Don't be left behind

[feste]

Excerpt from an article I read today

"During something called "The Rapture," Jesus snatches all the true believers on earth and brings them up to heaven.

According to Tim LaHaye, the word "rapture" comes from the Latin word "to snatch."

After The Rapture, the rest of us -- Jews, Muslims, Hindus, not born again Christians, and other non-believers -- are left here on earth to face a fiery furnace during something called "The Tribulation."

To some evangelicals, to induce the second coming, it's important that the Jewish temple be rebuilt on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem -- a site holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.

Building the temple on the Temple Mount could lead to World War III -- which maybe is the point.

Some evangelical Christians are now joining with extremist Jews to push this agenda.

We had heard that President Bush was a born again Christian.

So, we went to the White House earlier this week and asked Scott McLellan, the President's press secretary:

"Scott, on the Middle East -- many evangelical Christians in the United States are supporting right-wing Jews in Israel who want to rebuild the temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. They (Evangelical Christians) believe this is a prerequisite for Christ's return to earth.

They believe that when Christ returns to earth -- they call this The Rapture -- He will take back with Him the true believers. And the rest -- the non-believers -- Jews, Muslims -- will be left behind to face a violent death here on earth.

As a born again Christian, does the President support efforts to rebuild the temple on the Temple Mount?"

Hearing this question, all of a sudden, Scott was in a hurry.

He mumbled something like, "I will be glad to take your question, and if there is more, I will get back to you on that," ended the press conference, and left the room.

This was unfortunate, because we also wanted to know -- does the President believe in The Rapture and does he believe that during The Rapture he will be snatched up and taken by Christ to heaven, or will he be Left Behind to face a violent death here on earth?"

Stuff like this creeps me out. I saw Jimmy Carter on Charlie Rose last night. What a big difference from Bush. Carter is a religious man but he doesn't use it to exclude or denounce people and ideas. I'm not religious but it is easy to see who is the real Christian and who is just pretending to be one.

 

[red]

i dreamed of the pearl last night.

 

[langeweile]

Extremism of ANY form is dangerous.

 

[papasmerf]

Extremism of ANY form is dangerous.

Yes and this artice is a great example of extremism on the part of the "reporter".

 

[feste]

What creeps me out is not just the nutty scenario but the fact the guy with his finger on the button might have trouble differentiating between the idea of the Rapture and reality. I don't think the statement "Building the temple on the Temple Mount could lead to World War III" is overblown rhetoric. Such little incidents have caused huge wars before. For example, the Prince assassinated in Sarajevo that started WWI six weeks later. A completely pointless war that in turned led to WWII, the Holocaust and Hiroshima.

I also don't think the reporter did anything wrong. Someone should ask these questions and expose these nutty ideas so that they can be shot down and saner people can prevail. If Bush doesn't believe in this crap then he should deny it. I doubt he will though. I think he does believe this stuff. Just listen to him talk about crusades, axis of evil and all the other evangelical language. Having Cheney around actually might be a moderating influence because I don't think Cheney believes in this nonsense. The problem with him though is his prediliction toward throwing American might around indiscrimantly which might cause an accidental or unintentional nuclear event. Since the beginng of the Cold War the likelyhood of an accidental detonation of a nuclear weapon has always been greater than an actual war. The longer we go without one happening the greater the odds one will. Unless of course the US wakes up and cooperates in trying to rid the world of these weapons. Bush unfortunately has been going in the opposite direction. But if he believes in the Rapture then it doesn't seem so much like a real problem as much as an inevitability.

 

[papasmerf]

What creeps me out is not just the nutty scenario but the fact the guy with his finger on the button might have trouble differentiating between the idea of the Rapture and reality. I don't think the statement "Building the temple on the Temple Mount could lead to World War III" is overblown rhetoric. Such little incidents have caused huge wars before. For example, the Prince assassinated in Sarajevo that started WWI six weeks later. A completely pointless war that in turned led to WWII, the Holocaust and Hiroshima.

I also don't think the reporter did anything wrong. Someone should ask these questions and expose these nutty ideas so that they can be shot down and saner people can prevail. If Bush doesn't believe in this crap then he should deny it. I doubt he will though. I think he does believe this stuff. Just listen to him talk about crusades, axis of evil and all the other evangelical language. Having Cheney around actually might be a moderating influence because I don't think Cheney believes in this nonsense. The problem with him though is his prediliction toward throwing American might around indiscrimantly which might cause an accidental or unintentional nuclear event. Since the beginng of the Cold War the likelyhood of an accidental detonation of a nuclear weapon has always been greater than an actual war. The longer we go without one happening the greater the odds one will. Unless of course the US wakes up and cooperates in trying to rid the world of these weapons. Bush unfortunately has been going in the opposite direction. But if he believes in the Rapture then it doesn't seem so much like a real problem as much as an inevitability.

