I recently heard an interview with Father Sean Mc Donagh, who stated quite enequivocally that the Rapture is a heresy (the modern 'rapturists' took the lead of a 19th C Scottish Evangelical who took a particular interpretation on the bible. Those who have, at various times, subscribed to 'rapturist' theology have incuded ascetics and those who have taken the most extremist and punitive and anti life stances in the past).

The interview with father McDonagh can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/rn/latenightli...07/1848015.htm , although can only be accessed until 21st February.

This got me thinking about the issue - was a Catholic priest the only christian who viewed these people as heretics? I found not - here is another one, an interview with a Reverend Cizek - NOT a catholic this time.

Both interviews are very interesting, and provide quite a different perspective on christianity from the the ra ra rapturists who wish the world would end so they can point the finger at us losers as we deal with the tribulation ...

When I think about MY understanding of Christianity - the version I grew up with, I see these people as having an understanding of what I BELIEVED was christianity (and what I once loved about christianity) - but I see that they and I also share a kind of spirituality that is far deeper than purely an intellectual connection.

I saw a program on The History Channel that said it was a idea that came up among one group of Christians that wanted to explain how so many horrible things could happen in the book or Revelations while the saved are still on the earth so it is a way of suggested they are taken to heaven before all of that but it is never specifically said that way in The Bible. I find this to be odd because those that believe in it usually seem to be those that interpret The Bible literally or at least try to.

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"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

yeah, well if you take the bible literally, I would think you would be looking after that which God gave you, rather than wishing for the end times ... as Rev Cizek says - in Genesis it does say we are to care for the earth. We have the image of Jesus as 'the shepherd' - someone who cares for the flock - and yet we are supposed to show rampant disregard of all that God has given us on this earth ...

it kind of doesn't make sense really.

Both Cizek and McDonagh talk about the rapture as being anti life ... I think McDonagh actually says its pro death ...

how can thisa truly fit with the idea of the Christian God?

I know I have spoken to christians who see the rapturists as being followers of a falsehood.

Anyway, here's some information on it - The Rapture Theory: It's Surprising Origin

an excerpt:

those fucking christians.................damn them

i agree, when reading revelations.. i see the part when it mentions the good will vanish from the earth or whatever.. i dont know what exactly the quote says but to me i do not see how that is interpreted as simply being lifted up to heaven, it sounds like to me they will be killed by evil or whatever.. i dont really know exact quotes.. perhaps someone can point me to them..

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www.myspace.com/crusade7

Do you ever actually read the religion threads? Or do you just come in them to jeer and smear?

I find it interesting that the rapture is something made up by Christians and not even in the bible. I never knew that.

So many Christians have been taken for a ride by the Rapture Right. It's a travesty.

whats to read?

on this board , you being the head cheerleader i thought you would know, its all what i said

"those fucking christians damn them"

To be fair, Rak, there are a lot of Christians that regard Revelations as crazy ranting. Whenever I hear the Rapture faithful talk about it, I can't help but detect a note of glee in their voices as they talk about their ascension to heaven and the descent to hell of un-believers. It's almost like listening to a child make fun of another child for having a smaller toy.

Now, I'm not unilaterally condemning people for believing in the Rapture (I have an aunt that talks about it all the time). It just seems that with some there is an almost sadistic tone when it's mentioned.

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

If your aim was that bad on the battlefield, you'd long since be dead.

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Who does vote for these dishonest shitheads? Who among us can be happy and proud of having all this innocent blood on our hands? Who are these swine? These flag-sucking half-wits who get fleeced and fooled by stupid little rich kids like George Bush?

--Hunter S. Thompson

You have to understand these people are excited. They're excited about something they feel compelled to tell everyone the "good news" of.

I don't hold it against them or hate them for it or try to belittle them (as so many HERE do) for it. Shit, we should be pleased to see some happy damn PEOPLE ANYWHERE I guess.

I don't necessarily beleive like they do though.

I've had to go to some "revelations seminars" at my Dads church and they're INTERESTING even though I don't know how to completely accept something being told to me. Some prognostication I'm supposed to accept as the absolute truth. I don't know how to DO that.

The ones you mention (those with the sadistic tone) are humans and as prone to unbalanced thinking and weird behaviours and ideas as the rest of us. So, we can't condemn them I don't think.

Anyways, just agreeing with you in general I guess.

but my aim was pretty good there

and thats why i dont fit in here

I don't begrudge people for finding happiness in the slightest. My aunt, who believes firmly in Revelations, talks about the Rapture as a glorious event - but, she doesn't dwell on the people who are to be "rejects". If anything, she expresses pity for them. I respect that.

It's the Christians who talk about having received Christ's message, yet simultaneously delight in the prospect of un-believers going to hell that give me pause.

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

can someone actually point to exactly where in revelations that it says any thing about 'rapture'? all i have read is about people disappearing.. it does not specify how from what i remember..

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www.myspace.com/crusade7

Yeah, but that shot you just took wouldn't have hit the broad side of a barn.

Rapture is like 72 virgins -- just dope you put in a pipe and smoke.

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Who does vote for these dishonest shitheads? Who among us can be happy and proud of having all this innocent blood on our hands? Who are these swine? These flag-sucking half-wits who get fleeced and fooled by stupid little rich kids like George Bush?

--Hunter S. Thompson

It shouldn't.

That's just a small part of human nature. A peice of the PART, that in general screws UP good things like religion and... Gad, dare I say it .... LIBERALISM.... and of course conservatism TOO :-)

People are mixed up "beings". This, I think, is part of the motivation for many to search for meaning. The meaning of whatever. Existence, life, why it's all here,where it came from how we should act and do and NOT do etc. etc. etc.