118 replies to this topic

[mrmando]

On the other hand, a fervent desire to follow the entire Bible would have to include the willingness to put false prophets to death, wouldn't it?

Edited by mrmando, 20 May 2011 - 12:07 AM.

[Persona]

opus, on 18 May 2011 - 04:21 PM, said:

Peter T Chattaway, on 18 May 2011 - 03:31 PM, said:

If the rapture takes place in each time zone one at a time, then does this mean people like me can just wait and see what happens in New Zealand and Asia and Europe first, before deciding to repent our ways and join the elevator off this planet?

IIRC, the earthquakes starts somewhere in the Pacific rim at 6pm and then moves across the globe (though I'm not sure if it moves east or west). So those living in, say, Europe, will have a few hours of advance warning until it gets to be 6pm for them.

Oh, now THAT is the grace of God. You know how those heathen Europeans are. They're gonna need more time.

Edited by Persona, 18 May 2011 - 05:46 PM.

[mrmando]

Goodnight Tuesday, on 18 May 2011 - 04:35 PM, said:

The man's 90 years old. A lot of people that age still have their wits about them. He's obviously lost a few. Someone should have a kind word. In my experience obsessing like this can be a sign of mental disfunction. May God have mercy on his soul.

I agree, it's quite possible that he has lost a marble or two -- but I actually don't think his obsession with eschatology is the best proof of that. Plenty of ordinary, reasonable Christians believe Jesus will return to judge the quick and the dead ... it's in the Apostles' Creed, after all. A somewhat smaller number believe that Jesus' return is imminent ... a belief that apparently proceeds from the assumption that Biblical prophecies about ancient Israel are also applicable to the modern State of Israel. (This assumption may be questionable, but I wouldn't say everyone who makes it is crazy.)

I think where Camping goes seriously off the rails is in his claim that sometime in the late '80s or early '90s, God brought an end to "the age of the church" and "opened up" the interpretation of scripture in an unprecedented way ... meaning that all preceding paradigms of God's kingdom throughout history are now incorrect, and that only Harold Camping is teaching the true gospel. That's the sort of thing a delusional cult leader would say.

[Tyler]

NPR asks listeners to pick their song for the end of the world.

[mrmando]

Tonio K.: Hey John, The Ballad of the Night the Clocks All Quit (and the Government Failed)
Daniel Amos: Side 2 of Shotgun Angel, natch.

Then there's the corny stuff by Degarmo & Key and White Heart that I wish I could get out of my head ...

Edited by mrmando, 19 May 2011 - 11:47 PM.

[SDG]

mrmando, on 19 May 2011 - 11:41 PM, said:

Then there's the corny stuff by Degarmo & Key and White Heart that I wish I could get out of my head ...

I don't think "Let the Kingdom Come" is corny.

[opus]

Daniel Amos - "Hole In The World"

[morgan1098]

Apparently, 80% of Camping's own staff doesn't buy this, and is planning to come in to work on Monday.

Heaven Can Wait

[mrmando]

Odd coincidence: Camping's declared date for the "end of the church age" corresponds to the period when his former church, Alameda CRC, barred him from teaching his end-times theories in Sunday school.

And here is one of the more creative responses from a skeptic I've seen...

6 p.m. tomorrow at the International Date Line is 9 p.m. tonight, my time. So if anything happens, I should know before I go to bed.

For the record, methinks that if you want to guarantee that Jesus will NOT return on a certain date, the best thing you can do is exactly what Camping has done for May 21.

Edited by mrmando, 20 May 2011 - 01:22 PM.

[Peter T Chattaway]

mrmando wrote:
: Daniel Amos: Side 2 of Shotgun Angel, natch.

It says something about the musical excellence on display here that I totally love this album, even though I haven't subscribed to the eschatology expressed by this album in years. "Lady of the sky, Oh where'd you go, where'd you fly...?" There's a real sympathization with the people who have been left behind that was noticeably missing from DA's previous album ("Oh my, you'll fry as we fly through the sky...").

