Religions > Atheism > The End Of The World Is Near ? Dubya And 59% Of Americans Can't Wait !
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Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Armageddon Watch" |
| Date: |
01 Apr 2004 10:43:30 PM |
| Object: |
The End Of The World Is Near ? Dubya And 59% Of Americans Can't Wait ! |
Let's hope the world will not end at least till Mel makes a movie out of this book -
Jesus: Beyond the Thunderdome !
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2004/04/01/ftrev01.xml
'The end of the world? I can't wait'
(Filed: 01/04/2004)
Christian fundamentalist Tim LaHaye preaches Armageddon, makes millions
from religious novels - and counts George Bush a fan. Oliver Poole
meets him
The last thing one might expect to discuss with one of the most
influential - and, some say, one of the most dangerous - Christian
fundamentalists in America is the possibility of getting laid in
Heaven. But after an hour spent talking to the Reverend Tim LaHaye
about the imminent nature of the Second Coming and how to spot the
Antichrist in a crowd, the conversation moves seamlessly to the matter
of whether there are likely to be singles' clubs in the afterlife.
LaHaye: 'I write fiction because it's the best way to communicate with
the upcoming generation'
LaHaye, 77, a former Southern Baptist minister, is a preacher with a
populist touch and a gift for communicating his message to the masses.
He is the author of the "Left Behind" series of novels, a publishing
phenomenon that, like Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, proves
that religion is an enormous seller in post-September 11 America.
Based on the Book of Revelations and St Paul's epistle to the
Thessalonians, the 12-book series, four of which topped the New York
Times bestseller list, has sold 58 million copies, including a
children's version and spin-offs. The ninth book in the series was the
biggest selling book of 2001 in America, ousting John Grisham from the
top spot for the first time in seven years.
The books - the last of which, Glorious Appearing, has just been
published with a first print run of 1.9 million copies - are good old-
fashioned adventure stories. But their core is utterly theological,
inspired by premillennialism: a teaching that emerged in the 19th
century and which prophesies, bluntly speaking, that things are going
to get much worse before they get better. Disasters and wars are good
things; signs that the Second Coming is approaching.
When the big day comes, Christ will descend from Heaven and summon
all "true believers", who will disappear instantly in an event called
the Rapture. Left behind will be the unbelievers - not just atheists,
but also Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and everyone
else.
They will suffer seven years of catastrophes (the Tribulation) before
Christ reappears and defeats the Antichrist in the final battle between
good and evil, after which, finally, he will rule in peace for a
thousand years.
No wonder that when we meet at his condo amid a golf course in Palm
Springs, Florida, I am expecting a certain amount of aggressive fire
and brimstone. Instead, a smiling septuagenarian with dyed brown hair
greets me - the fleshy right hand that shakes mine is dominated by a
large gold ring with a crucifix emblazoned on it - and quickly puts me
at my ease.
"Some people are scared of anything religious," he says, in a soft, Mid-
Western accent. "But people in this country are starting to realise how
many Christians there are. These are the beliefs that many millions
share. We want to open people's hearts to salvation through Jesus. How
is that a negative thing?"
For the Rev LaHaye, his analysis of the Second Coming is simply a
retelling of the rock-solid facts that are clearly stated in the Bible.
For each of his pronouncements, he has a book and verse he cites in
support. What amazes him most is how the prophets, writing thousands of
years ago, could have predicted so accurately the circumstances that he
believes we find ourselves in now.
"We're living in very scary times," he says. "I've studied the signs
and I can tell you that our generation has more reason to believe that
Christ will return in our lifetime than any generation in the history
of the Church."
So when could the Rapture happen? "It could happen right now. With no
warning."
And what will happen after the Second Coming? "If you're alive, your
body will be transformed, as it's a corruptible body that needs to be
made incorruptible for Heaven. Remember when Jesus rose from the dead?
He still looked the same and could eat food, but he could walk through
walls. He had an incorruptible body. Scripture says that we will be
like Jesus. He was 33, so we assume that everyone will be transformed
to their appearance at that age."
But what will everyone do? "The thousand years of the Millennium
Kingdom will be magnificent. We know from the Bible that there'll be
trees that, each month, will grow a different fruit. It will be
familiar to this world, but more perfect. Sheep will still be sheep.
Grass will be grass. But they will be perfect. What happens after that,
none of us can imagine."
A thousand years seems an awfully long time to watch perfect sheep and
eat a wide variety of fruit. What if, like myself, you are unmarried?
If the Rapture does happen tomorrow, will I be single for a thousand
years?
"There will probably be singles' groups," says LaHaye, who once
published a self-help book called The Act of Marriage, which claimed
that Christian women have better sex lives than atheists. "I've had
such a fun life serving the Lord for these 57 years, so I trust him
completely that I'll be happy doing so for a thousand. We've been told
that we will be able to travel at the speed of thought. Personally, I
plan to go planetary exploring."
Even before his foray into fiction began in 1995 (LaHaye outlines the
plots and themes while novelist Jerry Jenkins throws in the action), he
had for decades been a prominent proponent of the Rapture beliefs and a
leading figure of the fundamentalist Christian right.
