Do sane people believe in Rapture?

Do sane people believe in Rapture?


It is clear that within US politics the question of just how influential will be the religious element is going to be an important issue for the foreseeable future. It is also clear that people are contributing to this forum those political views are guided by their religious beliefs.

So I was wondering what they and others thought of the more wacky religious doctrines and if we think them sane, silly, dangerous, believable etc.

Here is an extract from an article to get us going -

Some rapture theology teaches that "the apocalyptic end of world history is predetermined by God in our time," Jewett noted. "Consequently, there is nothing we can do to avert it.

"In this view, peacemaking is both futile and sinful, and all efforts to promote international cooperation are inspired by Satan. Every compromise with our adversaries is viewed as a betrayal of divine trust. Every effort to achieve arms control and to reduce the danger of accidental nuclear wars is a sellout to the demonic powers.

"Similarly, efforts to deal with pollution or global warming are seen as futile and counterproductive [because the end is near]. While rapture advocates don't wish to promote a holocaust or a global ecological crisis, they are convinced God wills it and thus there is absolutely nothing humans can do to stop these dangers.

"The modern form of rapture theology divides the world into the true believers, who will be rescued from the tribulation, and the rest of the inhabitants of planet Earth who will suffer because of their sins."

Raptured politics

http://www.thelutheran.org/9912/page28b.html

 

Interesting topic. Strange, prior to the election one would expect to find this topic in the "Philosophy/Religion" forum. But time has a strange way of changing things doesn't it? With the election, and now the aftermath of the election I'm sure there are going to be ample discussion of religion here in this forum. When we put fanatics in office we will pay the price. As for the "rapture". No, I personally don't believe in it.

There are people however who believe adamently in such nonesense and also believe it is their "duty" to help bring it about. We currently have a fair number of these folks in our politics.

This kinda shoots to hell the freewill scenario doesn't it? I tend to believe that it is entirely up to us. We can blow ourselves up or we can decide to get along. I believe that the future is subject to change therefore I don't believe that anything is set in "stone". Our future will be the result of the actions that we take now. Just as our past actions have brought us to where we are at the present.

This includes our politics as well as our religion. If we allow religion and politics to mix, (the direction we seem to be heading) then I believe we are in for one hell of a ride that could ultimately bring about this so called apocalyptic future. But, it would be by OUR hand. We have the power to create hell on Earth, or heaven on Earth. The choice is ours.

The more we bring religion into our politics the more risk we run of becoming just like the enemies we are currently calling the Axis of Evil. The only difference between them and us is that they are moslems and the USA's religion of choice being christian. Of course these so called christians tend to forget that their Christ said "...all are welcome at my Fathers table.." Fanatics exist in both and we currently have a few of those fanatics in power up on the hill. Once again we will see more bloodshed and wars all in the name of religion.

 

The dubious theology of the "rapture" is easily debunked. Here's a good sampling, though the embedded links to the actual articles are unfortunately not working:

http://www.christiancounterculture.com/cc_20218.html

 

And Other SANITY Questions....


Do Sane People Really Believe:

...Affirmative Action is Necessary?

...Affirmative Action is Even Fair?

...The US Constitution really supports Abortion?

...The US Media is not liberally biased?

...the democratic party, the party of Kerry, Kennedy, Rochefeller {WV}, Soros, Baldwin {Alec}, and Goldberg {Whoopi} is in any way what-so-ever, "the party of the little guy"?

...Vouchers would not improve the education American children recieve?

...Tax cuts are the government "giving" money to people?

...Businesses and especially corporations ever pay one penny in tax?

 

There are plenty of other threads debating these, this one was about the rapture, and the psychological/political effects of this doctrine of faith. You can't seem to justify this so you change the topic, typical of people who have an unjustifiable view and don't have any way of defending it.
"I think the rapture is going to occur in my lifetime" -every christian since 33 a.d.
i think the rapture basically plays into people's fear that they are permanently screwing this world up, and that they are going to have to leave it to their children. This story makes people feel better since everyone is going to die pretty soon.
"i will return quickly" - jesus.