Ever placing any credence in this is somewhat extreme.

 

[feste]

Ever placing any credence in this is somewhat extreme.

So why not deny it or even laugh at it? By catering to it you give it a power it doesn't deserve. Not denying it aids the fanatics like Osama by giving them proof of America's extreme ideas and goals and makes you look foolish to the rest of the world.

 

[papasmerf]

So why not deny it or even laugh at it? By catering to it you give it a power it doesn't deserve. Not denying it aids the fanatics like Osama by giving them proof of America's extreme ideas and goals and makes you look foolish to the rest of the world.

No. Infact the entire story is silly enough on its own.

 

[Peeping Tom]

Drivel like that does a good job of discrediting itself. The left is getting dumber by the day lately - when they mixed the koolaid they must have laced it with PCP as well.

 

[Ranger68]

Yep. A frightening story.
Bush, HIMSELF, states quite openly that he thinks he was "chosen" to lead, and that after 9/11 he understood why.
Frightening.

Oh, BTW, papasmerf doesn't need any help looking foolish, Feste.

 

[papasmerf]

Yep. A frightening story.
Bush, HIMSELF, states quite openly that he thinks he was "chosen" to lead, and that after 9/11 he understood why.
Frightening.

Oh, BTW, papasmerf doesn't need any help looking foolish, Feste.

I stand corrected fining credence makes you look immature too.

 

[langeweile]

Yep. A frightening story.
Bush, HIMSELF, states quite openly that he thinks he was "chosen" to lead

ohhhh please..MAKE IT STOP

 

[Ranger68]

Drivel, hmm?
"I feel like God wants me to run for President. I can't explain it, but I sense my country is going to need me. Something is going to happen - I know it won't be easy on me or my family, but God wants me to do it."
- George W. Bush, circa 1999

"Although American voters are not generally swayed by foreign issues, the future of Israel and the Middle East is of great interest to one large voting bloc: those among the born-again Christians who subscribe to the belief that we are living in the End Times, and who insist that the United States support the most extreme expansionists in Israel because they actively look forward to a great war in the Middle East."
- Dyer, Future Tense

It's not drivel or nonsense just because you say it is.

 

[papasmerf]

And speaking of drivil. Are you as tired of yours as I am?

 

[Ranger68]

What's wrong langeweile? The truth too painful for you?


Anyone notice that those attacking the story use nothing but attacks on credulity, rather than rational arguments, to do so?
LOL

 

[Ranger68]

(Someone should remind papasmerf that he's on Ignore and I can't see his posts. Perhaps I should post a dictionary definition of Ignore for him. LOL )

Anyway, for those who are interested in rational discourse, to deny the existence of a far-right wing, very powerful extremist movement in Christian circles in the United States is, I think, to deny a frightening reality.

 

[langeweile]

Drivel, hmm?
"I feel like God wants me to run for President. I can't explain it, but I sense my country is going to need me. Something is going to happen - I know it won't be easy on me or my family, but God wants me to do it."
- George W. Bush, circa 1999

"Although American voters are not generally swayed by foreign issues, the future of Israel and the Middle East is of great interest to one large voting bloc: those among the born-again Christians who subscribe to the belief that we are living in the End Times, and who insist that the United States support the most extreme expansionists in Israel because they actively look forward to a great war in the Middle East."
- Dyer, Future Tense

It's not drivel or nonsense just because you say it is.

If you want to call every POTUS that has quoted god a christian extremist. Your list is going to be very long.
Could you pont me to your source? So I can read the whole article? Sometimes a "cut" passage can be missleading.

 

[Ranger68]

Really? What other president has made such a statement?

It's an excerpt from The Faith of George W. Bush by Stephen Mansfield.
You'll just have to read it.

 

[strange1]

Sorry but although the story is a little melodramatic, I can't see why people here like papa are so adamant that it's b.s. One of the reasons for the currrent administration's support for Israel is attributed to evangelical support. The WWIII line is overblown but look at how the current intifada was in part sparked by Sharon's visit to the mount. There is enough fact to support the story being written, even if it is only to further an agenda. I would expect those of you who are frequent posters to take the time to explain the view that the reporter is an extremist.

p.s. I recently read a book by Timm Lahaye, that tries to cash in on the DaVinci code. It follows the adventures of a evangelical professor of Biblical Archeology as he proves that the bible happened as it was written. I found it sickening.

 

[Ranger68]

Don't hold your breath, strange1.