LaHaye, who grew up in a poor area of Detroit during the Depression and
served as a machine gunner aboard a bomber during the Second World War,
began his ministry while he was still at university, becoming a pastor
at a small church in South Carolina. Over the next decade, he built up
an empire of churches and schools and set up Family Life Seminars, a
ministry that delivers lectures on sex, marriage and Christian living,
and he has written dozens of books. In 1979, he established
Californians for Biblical Morality, a church-based political group that
planted the seeds of the American Christian Right movement.
Critics have labelled him "the most dangerous man alive" for using
images of Armageddon to frighten people into adopting more conservative
lifestyles. He has described homosexuals as "vile", and breezily tells
me that gay people, on average, die at the age of 42 as a result of
their sins. He has previously suggested that it would not be a bad
thing for them to receive "Old Testament capital punishment".
His outspoken views don't end there. He is anti-evolution, anti-Freud,
anti-Catholic, anti-pacifism and anti-feminist. He has even described
the Harry Potter books as the work of the devil, as they promote
witchcraft. His wife Beverly also gets in on the act; she heads the
Concerned Women for America organisation, which today has 600,000
members and has campaigned against abortion, pornography and sex
education in schools.
Fans and opponents agree that LaHaye is an extremely influential
figure. His Left Behind books have been so successful that he is
reported to have made $50 million from them. He recently signed an
estimated $42 million deal for a new series of Revelations-inspired
novels called "Babylon Rising", though he insists he keeps only enough
money to live on and donates the rest to charity.
The Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals has called him the
most influential Christian leader - ahead of Billy Graham - in the
United States in the past 25 years. Rolling Stone magazine describes
him as the man who helped "coronate" George Bush as the leader of the
Republican Party at a meeting with a dozen evangelical leaders in the
run-up to the last election. LaHaye laughs off the claim, but says he
met the President ahead of the election and has been told that Bush is
a supporter of his work.
"I would think that he is a believer [in the Rapture]," he says. "He
said he had a personal faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour,
and that he prayed on a regular basis."
Many millions of Americans share LaHaye's views on the Second Coming. A
2002 survey revealed that 59 per cent of the population believe the
prophecies of the Book of Revelations. Seventeen per cent believe the
end of the world will happen during their lifetimes. In another poll, a
quarter of Americans said they believe the Bible predicted the
September 11 attacks.
It's little wonder, then, that the Rapture is doing a roaring trade. As
well as LaHaye's novels, there are DVDs, CDs and internet chat sites on
the subject. A range of clothes sports a "Rapture" logo and there is
even a book for those who are worried about missing the great event
called Oops, I Guess I Wasn't Ready. So popular has the issue become
that bumper stickers sported by non-believers ask: "In case of Rapture:
can I have your car?"
But LaHaye's Left Behind novels lead the way. The first book begins
with a flight over the Atlantic during which half of the passengers
suddenly disappear in the Rapture. The plane's pilot and a journalist
find themselves leaders of a force opposing the Antichrist (a Romanian,
as warned in Daniel, LaHaye explains) who also happens to be the head
of the UN, and whose troops are called Peacekeepers, based in Iraq.
"I write fiction because it's the best way to communicate with the
upcoming generation," says LaHaye. "We'd like to make a film. The
Passion of the Christ has shown Hollywood that there is an audience.
Hopefully, we can take this chance to spread our message."
One event that affected him profoundly was the death of his father,
when LaHaye was 10. "When the minister talked at his graveside, he
said: ‘This is not the end of Frank LaHaye. The day will come when
Christ shall come from Heaven and all the dead will rise and we will be
together in the clouds.'
"That was when I realised that I'd see him again and that blessed hope
has characterised my thinking throughout my life. Now I get to share it
with millions of people. That's the greatest of all blessings."
--
Sent by leigh from phantom part from org
This is a spam protected message. Please answer with reference header.
Posted via http://www.usenet-replayer.com
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| User: "---= Ö§âmâ ßíñ Këñ0ßí =---" |
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| Title: Re: The End Of The World Is Near ? Dubya And 59% Of Americans Can't Wait ! |
03 Apr 2004 03:38:39 PM |
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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,
u909729003@spawnkill.ip-mobilphone.net (Armageddon Watch) wrote:
Let's hope the world will not end at least till Mel makes a movie out of
this book - Jesus: Beyond the Thunderdome !
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2004/04/01/ftrev01.x
ml
'The end of the world? I can't wait'
(Filed: 01/04/2004)
Christian fundamentalist Tim LaHaye preaches Armageddon, makes millions
from religious novels - and counts George Bush a fan. Oliver Poole
meets him
It's funny, Muslims have nearly the same myths. They believe that the
"Mahdi" is coming and will lead them through the final battle of the
Apocalypse. It's very much like the Christian belief that Je$us will come
and save them.
You know what? No one is coming to save any of these idiots. The trouble is
getting them to kill off each other without involving the rest of us. We
must not let them drag the rest of us into their conflict. Let the Bu$hes,
Bin Ladens, Sharons, and Bliars fight it out in the desert, while the rest
of us watch on CNN and laugh at their deaths.
