As of today, fewer than three dozen Christians
are confirmed to have been 'raptured,' leaving their rejected

to deal with seven years of Tribulation, a turbulent period marked by
the return of the anti-Christ.

News that the 'Rapture' Has Come and Gone Alarms Many Christians

http://swiftreport.blogs.com/news/2005/03/news_that_the_r.html

What if the 'Rapture' happened but you were left behind? That's what
millions of Christians are wondering amid mounting evidence that the
Rapture, the much-anticipated event in which God summons his faithful to
the heavens, may have happened earlier this month. Among the startled
'still here': House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, just one of the political
leaders who had expected to be making the trek skyward.

From Capitol Hill to Kansas, finger pointing and questioning: 'why are
we still here?'
By Deanna Swift

WASHINGTON, DC--When House Majority Leader Tom DeLay delivered a moving
speech from the halls of Congress last week, in which he argued that his
political enemies are persecuting him because of his religious faith,
there was just one problem: he wasn't supposed to be there. Earlier this
month, say observers, the 'Rapture,' the much-anticipated event in which
God summons his faithful to the heavens, finally happened.

But instead of Mr. DeLay and millions of other believers making the
skyward trek, the biblical bash appears to have been an exclusive,
invitation-only affair. As of today, fewer than three dozen Christians
are confirmed to have been 'raptured,' leaving their rejected brethren
to deal with seven years of Tribulation, a turbulent period marked by
the return of the anti-Christ.

For those who had hoped to be cashing in on their heavenly rewards,
these are days of soul searching and regret. From Capitol Hill to the
mega-churches of the south, disappointed travelers are asking the same
questions: 'Why not me?' 'What did I do wrong?' and 'Was it something I
said?'

The lucky few
David Dumé, originally of Spring Hill, KS, appears to be among the lucky
few who are currently enjoying the company of the world's most famous
father. Mr. Dumé, who had recently returned to Kansas from Hollywood,
where he enjoyed a short but lucrative career in adult-themed films, was
expected to attend a potluck supper and informal prayer session at the
Spring Hill Baptist Church—but disappeared from site just minutes after
reaching the building.

Stunned onlookers say that they watched aghast as Mr. Dumé "flew up
through the ceiling," leaving a pile of clothing, gold jewelry, an
outsized diamond-covered crucifix, and several piercings and chains
behind. Experts say that the fact that Mr. Dumé and others cast off such
earthly accoutrements is another sure sign that they were indeed raptured.

And the not-so-lucky
The pastor of the church, Roy DeLong, who is also an active supporter of
conservative political causes including a constitutional ban on gay
marriage and private Social Security accounts, says that he is
personally shocked that Mr. Dumé was chosen to make the trip, while he
and so many other more faithful believers remain behind. "He was not
even a regular presence around here, that's what's so startling. I don't
want to say that mistakes were made, but you really have to wonder about
the selection process here," says Pastor DeLong.

DeLong, who also heads up the Baptist Leadership Council, will join
other prominent Christian leaders, including the Reverends Tim Lahaye,
James Dobson and Franklin Graham, for an emergency meeting later this
week. "At this point, we're concluding that this was probably a practice
round before the real deal," says Pastor DeLong. "That's the only way
this makes any sense. He left behind all of the wrong people. Why would
He do that?"

The right—left behind
Meanwhile, no one appears to have made the trip upwards from Capitol
Hill. Beltway observers had speculated that dozens of high-profile
leaders, including President Bush and Representative DeLay, would be
raptured, possibly setting off a complex battle over succession within
the halls of power.

So certain were these men that their earthly tenure was coming to an
end, say sources, that they scheduled a lengthy break over the Easter
weekend. While Stewart Roy, a spokesman for Mr. DeLay, refused to
acknowledge that the House Majority Leader has indeed been left behind,
he did confirm that the Texas representative is taking some much-needed
time off. "Let's just say that there are some unexpected openings in his
schedule. I'm not going to say anything more than that."

--
Jez
'Realism is seductive because once you have accepted the reasonable
notion that you should base your actions on reality, you are too often
led to accept, without much questioning, someone else's version of what
that reality is. It is a crucial act of independent thinking to be
skeptical of someone else's description of reality.'-
Howard Zinn

NFS Underground2, Americas Army And MOH-PA

News that the 'Rapture' Has Come and Gone Alarms Many Christians

http://swiftreport.blogs.com/news/2005/03/news_that_the_r.html

News that the 'Rapture' Has Come and Gone Alarms Many Christians

http://swiftreport.blogs.com/news/2005/03/news_that_the_r.html

What if the 'Rapture' happened but you were left behind? That's what
millions of Christians are wondering amid mounting evidence that the
Rapture, the much-anticipated event in which God summons his faithful to
the heavens, may have happened earlier this month. Among the startled
'still here': House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, just one of the political
leaders who had expected to be making the trek skyward.