The Rapture

[Whistler]

Then they sound pretty awful, Teremia. I'm with Puddleglum, too.

[Jnyusa]

vison,

the Israeli government has long been the personification of paranoia ... and they've had to make some very uncomfortable deals with the religious right in Israel in order to hold their coalitions together.

I think that they will accept aid and comfort from anyone who seems to be offering it. Whether it influences actual policy in the long run, I doubt it very much. Even the American Jews who donate so much money to Israel don't have real influence over Israeli foreign policy. That's one of the main reasons that so many Jewish extremists have emigrated to Israel and settled in illegal settlements on the West Bank and Gaza. If they are physically present and resisting relocation, then the Israeli government has to deal with them.

Jn

[truehobbit]

Thanks for the explanations, all!

I understand it has something to do with every living believer being caught up into the air—into the sky—and meeting Jesus there. People are supposed to literally vanish.

Did anyone else think "Logan's Run" here?

Sass, thanks for the links, very informative - from the second one:

Are you Pre, Mid, or Post? If you don’t know how to answer that question, you’re probably a Catholic

And thankful for it, too, right now!

Teremia, thanks for an account of what these books are like - if they have that effect on you, I'm convinced your estimation of them is right.

But they are SO popular! They sell, and sell, and sell.

That's very sad to hear, vison.

IMO, the reason people take to such views, no matter in the name of what religion they are propounded, is fear.
People are afraid of what they see in the world, especially in times of dramatic change, as it could be argued ours is. And if those who influence opinion - priests, teachers, media - work to increase those fears rather than assuage them, things easily get out of control.
People who are afraid will do anything. Partly it may also be bitterness from feeling disadvantaged and helpless, or just confusion, but even that I think boils down to fear.
I heard somewhere that it's got to do with the reptile brain taking over and switching off the capacity for reason, because (if we still were out in the wild) reason would take too long to respond to the perceived danger.

The funny thing (well, it would be funny if it weren't so sad) about this is that, the way I see it, the basic message of Christianity (besides "rejoice") is "be not afraid"!

*sigh* All off-topic I'm afraid, but a a fascinating subject.

Good post about Israel's position in this, Jny!

[SilverScribe]

I read the first Left Behind book years ago. Then I saw the movie and thought, well, if it happens that way, cool.

My neighbor and I decided to read the rest of the series, but I lost interest around book Four and stopped reading at book Nine I think. After the first book, which was okay in terms of literary quality, I found that the quality of the writing was . . . well . . . horrible and getting worse with every book. The events were dragged out, the characters became more and more unbelievable and quite frankly, the books began to read more like an authors quest to make money, not a point. Sort of a Christian Wheel of Time . . .

There are extremists in every walk of life, and religion and faith will not escape the failings of our human natures. Like Whistler, in all my years as a Christian, I have never heard of a "vengeful Jesus slaughtering all the unbelievers." This goes in direct opposition to His most basic message, Love. Love the poor, the unfortunate. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Love thine enemies. Why on earth would He suddenly turn into a thing of hatred? It boggles the mind.

One of these days, I might finish that Left Behind series. But frankly, it's not really that high on my priority list.