 

The Bush version clearly redistributes wealth to the rich. Soaring deficits (and their impact on interest rates) tend to burden the poor more heavily.

I realize that such taxes are typically passed onto consumers, but that's perfectly reasonable. For instance, the Superfund (toxic waste cleanup) program used to be funded by taxes on petrochemical industries. Bush has recently shifted this to the general fund. I think that consumers of products that create toxic waste should pay to clean it up, not general taxpayers.

 

Wrong. The "rapture" concept was unknown prior to the 18th century.

He warned his followers to constanty be prepared for his return, which could come at any time. This is supposed to inspire faithfulness, not apathy.

 

Hold It!

I thought this thread was about Sanity.

Sanity-- it's right there in the title.

And as for "psychological/political effects", you think any of the forms of insanity i mentioned, don't have any?!?!


There's no topic change here.
This is a topic about looking at life realistically, or living in a world of dreams, which in essense describes the whole liberal movement, since about 1968.

 

"Do sane people believe in Rapture?"

No.

 

**

But I thought many evangelicals were into the rapture and the Left Behind books are very very popular. Here are some random comments on the Left Behind website –

After reading most of the Left Behind Series I've realized that there isn't much time left in this world and that I need to be a better witness to the lost world around me. It made me realize that any day Christ could come back for us believers, but those haven't believed, my friends, family, they would be left behind. So after reading the first and second book, I started witnessing more and some of my friends and family who were once lost, now know Jesus.
- Mary

Hi, my name is Jennifer, and I was saved at age 12. I'm now almost 15. I was saved at a Baptist church camp in 2001. After I returned home, I started growing further from the Lord. This past Christmas, my sister-in-law got the Left Behind series. I started reading it, and I noticed I was growing closer to the Lord. I started attending church and praying three or four times a day, asking the Lord to show me the right path and to forgive me of any sin I may commit. And the Lord answers my prayers! I am SO thankful for the Left Behind series.
—Jennifer

The series has brought me closer to God. It taught me that kids like us can really make a difference in the world.
—Jaclyn

The Left Behind books brought me to God. Before I became a Christian I was a skateboarder punk who didnt listen to anybody but myself. I was a druggy, an alcholic, and a thrill seeker. But thanks to Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, I have seen the light and am now washed in the blood of the Lamb.
—Travis

after reading revelation unveiled,i finally got the big picture ! irealized that jesus christ is the only answer and that roman catholicism is a perversion of the faith. i was roman catholi,went to catholic grade school and high school,and drifted away from the church. i wanted to go back,but i just could'nt. i'm glad i didn't. but i realize also too, that the holy spirit is in my life in a definite way,and after 52 years,i am trulu saved. i love god more and more every day,and i can say i am saved after 3 tries. thank you for leading me to jesus christ in truth.
- loretta


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I mean are there no figures on how many Christians in the US believe in rapture?

**

So if rapture is silly is creationism? I mean a very important issue in politics is education. There are many people out there that want creationism taught in schools what about rapture?


**

 

Alright -- we'll talk about the Rapture.

There are all sorts of reasons the question is illegitimate ---
> This is the Politics Forum;
> If anyone other than the moderator brought up such a blatantly religious question, it would be bumped to another place;
> It's basically an insult thread --- "Sanity???".


But Of Course most people who beleive in the Rapture are Sane.
I reckon some few are not, just as i expect that some people who voted for John Kerry are not, some people who are homosexuals are not, and some people who live in Great Britian are not, but those have nothing to do with anything either.


Do people who belieive in the Rapture go to work, support their families, take part in their communities, pay taxes, live responsibly, drive cars, mow their lawns, and do all the other things that normal sane people do?

Well of course they do, and my bet is they do it all better than the cross section of respondants to hipforums.com do.


Some will argue that to believe in a "rapture" demonstrates an unreal veiw of the world, that pushes them into the definition of insanity.

But then I would say exactly the same thing about people who beleive that:
> Affirmative Action is Good for America,
> Abortion is mentioned in the US Constitution,
> Or that School Vouchers would not help the American Education System.


