Comments on: Start the happy music! It’s time for the end of the world! http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/07/28/start-the-happy-music-it%e2%80%99s-time-for-the-end-of-the-world/ Human Animals at the Crossroads of Culture, Science, Religion and Media Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:23:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: grumpypilgrim http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/07/28/start-the-happy-music-it%e2%80%99s-time-for-the-end-of-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-20106 grumpypilgrim Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:47:36 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=364#comment-20106 I spoke at length yesterday with a Christian evangelist who attempted to convince me that since the Bible accurately reports *some* historical facts (e.g., the names of kings of various nations, the names of some of their relatives, the names and locations of various groups of people, the dates when various groups of people fought against each other, etc.), we should therefore believe that *everything* in the Bible is a historical fact. Of course, historical fiction also will accurately report some historical facts, but we do not leap to the conclusion that the fictional portion is true. Indeed, the DaVinci Code should have taught that lesson. Yet, such invalid arguments persist. Herein lies the problem with so many arguments for religions: the arguments always seems to rely on obviously defective reasoning that the proponents of the religion asks us to ignore. I spoke at length yesterday with a Christian evangelist who attempted to convince me that since the Bible accurately reports *some* historical facts (e.g., the names of kings of various nations, the names of some of their relatives, the names and locations of various groups of people, the dates when various groups of people fought against each other, etc.), we should therefore believe that *everything* in the Bible is a historical fact. Of course, historical fiction also will accurately report some historical facts, but we do not leap to the conclusion that the fictional portion is true. Indeed, the DaVinci Code should have taught that lesson. Yet, such invalid arguments persist. Herein lies the problem with so many arguments for religions: the arguments always seems to rely on obviously defective reasoning that the proponents of the religion asks us to ignore.

]]> By: Erich Vieth http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/07/28/start-the-happy-music-it%e2%80%99s-time-for-the-end-of-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-20053 Erich Vieth Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:11:12 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=364#comment-20053 Christine Barnard: Your scary story doesn't concern me. Please take a deep breath and ask yourself whether there is any credible evidence for believing that supernatural beings are planning on attacking earth (though, conveniently, sparing you and other people you care about). Why is it that you don't go to bed worried about offending Zeus or the God of Islam? No credible evidence, right? Again, take a deep breath . . . Christine Barnard: Your scary story doesn’t concern me. Please take a deep breath and ask yourself whether there is any credible evidence for believing that supernatural beings are planning on attacking earth (though, conveniently, sparing you and other people you care about).

Why is it that you don’t go to bed worried about offending Zeus or the God of Islam? No credible evidence, right?

Again, take a deep breath . . .

]]> By: Christine Barnard http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/07/28/start-the-happy-music-it%e2%80%99s-time-for-the-end-of-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-20019 Christine Barnard Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:17:37 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=364#comment-20019 Well, I hope when Jesus comes back you will be ready.. After the Rapture comes the Tribulation, and it is going to be terrible for those left behind. I pray that each person will cry out to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and to come into your heart.. The time is growing short dont wait too long.. blessings Well, I hope when Jesus comes back you will be ready.. After the Rapture comes the Tribulation, and it is going to be terrible for those left behind. I pray that each person will cry out to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and to come into your heart.. The time is growing short dont wait too long..
blessings

]]> By: Monique http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/07/28/start-the-happy-music-it%e2%80%99s-time-for-the-end-of-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-16497 Monique Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:12:40 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=364#comment-16497 According to the number code sequence as laid out in his Prophecy Code Book, it seems that the rapture if you want to call it that (I prefer the word resurrection), can't happen for at least another 27 years. May I suggest you check out the website http://www.prophecycodebook.com which shows the Menorah's pictogram. In his book Prophecy Code, Jeff Manty decodes the rapture using the number (2520) from the prophecy of the seventy 'sevens.' He says the secret to understanding the return of Christ is to know that this number 2520 is a number of years as well as days. As proof he connects this number to the years of Israel's reestablishment or the years 1897, 1948, and 1967 to the years 587, 536, and 517. Manty uses the prophecy's commencement as the key to unlocking the rapture. May I suggest you get a copy of his book you'll love it... According to the number code sequence as laid out in his Prophecy Code Book, it seems that the rapture if you want to call it that (I prefer the word resurrection), can’t happen for at least another 27 years. May I suggest you check out the website http://www.prophecycodebook.com which shows the Menorah’s pictogram. In his book Prophecy Code, Jeff Manty decodes the rapture using the number (2520) from the prophecy of the seventy ’sevens.’

