Bind all of us together, Ablaze with hope and free
So, much ado today about a minority fringe of Christianity's disproportionally vocal extremist fringe proclaiming the discriminant Rapture.
And of course, a lot of people miss-interpreting this as typical of Christianity, ignoring the silent Christian majority who usually don't give theese guys validation by arguing with them.
However, some points to consider on the Rapture:
Theoretically, if God can do ANYTHING, and proof in the existence of God denies the faith in God Christianity as a whole insists is so important, would God not rapture people in such as way that there was no evidence they ever existed, thus... leaving no evidence of the rapture?
On the other hand, would it not be true that evidence of the Rapture in preventing faith would undermine the underlying tenants of Christianity, and hence disprove it as a religion?
Further, in the Bible it states that no mortal, angel, and not even Jesus knows when things will end, only God does. Thus if this IS in the bible as the claimants insist, does that mean they then acknowledge the bible is flawed since it would be a direct contradiction? Either way, the "imminent" Rapture is not certain, since either interpretation could be equally wrong.
Further to all of this, Rapture eschatology originate with a Jesuit re-interpretation of the Revelation to John, which biblical scholars insist is a coded diatribe against the Roman Empire. This was reinterpreted to refute protestant claims about the Pope being the Antichrist. It is now used by the Pentecostal movement (who believe Catholicism isn't really Christianity) almost exclusively. Contradiction much?
And of course, a lot of people miss-interpreting this as typical of Christianity, ignoring the silent Christian majority who usually don't give theese guys validation by arguing with them.
However, some points to consider on the Rapture:
Theoretically, if God can do ANYTHING, and proof in the existence of God denies the faith in God Christianity as a whole insists is so important, would God not rapture people in such as way that there was no evidence they ever existed, thus... leaving no evidence of the rapture?
On the other hand, would it not be true that evidence of the Rapture in preventing faith would undermine the underlying tenants of Christianity, and hence disprove it as a religion?
Further, in the Bible it states that no mortal, angel, and not even Jesus knows when things will end, only God does. Thus if this IS in the bible as the claimants insist, does that mean they then acknowledge the bible is flawed since it would be a direct contradiction? Either way, the "imminent" Rapture is not certain, since either interpretation could be equally wrong.
Further to all of this, Rapture eschatology originate with a Jesuit re-interpretation of the Revelation to John, which biblical scholars insist is a coded diatribe against the Roman Empire. This was reinterpreted to refute protestant claims about the Pope being the Antichrist. It is now used by the Pentecostal movement (who believe Catholicism isn't really Christianity) almost exclusively. Contradiction much?