And I would say it in spades about Forms of Insanity that include:
> George Bush was an illegitimate president, circa 2000-2004;
> Human Beings are intrinsically good {Evidence please};
> Hillary Clinton could be elected President;
> Republicans are the modern day equivalent of naziis;

And at least a dozen other ideas I read on this forum regularly, that really could not be held by persons with a firm grasp of reality.

 

This is a straw man. Those who believe in a literal 6-day creation ~6000 years ago are a very vocal but small minority of Christians. However, a great many "creationists" (Christian or otherwise) simply question the quasi-religious, pseudo-scientific dogma of naturalistic macroevolution:

http://www.reasons.org/resources/apologetics/index.shtml#creation_vs_evolution

 

Religion is for the weak-minded and those who suffer from neurological disorders.
"The foundation of all mental illness is the unwillingness to experience legitimate suffering" -Carl Jung

There is no God. You are on your own, people. Superstition will not help. Do you find that scary?

 

I thought of THIS THREAD right away when i discovered this new web-site.



http://nowar.ca/



A Canadian reader emailed the link to this hotbed of Bush Derangement Syndrome: Toronto Coalition To Stop The War <http://nowar.ca>. They’re in the grip of a strange delusion that George W. Bush is about to be arrested and charged with war crimes, and they’re calling on Prime Minister Paul Martin to rescind his invitation or risk being arrested and indicted too.

To promote their odd hallucination, they’ve put together a web site that looks like it was designed by an evil child without much graphic talent, complete with several of those caricatures of Bush as the omnipotent moronic chimp Hitler, for which the left is justly renowned.


Living in a world of unreal hopes and illusion -- and Now THAT is Certifiable Insanity!

 

If you define sanity as what the majority believes.

 

Well one thing IS certain.

Insanity is a characteristic of a minority of the people.

 

Hahahahaha. (Laughing like a madman)

 

There are all sorts of reasons the question is illegitimate ---
> This is the Politics Forum;
> If anyone other than the moderator brought up such a blatantly religious question, it would be bumped to another place;

As pointed out by an earlier poster the sad fact is that many if not most Christian evangelists vote Republican, right wing and for Bush. It then becomes very pertinent to look at the beliefs of such people since they are likely to influence their political viewpoint.

> It's basically an insult thread --- "Sanity???".

There are several meanings for insanity there is a legal one that declares a person unsound of mind to the point that they cannot make bidding contracts or vote. Other meanings are that insane people hold delusional views or believe in extremely foolish ideas.
So it depends on a persons viewpoint of what they think of as delusional or foolish. Some may think that one day ‘gods chosen’ are going to disappear, ‘beamed up by Jesus’ as I heard one person put it, but others are going to see that as an insane idea.


But Of Course most people who beleive in the Rapture are Sane.
I reckon some few are not, just as i expect that some people who voted for John Kerry are not, some people who are homosexuals are not, and some people who live in Great Britian are not, but those have nothing to do with anything either.


You say ‘of course’ by why is Rapture not a delusional or extremely foolish idea?

Some will argue that to believe in a "rapture" demonstrates an unreal veiw of the world, that pushes them into the definition of insanity.
But then I would say exactly the same thing about people who beleive that:
> Affirmative Action is Good for America,
> Abortion is mentioned in the US Constitution,
> Or that School Vouchers would not help the American Education System.


But the thing is affirmative action, abortion and voucher proposals are not supernaturally based. George Bush, Hillary Clinton and Republicans are human beings not gods you might agree or not with what they say and do but I do not think many believe they have magical abilities. You can debate their politics and persuade people to vote for their ideas or against them. Those that believe in Rapture are talking about something whose merits unlike those of say affirmative action, can be discussed rationally since to them their god is going to do it anyway. Rapture also cannot be voted on like say a voucher scheme in fact is doesn’t matter to Rapture believers what others think and that is the point I’m trying to make if someone things that Rapture is going to happen how does that affect their political judgement? Can they think of the long term benefits to people and the planet if they are only thinking in the short term?


**

 

Watch some of the Evangelical TV shows. They truly believe that GW Bush was selected by God to run the nation and world.

 

Even if every word was true,
It still has nothing to do with your charge of insanity.
Unless of course we are talking about your obcession with what other people think.