--
--==( Ö§âmâ ßíñ Këñ0ßí )====-- ----- --- - --- ----
R.ebel A.lliance G.alactic U.senet N.ews S.ervice
---- --- ---====================-------- - --------
http://www.president-bush.com/gulfwars.jpg
http://tlf.cx/bilder/bush_nkpm.jpg
http://www.aracnet.com/~allied/images/bush_vader.jpg
http://members.chello.nl/r.kremers/darth.jpg
http://www.mncollegedems.org/DarthBush.jpg
http://www.mingthemerciless.com/atat.html
http://www.bloodforoil.org/
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| User: "Sleeper" |
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| Title: Re: The End Of The World Is Near ? Dubya And 59% Of Americans Can't Wait ! |
22 May 2004 07:12:48 PM |
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"---= Ö§âmâ ßÃÅ„ Këń0ßà =---" <abuse@anarchy.gov> wrote in
article <OBK94C0A95A9C1670001138@r2-dv8.anarchy.gov>:
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,
u909729003@spawnkill.ip-mobilphone.net (Armageddon Watch) wrote:
Let's hope the world will not end at least till Mel makes a movie out of
this book - Jesus: Beyond the Thunderdome !
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2004/04/01/ftrev01.x
ml
'The end of the world? I can't wait'
(Filed: 01/04/2004)
Christian fundamentalist Tim LaHaye preaches Armageddon, makes millions
from religious novels - and counts George Bush a fan. Oliver Poole
meets him
It's funny, Muslims have nearly the same myths. They believe that the
"Mahdi" is coming and will lead them through the final battle of the
Apocalypse. It's very much like the Christian belief that Je$us will come
and save them.
You know what? No one is coming to save any of these idiots. The trouble is
getting them to kill off each other without involving the rest of us. We
must not let them drag the rest of us into their conflict. Let the Bu$hes,
Bin Ladens, Sharons, and Bliars fight it out in the desert, while the rest
of us watch on CNN and laugh at their deaths.
Sharon and Blair are too smart to believe in apocalypse like
Dubya and his hardcore supporters.
BTW, here is a good article about Left Behind authors.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4988269/site/newsweek/
and if you do not wish read the books, here is an ongoing
review in progress
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/left_behind/
(currently at page 48 of first book - let's hope they finish
it before the Armageddon comes :-))
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| User: "Carol Lee Smith" |
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| Title: Re: The End Of The World Is Near ? Dubya And 59% Of Americans Can't Wait ! |
22 May 2004 06:55:48 PM |
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On Sun, 23 May 2004, Sleeper wrote:
Christian fundamentalist Tim LaHaye preaches Armageddon, makes millions
from religious novels - and counts George Bush a fan. Oliver Poole
meets him
You know what? No one is coming to save any of these idiots. The trouble is
getting them to kill off each other without involving the rest of us.
....
Sharon and Blair are too smart to believe in apocalypse like
Dubya and his hardcore supporters.
BTW, here is a good article about Left Behind authors.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4988269/site/newsweek/
So much for giving everything to the poor:
-----excerpt-----
"I wake up every morning," he says, "and I see this beautiful place, and
that drop-dead gorgeous view of the mountains, and I think, 'This is
fantastic.' Because God is faithful." How does he reconcile that with
Jesus' injunction to sell all you have and give to the poor? "I can
accomplish far more from my present lifestyle and the giving that I do to
Christian work," he says. "If I just sold everything and gave it to the
poor, I can't see where that would advance the Gospel as much as I'm
doing." But wouldn't it advance the poor? "Well," he says, "you know how
much I pay in taxes?"
-----end of excerpt-----
and if you do not wish read the books, here is an ongoing
review in progress
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/left_behind/
Put MINDSIEGE on your reading list to get an idea how nutty LaHaye really
is. (Noebel & LaHaye)
"Without faith we might relapse into scientific or rational thinking,
which leads by a slippery slope toward constitutional democracy."
-- Robert Anton Wilson
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| User: "General Zod" |
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| Title: Re: The End Of The World Is Near ? Dubya And 59% Of Americans Can't Wait ! |
23 May 2004 01:56:56 PM |
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This "Dubya" you speak of is correct. The world shall indeed come to an
end, and soon. But first its arrogant, foolish rulers shall kneel before
me!
Yes, kneel - kneel before Zod!
-Z
www.generalzod.net
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| User: "Bill Snyder" |
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| Title: Re: The End Of The World Is Near ? Dubya And 59% Of Americans Can't Wait ! |
01 Apr 2004 11:00:32 PM |
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On Fri, 02 Apr 2004 04:43:30 GMT,
u909729003@spawnkill.ip-mobilphone.net (Armageddon Watch) wrote:
Newsgroups: alt.atheism,alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic,
alt.fan.noam-chomsky,rec.arts.sf.written,
rec.arts.books,soc.culture.jewish,
soc.culture.russian,soc.culture.yugoslavia
Consume excrement and die in agony, troll.
--
Bill Snyder [This space unintentionally left blank.]
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