This is a great starting essay! Historical interpretation of torah and bible passages fascinates me, so, for my sake, feel free to dive in deeper to the 'mark of the beast' and Revelations and all associated history.
Also always shaking my head that the people who believe this stuff think they are "suffering" by being asked to do something mildly inconvenient.
Holy wow. This is probably the most well-written and in-depth essay I have ever seen on this topic. I was vaguely aware of some of this, but I had no idea how far spread and pervasive this issue has been in the Christian community. The only thing about this that disappointed me was myself when I clicked play on maybe the worst youtube video ever created,
Wow, I've been fascinated with premillennial dispensationalism for a while (shout-out to reading all of the Left Behind books before age 13!) and this historical treatment of the phenomenon is truly thorough. Thanks for a thought-provoking read!
I simply cannot understand these people. Why? They are not persecuted. Their own god asks them... no, commands them.. to love and serve others as they love and serve Him. And yet they do anything but that. What is it that draws them to want to see everything beautiful about the world their god created for them and everyone else completely destroyed? For spite? For sheer meanness? To "prove" something to someone else? And when you're dead, does it really matter anymore?
I truly don't understand death cults; I don't care whether it's Christian or Islamic. I just don't understand Extremism in the name of ANY religion. Death comes to us all soon enough. It's what makes life so precious. If I had to put a name to this people, I'd declare them evil.
i see where you went wrong here. you assume they have studied the entire bible and understand the meanings of the scriptures. you would be wrong. most of them belong to small churches with barely educated preachers, who are wanged out about getting folks to accept Jesus as their personal savior, and then have no idea what do with them after that. they preach the same obvious lessons over and over, and totally skip whole swaths of books and chapters. ex: the book of acts. the faithful are taught to take care of each other. and some actually do. outsiders - not so much. the whole thing boils down to a "get out of hell free card". they can sin up a storm monday - saturday, as long as you are sorry by 10am sunday morning or in some - their entire lives if they repent on their death beds. it's a crock. but a comforting one to folks who are familiar with suffering and death to be rewarded in heaven and get to see their mom again. the exploitation of these sincere longings by greedy "false profits" was even warned against - and ignored by the exploited. but the USA is not obligated in anyway to base policy or law on what these these nut jobs "believe". and that is the issue we should be addressing!
Actually, we should be addressing those who skim over a very complicated and tortured history of Christian faith. You claim to see where the author went wrong. I submit to you that you are not qualified to judge the author, or any one else, for that matter. It seems that your childish quip about basing policy or law on what these “nut jobs” believe as it relates to USA law is stupid. Since you say that’s what we need to be addressing implies that you have the basis of a competent argument. I doubt that you could find your ass with both hands. Love to hear your thoughts..that is, if you can string a few words together to make sense.
But, if the mark could be on the forehead, wouldn't that refer to the MAGA hats? The hand could be the stamp received at TFG's rallies. So, yeah, turnabout?
very impressive work. i've just been asked to write something on covid and apocalyptic, and this really helps. what a wonderful example of what i call a rooster (see below).
just one clarification, although the train of thought suggests it, i didn't say (or mean to say) that gutenberg's press was seen as a mark of the beast, but, like all new means of communication, a great spur to apocalyptic thought of all kinds. the apocalyptic prophets, roosters as i call them (like this woman) are eager to use such new means. (true of radio and tv too.)
I would love to be enlightened on the meaning of a stylized long sword that appears as your talisman, disregarding the obviously trite phallic symbol of aforementioned sword.
Damn. I'm so glad you stated explicitly the way vaccination combines the fear of collectivism with the fear of new technology. I hadn't thought of it in those terms, but it's <i>so true</i>.
Do they not realize we've never had a thousand years of peace, ever? No reason to even worry until that happens. Spoiler. It won't happen, as long as humans exist.
And I’ll bet they are glad that you are “ out of that mess” too. Just speaking for a wacky Christian
This is a great starting essay! Historical interpretation of torah and bible passages fascinates me, so, for my sake, feel free to dive in deeper to the 'mark of the beast' and Revelations and all associated history.
Also always shaking my head that the people who believe this stuff think they are "suffering" by being asked to do something mildly inconvenient.
What I find mildly inconvenient are condescending childish comments by the uneducated. Don’t you agree?
