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No, I'm not happy when my kids mess up, but I'm not about to do the god thing and kill them all for disappointing me...That is what the rapture belief is all about, the way I understand it.
Do you really understand the rapture thing, as you call it? Most Christians believe that's Christ will return and call His followers to be with Him. After that will come 7 years of extreme turmoil and the rest is in the Bible in case you want to read it.
For Christians, it's a bittersweet time because we are every so happy to go and live with the Lord yet realize that many of our loved ones may not be with us and that is very disconcerting to us. However, if you don't believe in God or the Bible, it doesn't mean anything to you now but one day it will.
Hey, that's the easy part!! YOU get to gloat over all the other suckers who are goin' to hell!!!!, Tis the draw, I suspect.
Speaking of that, I have also asked in the past if there is not this sense of expected satisfaction from [some] Christians that they can't wait to see their expectations come to pass so they can finally say, "See! I told you so! Nah, nah, nah, nah nah!" I get this feeling some of them are just salivating over the thought of seeing the heavens turn mauve or for New York to sink beneath the sea or even for President Obama to outlaw Christianity to fulfill their warped convictions. Sure, they're gonna say they don't want it to happen, BUT....In their worldview it HAS to happen in order to bring about their nirvana. Their eternal rest lies on the other side of world disasters, they believe, so let it rain down fire and brimstone for all they care. Their minds have since long checked out of reality so they now want their bodies to follow along.
Do you really understand the rapture thing, as you call it? Most Christians believe that's Christ will return and call His followers to be with Him. After that will come 7 years of extreme turmoil and the rest is in the Bible in case you want to read it.
For Christians, it's a bittersweet time because we are every so happy to go and live with the Lord yet realize that many of our loved ones may not be with us and that is very disconcerting to us. However, if you don't believe in God or the Bible, it doesn't mean anything to you now but one day it will.
"Most???" Maybe you should say "many" and those "many" can be found in the southern Unites States, the Caribbean (which has been influenced by Souther U.S styled Christianity) and parts of West Africa and South America which has been influenced by charismatic/Pentecostal Christianity. Now if the Catholics DON'T count as Christians (which they don't in the minds of many other Christians, hence the point of this thread), then you might have a point there with use of the word "most."
Do Seventh Day Adventist believe in a "rapture," by the way?
Do you really understand the rapture thing, as you call it? Most Christians believe that's Christ will return and call His followers to be with Him. After that will come 7 years of extreme turmoil and the rest is in the Bible in case you want to read it.
For Christians, it's a bittersweet time because we are every so happy to go and live with the Lord yet realize that many of our loved ones may not be with us and that is very disconcerting to us. However, if you don't believe in God or the Bible, it doesn't mean anything to you now but one day it will.
What a dark, morbid and negative belief...Sometimes I think many Christians revel in negativity and misery and suffer a persecution complex....Not a very good frame of mind. Thanks for throwing in the thinly veiled threat....Not.
Speaking of that, I have also asked in the past if there is not this sense of expected satisfaction from [some] Christians that they can't wait to see their expectations come to pass so they can finally say, "See! I told you so! Nah, nah, nah, nah nah!" I get this feeling some of them are just salivating over the thought of seeing the heavens turn mauve or for New York to sink beneath the sea or even for President Obama to outlaw Christianity to fulfill their warped convictions. Sure, they're gonna say they don't want it to happen, BUT....In their worldview it HAS to happen in order to bring about their nirvana. Their eternal rest lies on the other side of world disasters, they believe, so let it rain down fire and brimstone for all they care. Their minds have since long checked out of reality so they now want their bodies to follow along.
Peter Lombard, the Master of Sentences “Therefore the elect shall go forth…to see the torments of the impious, seeing which they will not be grieved, but will be satiated with joy at the sight of the unutterable calamity of the impious .” Sent. Iv 50, ad fin
“…the Blessed will see their friends and relations among the damned as often as they like but without the least of compassion.”
Samuel Hopkins
“This display of the divine character will be most entertaining to all who love God, will give them the highest and most ineffable pleasure. Should the fire of this eternal punishment cease, it would in a great measure obscure the light of heaven, and put an end to a great part of the happiness and glory of the blessed.”
Thomas Aquinas In order that the happiness of the saints may be more delightful to them and that they may render more copious thanks to God for it, they are allowed to see perfectly the sufferings of the damned. . .So that they may be urged the more to praise God. . .The saints in heaven know distinctly all that happens. . .to the damned. [Summa Theologica, Third Part, Supplement, Question XCIV, "Of the Relations of the Saints Towards the Damned," First Article, "Whether the Blessed in Heaven Will See the Sufferings of the Damned. . ."]
Jonathan Edwards “The view of the misery of the damned will double the ardour of the love and gratitude of the saints of heaven.” The sight of hell torments will exalt the happiness of the saints forever. . .Can the believing father in Heaven be happy with his unbelieving children in Hell. . . I tell you, yea! Such will be his sense of justice that it will increase rather than diminish his bliss. ["The Eternity of Hell Torments" (Sermon), April 1739 & Discourses on Various Important Subjects, 1738]
J.I. Packer "...love and pity for hell's occupants will not enter our hearts." J.I. Packer in article "Hell's Final Enigma" in "Christianity Today Magazine, April 22,2002 ."
Last edited by nightflight; 04-13-2009 at 12:04 PM..
Reason: clean up!
To what are you referring? Sorry but I think you're the one with the negative attitude here. All Christians are looking forward to going home to be with the Lord one day and that is something to be happy about. If you don't want to share in that, that's your perogative. Have a blessed day.
Peter Lombard, the Master of Sentences “Therefore the elect shall go forth…to see the torments of the impious, seeing which they will not be grieved, but will be satiated with joy at the sight of the unutterable calamity of the impious .” Sent. Iv 50, ad fin
“…the Blessed will see their friends and relations among the damned as often as they like but without the least of compassion.”
Samuel Hopkins
“This display of the divine character will be most entertaining to all who love God, will give them the highest and most ineffable pleasure. Should the fire of this eternal punishment cease, it would in a great measure obscure the light of heaven, and put an end to a great part of the happiness and glory of the blessed.”
Thomas Aquinas In order that the happiness of the saints may be more delightful to them and that they may render more copious thanks to God for it, they are allowed to see perfectly the sufferings of the damned. . .So that they may be urged the more to praise God. . .The saints in heaven know distinctly all that happens. . .to the damned. [Summa Theologica, Third Part, Supplement, Question XCIV, "Of the Relations of the Saints Towards the Damned," First Article, "Whether the Blessed in Heaven Will See the Sufferings of the Damned. . ."]
Jonathan Edwards “The view of the misery of the damned will double the ardour of the love and gratitude of the saints of heaven.” The sight of hell torments will exalt the happiness of the saints forever. . .Can the believing father in Heaven be happy with his unbelieving children in Hell. . . I tell you, yea! Such will be his sense of justice that it will increase rather than diminish his bliss. ["The Eternity of Hell Torments" (Sermon), April 1739 & Discourses on Various Important Subjects, 1738]
J.I. Packer "...love and pity for hell's occupants will not enter our hearts." J.I. Packer in article "Hell's Final Enigma" in "Christianity Today Magazine, April 22,2002 ."
To what are you referring? Sorry but I think you're the one with the negative attitude here. All Christians are looking forward to going home to be with the Lord one day and that is something to be happy about. If you don't want to share in that, that's your perogative. Have a blessed day.
Somehow the thought of Anne Frank burning eternally would put a damper on the festivities, at least it would for me.
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