He says the secret to understanding the return of Christ is to know that this number 2520 is a number of years as well as days. As proof he connects this number to the years of Israel’s reestablishment or the years 1897, 1948, and 1967 to the years 587, 536, and 517.

Manty uses the prophecy’s commencement as the key to unlocking the rapture. May I suggest you get a copy of his book you’ll love it…

]]> By: Limbaugh http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/07/28/start-the-happy-music-it%e2%80%99s-time-for-the-end-of-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-8910 Limbaugh Fri, 01 Dec 2006 04:33:00 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=364#comment-8910 Well that interview confused me a bit, can you (resident geniouses) explain a bit more about the implications please? I was under the impression that everything Israel does IS right. In the meantime I will try and figure out what the heck is going on over there. -S Well that interview confused me a bit, can you (resident geniouses) explain a bit more about the implications please? I was under the impression that everything Israel does IS right. In the meantime I will try and figure out what the heck is going on over there.
-S

]]> By: Rush http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/07/28/start-the-happy-music-it%e2%80%99s-time-for-the-end-of-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-8909 Rush Fri, 01 Dec 2006 04:14:35 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=364#comment-8909 Well, before I click the link, my impression of Carter is very good. I expect the interview may be quite "revealing" though. In terms of Christian Radio, just listen to Rush Limbaugh for a few minutes if you want an example of some ripe ignorance. -S Well, before I click the link, my impression of Carter is very good. I expect the interview may be quite “revealing” though. In terms of Christian Radio, just listen to Rush Limbaugh for a few minutes if you want an example of some ripe ignorance.
-S

]]> By: Erich Vieth http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/07/28/start-the-happy-music-it%e2%80%99s-time-for-the-end-of-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-8904 Erich Vieth Thu, 30 Nov 2006 23:16:04 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=364#comment-8904 Here is what Jimmy Carter (an Evangelical Christian) had to say on this topic: "Some Christians who I know very well, very devout people, believe a certain interpretation of Revelations, that in my opinion are quite weird, in that in the coming of Christ that the holy land has to be occupied by the Jews and not by anyone else and then in the end that all Jews will have to be killed or either converted to Christianity. This is a very seriously distorted interpretation of the Scriptures that I am very familiar with." For the full interview, <a href="http://www.theyoungturks.com/story/2006/11/30/144359/85 ">click here.</a> Here is what Jimmy Carter (an Evangelical Christian) had to say on this topic: “Some Christians who I know very well, very devout people, believe a certain interpretation of Revelations, that in my opinion are quite weird, in that in the coming of Christ that the holy land has to be occupied by the Jews and not by anyone else and then in the end that all Jews will have to be killed or either converted to Christianity. This is a very seriously distorted interpretation of the Scriptures that I am very familiar with.” For the full interview, click here.

]]> By: Erich Vieth http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/07/28/start-the-happy-music-it%e2%80%99s-time-for-the-end-of-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-5099 Erich Vieth Sat, 28 Oct 2006 15:09:02 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=364#comment-5099 If you really think that the end of the world is near, feel free to cash in, courtesy of Pixwit! <a href="http://www.pixwit.com/Bet.html ">Click here.</a>  It's this cashing in given the Divine stamp of approval by <a href="http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/mt/25.html ">Matthew 25:14-30</a>. If you really think that the end of the world is near, feel free to cash in, courtesy of Pixwit! Click here.  It’s this cashing in given the Divine stamp of approval by Matthew 25:14-30.

]]> By: Bruce Norman http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/07/28/start-the-happy-music-it%e2%80%99s-time-for-the-end-of-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1747 Bruce Norman Thu, 03 Aug 2006 05:37:29 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=364#comment-1747 The "Rapture Index" is a delusion resting on a delusion. Its "precursors" point to only the final down-to-earth coming (and not to a "pretribulation" coming) and should be labeled the "Second Coming Index" or "Second Advent Index." One "precursor" is the "Antichrist." How can he be a signpost pointing ahead to a "pretrib" rapture if he isn't revealed until SEVERAL YEARS AFTER the same rapture? And a "pretrib" rapture was never taught or even believed by any organized church before 1830! What's more, the Index's author admits that his rapture is "signless" and doesn't require any preceding event, so why does he try to "see" preceding signs that supposedly herald it? Because he knows his emotional followers are ripe for exploitation and his conscience has already been "left behind"! Bruce ! The “Rapture Index” is a delusion resting on a delusion. Its “precursors” point to only the final down-to-earth coming (and not to a “pretribulation” coming) and should be labeled the “Second Coming Index” or “Second Advent Index.” One “precursor” is the “Antichrist.” How can he be a signpost pointing ahead to a “pretrib” rapture if he isn’t revealed until SEVERAL YEARS AFTER the same rapture? And a “pretrib” rapture was never taught or even believed by any organized church before 1830! What’s more, the Index’s author admits that his rapture is “signless” and doesn’t require any preceding event, so why does he try to “see” preceding signs that supposedly herald it? Because he knows his emotional followers are ripe for exploitation and his conscience has already been “left behind”! Bruce
!