Holy wow. This is probably the most well-written and in-depth essay I have ever seen on this topic. I was vaguely aware of some of this, but I had no idea how far spread and pervasive this issue has been in the Christian community. The only thing about this that disappointed me was myself when I clicked play on maybe the worst youtube video ever created,
Thanks for all the work, it shows.
Wow, I've been fascinated with premillennial dispensationalism for a while (shout-out to reading all of the Left Behind books before age 13!) and this historical treatment of the phenomenon is truly thorough. Thanks for a thought-provoking read!
I simply cannot understand these people. Why? They are not persecuted. Their own god asks them... no, commands them.. to love and serve others as they love and serve Him. And yet they do anything but that. What is it that draws them to want to see everything beautiful about the world their god created for them and everyone else completely destroyed? For spite? For sheer meanness? To "prove" something to someone else? And when you're dead, does it really matter anymore?
I truly don't understand death cults; I don't care whether it's Christian or Islamic. I just don't understand Extremism in the name of ANY religion. Death comes to us all soon enough. It's what makes life so precious. If I had to put a name to this people, I'd declare them evil.
i see where you went wrong here. you assume they have studied the entire bible and understand the meanings of the scriptures. you would be wrong. most of them belong to small churches with barely educated preachers, who are wanged out about getting folks to accept Jesus as their personal savior, and then have no idea what do with them after that. they preach the same obvious lessons over and over, and totally skip whole swaths of books and chapters. ex: the book of acts. the faithful are taught to take care of each other. and some actually do. outsiders - not so much. the whole thing boils down to a "get out of hell free card". they can sin up a storm monday - saturday, as long as you are sorry by 10am sunday morning or in some - their entire lives if they repent on their death beds. it's a crock. but a comforting one to folks who are familiar with suffering and death to be rewarded in heaven and get to see their mom again. the exploitation of these sincere longings by greedy "false profits" was even warned against - and ignored by the exploited. but the USA is not obligated in anyway to base policy or law on what these these nut jobs "believe". and that is the issue we should be addressing!
Actually, we should be addressing those who skim over a very complicated and tortured history of Christian faith. You claim to see where the author went wrong. I submit to you that you are not qualified to judge the author, or any one else, for that matter. It seems that your childish quip about basing policy or law on what these “nut jobs” believe as it relates to USA law is stupid. Since you say that’s what we need to be addressing implies that you have the basis of a competent argument. I doubt that you could find your ass with both hands. Love to hear your thoughts..that is, if you can string a few words together to make sense.
Best Regards… Nut Job
It's hilariously ignorant at best and disingenuous at worst to pretend, as you are, that this demographic doesn't have an influence on US politics.
“ judge not, lest ye be judged”
having grown up in a family full of these whackos i can certify that this is real. terrifyingly real. true believers are the most dangerous of all.
“ if you don’t believe in something, you will fall for anything”
A great read, very informative. This stack (blog? series?) is off to a fantastic start.
But, if the mark could be on the forehead, wouldn't that refer to the MAGA hats? The hand could be the stamp received at TFG's rallies. So, yeah, turnabout?
Right on target, LOL
very impressive work. i've just been asked to write something on covid and apocalyptic, and this really helps. what a wonderful example of what i call a rooster (see below).
just one clarification, although the train of thought suggests it, i didn't say (or mean to say) that gutenberg's press was seen as a mark of the beast, but, like all new means of communication, a great spur to apocalyptic thought of all kinds. the apocalyptic prophets, roosters as i call them (like this woman) are eager to use such new means. (true of radio and tv too.)
And they wonder why religion is looked at as nothing more than an ancient fairy tale, relax, gos is imaginary.
god ...
My comments are not your mission field.
What is gos?
I would love to be enlightened on the meaning of a stylized long sword that appears as your talisman, disregarding the obviously trite phallic symbol of aforementioned sword.
I own a bunch of swords and I like them. :)
Damn. I'm so glad you stated explicitly the way vaccination combines the fear of collectivism with the fear of new technology. I hadn't thought of it in those terms, but it's <i>so true</i>.
Do they not realize we've never had a thousand years of peace, ever? No reason to even worry until that happens. Spoiler. It won't happen, as long as humans exist.