Do raptures and "end of times" stories hurt religions? (salvation, door-to-door)

[h0tmess]

Don't worry, I know most of even the hardcore believers in certain religions don't buy into this rapture ****.. or in general "END OF TIMES COMING SOON" nonsense that we always seem to hear every so many years.

To those who are religious and don't believe that man can figure out when "the end is near", do you think that these loons who preach and are able to convince the masses hurt your --or the concept of-- religion??

As someone who considers themselves as an Atheist, I'm already skeptical about religion. I do find almost all stories involving all religions to just be a knee slap and a hearty laugh. When I do hear things like these prophecies, it makes me feel like I am even more secure in my thoughts about Religion. I am one person, though, so I could be way off with this.

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by h0tmess

Don't worry, I know most of even the hardcore believers in certain religions don't buy into this rapture ****.. or in general "END OF TIMES COMING SOON" nonsense that we always seem to hear every so many years.

To those who are religious and don't believe that man can figure out when "the end is near", do you think that these loons who preach and are able to convince the masses hurt your --or the concept of-- religion??

As someone who considers themselves as an Atheist, I'm already skeptical about religion. I do find almost all stories involving all religions to just be a knee slap and a hearty laugh. When I do hear things like these prophecies, it makes me feel like I am even more secure in my thoughts about Religion. I am one person, though, so I could be way off with this.

Yes . . . but most religions in general hurt theism and belief in God with their acceptance of ancient ignorance, superstition and irrationality as infallible gospel. Religion is one of the few areas of human endeavor where knowledge and progress in understanding is frowned upon and the retention of ignorance is revered as a sign of faith. It is very sad.

[AREQUIPA]

Originally Posted by MysticPhD

Yes . . . but most religions in general hurt theism and belief in God with their acceptance of ancient ignorance, superstition and irrationality as infallible gospel. Religion is one of the few areas of human endeavor where knowledge and progress in understanding is frowned upon and the retention of ignorance is revered as a sign of faith. It is very sad.

What he said. You saved me the trouble so I repped you.

[godofthunder9010]

You're not an idiot if you say that the world will end some day. It will. It's inevitable. If we dodge every conceivable doomsday event for the next several thousand years and don't manage to destroy ourselves, we're still doomed when the Sun changes fuel, rapidly expands and becomes a Red Giant. No surviving that!! No, you're not an idiot for pointing out the obvious and say that the world is going to come to an end.

You're and idiot if you start offering up the year, month, day, time and itinerary.

[Fred314X]

The answer to the OP's question appears to be a resounding "NO." Everything is pretty much the same today as it was yesterday...except, of course, that the prediction about the world coming to an end was (who would have imagined?) wrong.

[Woodrow LI]

These idiotic ideas do hurt all religions. Yet generally to hurt is short term. I think it is more damaging to those who proselytize their faith the most. non-believers simply do not want to hear about somebody's religion and probably are laughing their heads off at the latest guy who claimed a revelation and conned a bunch of easily deluded people to follow him down the primrose path.

I think this generally harms Christians the most as they almost always claim to be Christian. But it does harm all religions to some extent.

[HurricaneDC]

As an atheist, this latest little episode hasn't changed my opinion of Christianity. Hell, I know that in the bible it claims that only god knows when the day of judgment will be, so this guy Camping is obviously a two-bit swindler trying to scare people into giving money to his church for salvation.

I do wonder though, he seems to be such a devout Christian... I wonder if he'll follow the words in deuteronomy and give himself the punishment that false prophets are supposed to get?

[ESFP]

With preachers like Oral Roberts, Jim & Tammy Bakker, Jimmy Swaggert (among many other prosperity gospel preachers), along with the door-to-door prothlesizers, Heaven might seem like a really annoying place. I used to be very "religious" but, I'm getting the idea that it might be somebody's game to see how many followers they can collect. I think I'll just buy an indulgence and stay "Self-Righteous" for the time being.

[goodgal]

Rapture is not a word found in the Bible. It was created and used by man.

[Asheville Native]