly evolving, evangelicalism will slowly die. It's a movement that had a particular social outlook, which was based on what students of philosophy might call modernism. And just as modernism has died out, so too will evangelicalism. Other xtian movements that were based more on a particular theological outlook are the ones that have survived longer than 100-200 years. Evangelicalism was not a theological outlook, but a social and cultural one. It was doomed to fail from the beginning. Now, about fundamentalism, I think you are right, ironbite, that it will continue on. However, it will have to change, at least superficially, if it hopes to survive and not go down the same path of evangelicalism. Fundamentalism was more of a theological movement to combat the perceived liberalism entering the churches back during the Enlightenment. It has survived this long, and probably will continue to, like you said. And yes, I think it will lose influence, and it will also lose membership. Most xtians are either becoming liberal, or if not liberal, then at least postmodern (which is another movement in xtianity that will eventually die out, but I feel might last a little bit longer than evangelicalism will), conservative traditionalist, in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, or, as can be seen by the growth of Mormonism, part of some restorationist movement. Pentecostalism has been defined as both fundamentalist and evangelical, and if the latter is correct, then it's the only evangelical group that will survive. But evangelicalism will die off, and, going back to the original topic, the rapture belief will decline, although I don't think it will entirely disappear.
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Post by auroramike on Mar 12, 2009 17:45:42 GMT -5
I think that if Obama's tenure as president (btw, not a fan myself of O myself) comes and goes and there is no rapture, I think you'll see a "falling away" which sadly, will play into the hands of the most ultra conservative. The group that moves away will be a rather depressing bunch IMO because they'll come to realize they wasted a good chunk of their life believing in a lie. Those that do stick with it will rally the troops and they'll go even deeper over the edge.
But both James and 1 John clearly state that the second coming was imminent. I remember when Regan was President that he was going to be the last President, that he was going to usher in the NWO. And then how Bush #1 was starting the war of Armageddon with the whole Iraq War take 1. And then how Clinton was going to erode this country into nothing with his liberal values (btw, I'd so vote for slick willy again, best prez in my lifetime) and then 9/11 meant it was time, the rapture was going to happen now.
Obama is now that person and the "signs" are even greater now. And if the market recovers, banks aren't nationalized, there is no NAU, no single world currency, etc etc etc and the US still is a dominant world player, then they'll bemoan that they misread the signs yet again.
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Post by Star Cluster on Mar 13, 2009 6:13:56 GMT -5
I think that if Obama's tenure as president (btw, not a fan myself of O myself) comes and goes and there is no rapture, I think you'll see a "falling away" which sadly, will play into the hands of the most ultra conservative. The group that moves away will be a rather depressing bunch IMO because they'll come to realize they wasted a good chunk of their life believing in a lie. Those that do stick with it will rally the troops and they'll go even deeper over the edge. But both James and 1 John clearly state that the second coming was imminent. I remember when Regan was President that he was going to be the last President, that he was going to usher in the NWO. And then how Bush #1 was starting the war of Armageddon with the whole Iraq War take 1. And then how Clinton was going to erode this country into nothing with his liberal values (btw, I'd so vote for slick willy again, best prez in my lifetime) and then 9/11 meant it was time, the rapture was going to happen now. Obama is now that person and the "signs" are even greater now. And if the market recovers, banks aren't nationalized, there is no NAU, no single world currency, etc etc etc and the US still is a dominant world player, then they'll bemoan that they misread the signs yet again. This is the key to the whole thing here. Rapturetards have been misreading the "signs" for 2000 years now and will continue to do so. Although the mass hysteria from the year 2000 "Jesus is Coming!" wave is subsiding, as long as religion plays a significant role in people's lives, there will continue to be at least a remnant group that proclaims "Any day now!" |
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Post by Doctor Fishcake on Mar 13, 2009 6:24:15 GMT -5
Rapture Ready itself has been online since 1987. I think that tells it's own story.
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