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Since we're talking about possible signs, have you heard about the noises in the sky?
I've only heard about this event(s) today although they've been happening for several years now, and apparently all over the world.
Some say it sounded like trumpets. This guy below said it sounded like ancient trumpet - and he showed one and played it.
Check out the article given in the OP of this topic at the other section.
http://www.debatepolitics.com/off-topic-discussion/224221-strange-noises-sky.html
I think the above trumpet videos are silly. The topic has turned to the Feast of Trumpets and the following link below is imo a much more valid example of the signs of the times in regards to the Feast of Trumpets. https://www.lds.org/ensign/2000/01/the-golden-plates-and-the-feast-of-trumpets?lang=eng
Did we all die yesterday and get raptured?
Uh, the market has been down for the last month...
Clearly you didn't...Did we all die yesterday and get raptured?
This kind of stuff always cracks me up.
Christians have expected a massive eschatological/destructive event since Jesus was crucified. When it doesn't happen, they just forget about it for awhile, then go back to predicting the next one.
Just to be clear, the underlying cognitive/psychological mechanism isn't restricted to Christians. It's that the theology includes an apocalyptic event, so they keep falling into the same trap over and over again.
You mean, we don't see it today in those communities. Predictions of imminent apocalyptic doom were a little more common in earlier historical times, and was typically a go-to explanation for a catastrophic event like the Black Death.Not really.
You don't find this occurring in Catholic, Orthodox, or mainline protestant circles.
You mean, we don't see it today in those communities. Predictions of imminent apocalyptic doom were a little more common in earlier historical times, and was typically a go-to explanation for a catastrophic event like the Black Death.
I will agree that not every single Christian expected to be Raptured last week.
The larger question is, how many take it seriously?
That said, I'm gonna stick with Pew's numbers. A 2010 poll showed that 41% believe Jesus will return to Earth by 2050. Evangelicals lead the way (58%) but Catholics are far from immune (31%). (Jesus Christ?s Return to Earth | Pew Research Center)
Thus, my phrasing may be a bit broad, but hardly a major cause for objection to the basic principle -- especially since I was quite clear that the underlying cognitive error is not in any way unique to Christians.
You mean, we don't see it today in those communities. Predictions of imminent apocalyptic doom were a little more common in earlier historical times, and was typically a go-to explanation for a catastrophic event like the Black Death.
I will agree that not every single Christian expected to be Raptured last week. The larger question is, how many take it seriously?
The Jehovah's Witnesses repeatedly predicted specific dates for the end of the world, and its believers still assume the End is Near.
The Left Behind series is quite popular, though this does not of course prove that all its readers assume the Rapture is due any minute now.
That said, I'm gonna stick with Pew's numbers. A 2010 poll showed that 41% believe Jesus will return to Earth by 2050. Evangelicals lead the way (58%) but Catholics are far from immune (31%). (Jesus Christ?s Return to Earth | Pew Research Center)
Originally Posted by Visbek View Post
You mean, we don't see it today in those communities. Predictions of imminent apocalyptic doom were a little more common in earlier historical times, and was typically a go-to explanation for a catastrophic event like the Black Death.
I think that's pretty clear. How many people expected the Rapture to happen last week?What is "seriously?" What do you mean exactly by that?
So it was OK for Hagee to make some specific predictions? He gets a pass, then?And thus we know for a fact, it's false prophecy. No one can know the specific date for the Second Coming.
Please read not just the section you quoted, but the following paragraph. I explicitly said that reading the books is not a viable indicator of the belief in imminent destruction of the world, but that Pew's numbers indicate a lot of people expect something to happen fairly soon.So? It's a good premise for an apocalyptic movie. That the Second Coming would entail what's been prophesied in the Revelations, and is depicted in a movie with fictional characters - and is popular among believers - what's surprising about that?
I'm not disputing that "people love to predict." What I'm pointing out is that the apocalyptic mentality is part of the fabric of Christianity, baked in from the very start, and fueling numerous millenarian movements over the centuries. Hence, I find the myriad predictions of "We're Doomed!!!" -- and the subsequent rationalizations when those predictions don't come true -- to be mildly amusing.People love to predict. How many people - regardless of belief - had predicted that we'll set foot on Mars by 2050?
lolApocalyptic doom is not necessarily limited to the religious! How many apocalyptic doom had been predicted in relation to the environment? Climate change?
lol
I'm not surprised you don't understand climate change predictions. They don't say that the entire world will be ravaged by the Four Horsemen, and that billions of people will die in a massive single cataclysmic event of divine justice. The claim is that we're going to keep damaging the environment, and it's going to wipe out a lot of coastal land and areas prone to floods (where the majority of people live); that it's going to be harder to produce food and clean water, etc.
One difference between climate change scenarios and Rapture predictions? The former is based on scientific evidence, combined with models about what is likely to happen, and what those effects will be. The latter are based on ambiguous religious texts, which are vague enough on the details (like dates) and specific enough on other factors (the number of Horsemen of the Apocalypse) to fit a huge number of scenarios.
Of course, there are always people who get carried away with scientific-based predictions. That doesn't mean that it operates the same way as a supernatural prophesy. Not even close. Merely proposing that the two are somehow the same, based on superficial similarities, adds yet again to the amusement of such discussions.
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