Battlefield Earth

Some thoughts on the political power of the "rapture index" :crazy: :wow: :crazy: from that outta control dangerous pagan }( Bill Moyers:

"Remember James Watt, President Reagan's first Secretary of the Interior? My favorite online environmental journal, the ever engaging Grist, reminded us recently of how James Watt told the U.S. Congress that protecting natural resources was unimportant in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. In public testimony he said, "after the last tree is felled, Christ will come back."

Beltway elites snickered. The press corps didn't know what he was talking about. But James Watt was serious. So were his compatriots out across the country. They are the people who believe the bible is literally true – one-third of the American electorate, if a recent Gallup poll is accurate. In this past election several million good and decent citizens went to the polls believing in the rapture index. That's right – the rapture index. Google it and you will find that the best-selling books in America today are the twelve volumes of the left-behind series written by the Christian fundamentalist and religious right warrior, Timothy LaHaye. These true believers subscribe to a fantastical theology concocted in the 19th century by a couple of immigrant preachers who took disparate passages from the Bible and wove them into a narrative that has captivated the imagination of millions of Americans.

Its outline is rather simple, if bizarre (the British writer George Monbiot recently did a brilliant dissection of it and I am indebted to him for adding to my own understanding): once Israel has occupied the rest of its "biblical lands," legions of the anti-Christ will attack it, triggering a final showdown in the valley of Armageddon. As the Jews who have not been converted are burned, the messiah will return for the rapture. True believers will be lifted out of their clothes and transported to heaven, where, seated next to the right hand of God, they will watch their political and religious opponents suffer plagues of boils, sores, locusts, and frogs during the several years of tribulation that follow.

I'm not making this up. Like Monbiot, I've read the literature. I've reported on these people, following some of them from Texas to the West Bank. They are sincere, serious, and polite as they tell you they feel called to help bring the rapture on as fulfillment of biblical prophecy. That's why they have declared solidarity with Israel and the Jewish settlements and backed up their support with money and volunteers. It's why the invasion of Iraq for them was a warm-up act, predicted in the Book of Revelations where four angels 'which are bound in the great river Euphrates will be released to slay the third part of man.' A war with Islam in the Middle East is not something to be feared but welcomed – an essential conflagration on the road to redemption. The last time I Googled it, the rapture index stood at 144 – just one point below the critical threshold when the whole thing will blow, the son of god will return, the righteous will enter heaven, and sinners will be condemned to eternal hellfire."

the index is up to 155, so apparently i should be receiving "the mark" and awaiting plagues of locusts anytime now

their criterion is suspect, IMO.

http://www.raptureready.com/rap2.html

I see "Beast Government" means the EU. And "liberalism" is one of the indicators for the Rapture - and Satanism and Ecumenism. So doe sthis mean that they're all as bad as each other? Or as good?

as a sign of the Apocalypse because at one time it had 10 member states This number conveniently matched the number of horns on the beast

"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." Revelation 13:1

Unfortunately, they ignore the fact that number of members of the EU has changed over the years. It started out as 6 states and has gradually increased over time to stand at 25 nations today. Most religious wackos are too lazy or too stupid to keep their eschatological prophecies up to date.

the people who believe this would rapture the hell out of here so we would have a shot at world peace. Too bad they aren't the ones who fight the wars either, so it's our only shot of getting rid of them.

edit: spelling

The issue of using up our natural resources has gotten my attention recently. This is a topic that not everybody is aware of.

As distasteful as it is, I've been trying to get a handle on what the Fundies are about . I think it is important to understand what they're up to.

Now as far as using up our natural resources, I was very surprised when the little "Fundie" receptionist in our office said something about this. This is the same little co-dependent who reads out of her bible in the lunchroom for all us sinners, just in case. Her world is an amazing assortment of Black and White, with a large chasm of the Grand Canyon in-between.

At lunch one day, we were talking about Peak Oil. She commented, "we should use it up". My eyes are usually glazed over at having to listen to her lectures, but now she had my attention. What did she say? That we should use up the stuff? "Yes, it says so in the Bible. We're supposed to use our natural resources. Like trees, and stuff".

I puzzled over this for a few days. This did not sound like typical moderate christians, who surely must believe that the world is not OURS for the taking. After all, there is the other 90% of the world's population to consider.....

Well, your sentence up above solved the mystery. "After the last tree is felled." These fucking idiots are going to going to rape and pillage this earth to have their very own custom-made Armageddon come about. They are either
a) out of their minds
b) suicidal

You pick.

Since we have proven ourselves unable to face the problems caused by seeking it and using it, perhaps it would be better if it just ran out. When I was a kid in the 60's and 70's, we all figured oil would run out someday but we all "knew" that by the time it did we'd have something better. Its 30 yrs later and we still havent done jack squat. There should be solar panels on every house and windfarms everywhere, but we're not going to see anything until big oil is done wringing every last cent they can out of their current product. The sooner it dries up the better IMHO.

I don't think that der shrub has figured that out yet.
Do you think somebody should tell him?

"One of the biggest changes in politics in my lifetime is that the delusional is no longer marginal. It has come in from the fringe, to sit in the seat of power in the oval office and in Congress. For the first time in our history, ideology and theology hold a monopoly of power in Washington....

Nearly half the U.S. Congress before the recent election – 231 legislators in total – more since the election – are backed by the religious right."

How hard can it be to get the majority of Americans to oust politicians so thoroughly stamped with the kook seal of approval? This "out-there" stuff just needs to be pointed out more, not compromised with.

that can rationalize anything,..ANYTHING!
:scared:

...they wouldn't be eating hot dogs. Or cheeseburgers or shrimp. Or shaving, for that matter.

Those things are from the old law and don't apply anymore since Jesus appeared.

You see, the old law is not needed....well, except that 10 commandments thing. Other than that, the old law is meaningless in today's society....well, also except the part about homosexuals laying with one another - since Paul picked up on that after Jesus, it has to stay. OK, where was I? Right....the old law was really a set of instructions for Jews at the time. Wait, also we do need to heed what the old law said about women being subservient to their husbands. But really, the old law must be seen contextually. Pork and shellfish could kill you, so it makes sense that 3000 years ago, they were deemed unclean. That doesn't apply today. Now, I know that some liberal theologians may tell you that the man laying with another man thing is also contextual due to the need to keep the tribe full of babies, but that is wrong. This law is clearly straight from God because of the obvious wrongness of homosexuality. OK....so, for the most part the old law is not useful for today's Christian, just the parts that help maintain male power and justify bigotry.

Carry on.