Incidentally, side two of Shotgun Angel was re-issued about a decade later as an album called The Revelation, with narration by Chuck Smith, and the re-issue is most notable for a brand-new song it included, called 'Soon!':

[mrmando]

Yes, I liked "Soon" but did not care for Chuck's narration. As you know, the band is about to release yet another reissue of Shotgun Angel...this one is a double-disc set with 24 new tracks (mostly outtakes and interviews, I gather):


Speaking of downright weird Judgment Day songs, it's hard to top this one, from the Dry Branch Fire Squad:

Edited by mrmando, 20 May 2011 - 01:43 PM.

[mrmando]

SDG, on 20 May 2011 - 04:10 AM, said:

mrmando, on 19 May 2011 - 11:41 PM, said:

Then there's the corny stuff by Degarmo & Key and White Heart that I wish I could get out of my head ...

I don't think "Let the Kingdom Come" is corny.

OK, but this is:

And this definitely is:

[Crow]

Or you can some cheese to go with your corn:



If the world does end tomorrow, at least there would be some good news for Cleveland. Since they have the best record in baseball, I suppose the Indians would have to be declared World Series champs!

Edited by Crow, 20 May 2011 - 04:36 PM.

[mrmando]

MSNBC comes up with the money quote:

Quote

Jerry Jenkins, co-author with Tim LaHaye of the "Left Behind" series of apocalyptic novels that have sold millions of copies worldwide, has a problem with the prediction.

"As a believer, I'm already a kook compared to most people, so for someone to choose a date and get everyone excited about a certain time, my problem is it makes us look worse," said Jenkins, 61.

[M. Leary]

Everyone still here? I am not sure exactly when this was predicted to happen. Just checking in...

[MrZoom]

M. Leary, on 21 May 2011 - 10:26 AM, said:

Everyone still here? I am not sure exactly when this was predicted to happen. Just checking in...

The rapture was supposed to take place at 6 PM in each time zone, accompanied by an earthquake that would make the one in Japan earlier this year look like nothing. So far, it's past 6 PM in almost half the world (Jerusalem passed it half an hour ago), and there are no reports of said earthquakes or people disappearing.

[M. Leary]

opus, on 18 May 2011 - 09:50 AM, said:

I've posted a few thoughts re. Harold Camping and May 21 on Christ and Pop Culture.

I like this response. It has been interesting to see that the response of secular editorial and non-Camping Christian editorial has largely had the same tone, in that I have seen an almost universal smirk. Smirk might not be the right word, but a certain sense of parody is in play. I am bummed that guys like Camping actually end up inoculating us against the joy of believing that an end is ultimately what our faith envisions. False prophecy isn't just a lie, it is actually a cancer that gnaws on the eschatological core of our identity.

For this reason, I shudder at the doom that awaits false prophets.

[CrimsonLine]

M. Leary, on 21 May 2011 - 10:42 AM, said:

opus, on 18 May 2011 - 09:50 AM, said:

I've posted a few thoughts re. Harold Camping and May 21 on Christ and Pop Culture.

I like this response. It has been interesting to see that the response of secular editorial and non-Camping Christian editorial has largely had the same tone, in that I have seen an almost universal smirk. Smirk might not be the right word, but a certain sense of parody is in play. I am bummed that guys like Camping actually end up inoculating us against the joy of believing that an end is ultimately what our faith envisions. False prophecy isn't just a lie, it is actually a cancer that gnaws on the eschatological core of our identity.

For this reason, I shudder at the doom that awaits false prophets.

Word.

[Ryan H.]

M. Leary, on 21 May 2011 - 10:42 AM, said:

False prophecy isn't just a lie, it is actually a cancer that gnaws on the eschatological core of our identity.

Absolutely.

[SDG]

Not only was James' confirmation not interrupted by earthquakes or other apocalyptic signs, a day of intermittent rain ended with a rainbow over the church. No kidding. A rainbow for James' confirmation at 6PM.