tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post43304114368195806..comments2023-10-25T05:30:54.507-04:00Comments on Oh Get A Grip!: If The Rapture Comes, Can I have Your Lexus?Ashe Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390519279886657608noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-24643133840283396342012-01-07T12:12:16.680-05:002012-01-07T12:12:16.680-05:00Hi Anonymous!
"Iminnent and always has been&...Hi Anonymous!<br /><br />"Iminnent and always has been"? There's an interesting paradox.<br /><br />When I read this, it makes me think what chaos "Heaven" would be is such a herd of cats were gathered there. They'd be giving each other Bible quizzes to make sure each one wasn't there by mistake. I can see poor Jesus sitting off by himself with his hands over his ears.<br /><br />GarceGarceushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11160407485298015371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-28791134573913467152012-01-07T01:30:57.451-05:002012-01-07T01:30:57.451-05:00(Hi Garceus. Saw this on the net.)
PRETR...(Hi Garceus. Saw this on the net.)<br /><br /> PRETRIB RAPTURE POLITICS<br /> <br /> Many are still unaware of the eccentric, 182-year-old British theory underlying the politics of American evangelicals and Christian Zionists.<br /> Journalist and historian Dave MacPherson has spent more than 40 years focusing on the origin and spread of what is known as the apocalyptic "pretribulation rapture" - the inspiration behind Hal Lindsey's bestsellers of the 1970s and Tim LaHaye's today.<br /> Although promoters of this endtime evacuation from earth constantly repeat their slogan that "it's imminent and always has been" (which critics view more as a sales pitch than a scriptural statement), it was unknown in all official theology and organized religion before 1830.<br /> And MacPherson's research also reveals how hostile the pretrib rapture view has been to other faiths:<br /> It is anti-Islam. TV preacher John Hagee has been advocating "a pre-emptive military strike against Iran." (Google "Roots of Warlike Christian Zionism.")<br /> It is anti-Jewish. MacPherson's book "The Rapture Plot" (see Armageddon Books etc.) exposes hypocritical anti-Jewishness in even the theory's foundation.<br /> It is anti-Catholic. Lindsey and C. I. Scofield are two of many leaders who claim that the final Antichrist will be a Roman Catholic. (Google "Pretrib Hypocrisy.")<br /> It is anti-Protestant. For this reason no major Protestant denomination has ever adopted this escapist view.<br /> It even has some anti-evangelical aspects. The first publication promoting this novel endtime view spoke degradingly of "the name by which the mixed multitude of modern Moabites love to be distinguished, - the Evangelical World." (MacPherson's "Plot," p. 85)<br /> Despite the above, MacPherson proves that the "glue" that holds constantly in-fighting evangelicals together long enough to be victorious voting blocs in elections is the same "fly away" view. He notes that Jerry Falwell, when giving political speeches just before an election, would unfailingly state: "We believe in the pretribulational rapture!"<br /> In addition to "The Rapture Plot" (available also at any library through inter-library loan), MacPherson's many internet articles include "Famous Rapture Watchers," "Pretrib Rapture Diehards," "Edward Irving is Unnerving," "America's Pretrib Rapture Traffickers," "Thomas Ice (Bloopers)," "Pretrib Rapture Secrecy" and "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty" (massive plagiarism, phony doctorates, changing of early "rapture" documents in order to falsely credit John Darby with this view, etc.!).<br /> Because of his devastating discoveries, MacPherson is now No. 1 on the "hate" list of pretrib rapture leaders who love to ban or muddy up his uber-accurate findings in sources like Wikipedia - which they've almost turned into Wicked-pedia!<br /> There's no question that the leading promoters of this bizarre 19th century end-of-the-world doctrine are solidly pro-Israel and necessarily anti-Palestinian. In light of recently uncovered facts about this fringe-British-invented belief which has always been riddled with dishonesty, many are wondering why it should ever have any influence on Middle East affairs.<br /> This Johnny-come-lately view raises millions of dollars for political agendas. Only when scholars of all faiths begin to look deeply at it and widely air its "dirty linen" will it cease to be a power. It is the one theological view no one needs!<br /> With apologies to Winston Churchill - never has so much deception been foisted on so many by so few!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-65128946680700853152012-01-05T20:53:28.482-05:002012-01-05T20:53:28.482-05:00Hi roberta!
The great sifter - that si such a goo...Hi roberta!<br /><br />The great sifter - that si such a good expression. That's just what it is, and by sifting dividing instead of uniting. When we divide ourselves from others we lose the ability to feel that we all share the same fate and sorrows.<br /><br />garceGarceushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11160407485298015371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-71216033466861224202012-01-05T20:51:45.078-05:002012-01-05T20:51:45.078-05:00Hi Lisabet!