]]> By: grumpypilgrim http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/07/28/start-the-happy-music-it%e2%80%99s-time-for-the-end-of-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1653 grumpypilgrim Fri, 28 Jul 2006 21:21:18 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=364#comment-1653 Erich and I will indeed be packing very light for the afterlife. OTOH, some branches of Christianity don't believe that sinners burn in hellfire; some believe sinners merely die; i.e., cease to exist. In any case, listening to evangelicals talk about the afterlife is a fascinating experience. They will pull obscure verses from either Revelations or Daniel -- the two most opaque books in the Bible -- inject a truckload of their own conjecture into them, and then declare that it is all "literally true." They obviously have a very different definition of "truth" than the rest of us, because "truth" for them depends not at all upon facts, but rather upon repetition. Lots and lots and LOTS of repetition. Just like George Bush, they appear to believe that whatever their kooky imagination conjures up will become true if they simply repeat it enough times. Sadly for the rest of us, many of their followers appear to believe this, too. I've finally realized that if you want to know when an evangelical is really and truly wacko, just check to see if he or she is preaching from either Revelations or Daniel. Only the crackpot extremists go for those two books on a regular basis. Rational Bible scholars generally avoid them. As regards Israel, I sometimes wonder if the (Christian) nations that won WWII put Israel in Palestine so that the Bible's story of Armageddon might someday become a self-fulfilling prophesy. The motive clearly wasn't to give Jews a safe and secure homeland (not unless there was a lot of wishful thinking back then, too, combined with LOTS of repetition that it was a good idea). Finally, it amazes me how many different branches of Christianity preach that Jesus is "coming soon," despite the fact that the many predictions of this event throughout history have so far proven to have been premature. One good example is the Great Disappointment of 1844, when some Christians got so revved up that Christ was going to reappear that they gave away all their possessions and stood on a big cliff that had a nice view of the sky and horizon, so they would have a good view of the event. Needless to say, they had a Great Disappointment when they found themselves both destitute and public laughingstocks. Good thing for them the Bible says the poor will have riches in heaven, or else many of them might have jumped off that cliff. Erich and I will indeed be packing very light for the afterlife. OTOH, some branches of Christianity don’t believe that sinners burn in hellfire; some believe sinners merely die; i.e., cease to exist.

In any case, listening to evangelicals talk about the afterlife is a fascinating experience. They will pull obscure verses from either Revelations or Daniel — the two most opaque books in the Bible — inject a truckload of their own conjecture into them, and then declare that it is all “literally true.” They obviously have a very different definition of “truth” than the rest of us, because “truth” for them depends not at all upon facts, but rather upon repetition. Lots and lots and LOTS of repetition. Just like George Bush, they appear to believe that whatever their kooky imagination conjures up will become true if they simply repeat it enough times. Sadly for the rest of us, many of their followers appear to believe this, too. I’ve finally realized that if you want to know when an evangelical is really and truly wacko, just check to see if he or she is preaching from either Revelations or Daniel. Only the crackpot extremists go for those two books on a regular basis. Rational Bible scholars generally avoid them.

As regards Israel, I sometimes wonder if the (Christian) nations that won WWII put Israel in Palestine so that the Bible’s story of Armageddon might someday become a self-fulfilling prophesy. The motive clearly wasn’t to give Jews a safe and secure homeland (not unless there was a lot of wishful thinking back then, too, combined with LOTS of repetition that it was a good idea).

Finally, it amazes me how many different branches of Christianity preach that Jesus is “coming soon,” despite the fact that the many predictions of this event throughout history have so far proven to have been premature. One good example is the Great Disappointment of 1844, when some Christians got so revved up that Christ was going to reappear that they gave away all their possessions and stood on a big cliff that had a nice view of the sky and horizon, so they would have a good view of the event. Needless to say, they had a Great Disappointment when they found themselves both destitute and public laughingstocks. Good thing for them the Bible says the poor will have riches in heaven, or else many of them might have jumped off that cliff.

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