I'm confused now by the above post. Is the world ending this Saturday or is Jesus returning...as in the rapture? From Saftey's post you'd think all Christians will have been raptured by his expecting churches to be empty. I don't want to reference the "Just How Stupid Are Atheist" thread again but, not all Christians will be raptured. So, to expect churches to be empty on Sunday is as infantile a statement as one that assumes only Christians go to church! Churches are full of non-believers! In fact, I'm compelled to believe that "churches", WORLDWIDE, will be packed immediately during and after the rapture, and for the entire tribulation period to follow. It is a reasonable human condition to doubt and to desire to live. Just for grins......lets say the rapture occurs today and EVERY NON BELIEVER witnesses the event. Do you really think they will be concerned with dinner plans? There is a point where the heart (belief) meets the brain (intellect). For some it is sooner than later..some before it's too late and some after it's too late. Intellectually I struggle with many of the "things" non believers reject. Fortunately I feel blessed that my intellect does not preclude my heart so my belief can have an opportunity to grow.
As for the "excuses"...there will be none from Christians. A true Christian knows that the day of rapture is unknown, and the rapture will be a good thing ......but that's a whole other thread.
My confusion lies in that I thought that the planet was to go through a cataclysmic occurrence on the 21st. Something to do with earth quakes, eruptions, tectonic plate realignment, polar opposition positioning.....stuff like that. Where did the Jesus/Christian thing get inserted?
Also, God bless Steven Hawking!
I'm rooting for you. Leave a web cam running so we can see exactly when we never have to hear from you again.
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We work together every damn day. --Jon Stewart
Despite his previous failed prediction that Jesus would return to Earth in 1994, Camping, from US Christian station Family Radio, is convinced this time he is right.
"We know without any shadow of a doubt it is going to happen," he said.
On his website, Camping claims that not even the most devout Christian will be safe from God's rapture.
"Judgment Day is feared by the world and is the day that God will destroy the world because of the sins of mankind," he said.
"Sadly, you can't turn to your religion or go to your priest or pastor or spiritual leader for help. They, too, should be begging God for mercy for themselves.
"Thank God that in his great mercy he has given you this warning of the destruction that is almost here, and the great hope that you, too, might be one whom God will bring to heaven."
Quote:
"Thank God that in his great mercy he has given you this warning of the destruction that is almost here, and the great hope that you, too, might be one whom God will bring to heaven."
But Centre for Public Christianity director John Dickson is unfazed by Camping's warning, saying he will be enjoying a glass of wine with his wife on Saturday, and preaching a sermon on Sunday morning.
And though he is relaxed about his own fate, Dr Dickson is critical of such predictions because they can cause a crisis of faith for some Christians.
"People come up with this every couple of years ... my general feeling is that it's just really sad when pastors come up with these ideas, because they're setting themselves, and everyone around them, up for real disappointment," he said.
"My greatest fear in all of this isn't that I don't want there to be silly Christians out there - there are plenty.
"My real concern is that people's faith is dependent on these kinds of predictions and when they don't come true, as invariably will happen, it just sets people up for a massive crisis of faith that they've never had."
Camping came up with his version of rapture through a series of complex mathematical equations, which he says he used to discover that doomsday will be on October 21, 2011.
Dr Dickson, who has written a book about end times, told ABC News Online Camping's rapture prediction is simply a new theory on an old idea that is not even in the Bible.
"The problem is, the rapture is an idea that was invented only about 200 years ago," he said.
"Christians before the 18th century had never heard of it. It started from a very spurious interpretation about a particular text in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4."
He says he hopes people are smart enough not to judge the majority of Christians by a few "crackpots" who misconstrue the bible.
I'm rooting for you. Leave a web cam running so we can see exactly when we never have to hear from you again.
I truly appreciate your sentiments. I don't think anyone has ever "rooted" for my rapture before.
As for the web cam, I don't think that will be necessary since "all of you " (the "we" you referenced) will be in one of those churches I previously mentioned. That I am sure of........surely I need not mention the Stupid Atheist thread again.
Intellectual dishonesty, as in witnessing the rapture and not responding, is equal to suicide.
Thanks again for my rapture support!
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A nobody telling everybody about Somebody.
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