I`think fear`has`a`lot to do with it....Hi Lisabet!<br /><br />I`think fear`has`a`lot to do with it. There's`so`much`out there to be fearful of. Life is so unpredictable for ourselves and those we love. We want to see in God some higher power that can be an advocate for us. The thing is though I have a lot of respect for the power of theistic faith, even if I'v lostmine. Faith is a tremendous source of strength to some people and enables them to go beyond their limits, I experienced that myself back in the day and I envy people who still have that afdvantage in life. But in the end I believe its true that the greater truth is that we all` come from the same place and sooner or later will all return to it. As` you say, its all God.<br /><br />GarceGarceushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11160407485298015371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-35671204615101418472012-01-05T12:50:25.876-05:002012-01-05T12:50:25.876-05:00Another of your good posts about spirituality, Gar...Another of your good posts about spirituality, Garce. This explains exactly why I don't want to hear about being Saved or Chosen for eternal bliss by anyone who believes in God as the Great Sifter.Jean Robertahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08805088081675965859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-57813993817238517222012-01-05T04:51:13.069-05:002012-01-05T04:51:13.069-05:00Garce, this is one of your best yet.
People hold ...Garce, this is one of your best yet.<br /><br />People hold on to the notion that they're the Chosen Ones because it helps smother the fear. Somehow they don't see how anti-spiritual the concept is. In fact, practically every war and many acts of everyday violence arise from the belief that some people are somehow worth more than others - that there's us and then there's the detested, despised, damned Them.<br /><br />I had a mini-revelation the other day when I was trying to meditate. "Remember who you are." If we all carry a spark of divinity within us - if as you say (and I believe) it's all God - then maybe remembering that will help us - no, me - I shouldn't speak for anyone else - act in a more loving, compassionate, joyful, honest way.Lisabet Saraihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05162514190572269660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-81265645342856997302012-01-04T16:56:28.920-05:002012-01-04T16:56:28.920-05:00Hi Fiona!
Thanks for reading my stuff! I admit i...Hi Fiona!<br /><br />Thanks for reading my stuff! I admit i stole the title from a similar bumper sticker i saw in a parking lot that said "If the Rapture Comes Can I have Your Truck? which actually reads a little funnier than Lexus, but LExus makes my point a little better.<br /><br />I've come to a very similar conclusion as you have regarding God as a life force. The fact is I still believe in God, in spite of everything, I've just lost my ability to be a theist. I definately don;t believe in Heaven and Hell. While I'm writing this in a cafeteria near where I work, an old Japanese woman in black jumpers and Reeboks is cleanin the table. She has small wrinkles all over her face, and hair tucked under her baseball cap and I feel sorry and wonder why she;s working at her age. She's old enough to have been around during the endof WWII and has seen some stuff. She's very different from me, but as i watch her work, and I watch a fly crawling on the top of my coffee cup i think all these things come from teh same place, that somewhere out there underlying matter isa common pool of consciousness and it manifests itself mysteriously wherever life appears. The fly doesn;t experience the same world that I do, but it shares it, and the old Japanese woman who has probably seen things I can;t imagine is very different from me and has very different interests than me and yet we all come from the same place, her, me and the fly. It's all God.<br /><br />GarceGarceushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11160407485298015371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-35185569177002542912012-01-04T15:05:26.409-05:002012-01-04T15:05:26.409-05:00Garce you have a gift of making your observations ...Garce you have a gift of making your observations about religion understandable to those of us who haven't studied it as thoroughly as you have. The analogy of the burning house holding your children while you eat cheesecake and enjoy being with God is an apt metaphor for what I have always found to be the remarkable hubris of those who insist that only THEY know THE WAY to God. And only THEIR God exists. Everyone else is just fooling themselves. Huh?<br /><br />If God indeed is the life-force that animates every living thing, then there is not so much a consciousness as a force, which is life itself. I like your post last year about the Tulkas. I shared that one with my husband and one son who likes to study religions, and we had many discussions about that concept. <br /><br />By the way, I live in a heavily evangelical town, where many work for the local religious college that trains missionaries to go out and preach. Yet I've always had friendships with those who live around us, who know damn well our cars are all in the driveway on Sunday morning...my Dad used to call us "7th-Day Absentists". I'd love to get the bumper sticker:"Come the rapture, can I have your car?" (www.NorthernSun.com), but fear it would get my car keyed.<br /><br />Another interesting post. Thanks for sharing.Fiona McGierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13495707848048468428noreply@blogger.com