Need Advice re: the rapture

Now that the world is ending on Saturday, I want to spend the rest of the week at a place with the best climbing, cocaine, and hookers within a reasonable distance.

It has to be Vegas right? Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Actually, the dead and living believers will be taken up to heaven on Saturday. Sounds like you'll be down here with the rest of us, looting their houses till we all burn in rOcktober 2011.

For further edification, see this informative website. I love when they use phrases such as: "This date is completely accurate" "As a matter of fact" "it can be trusted wholeheartedly" "The Bible’s calendar of history is completely accurate and trustworthy". Lol.

The rapture... one of the least Biblical ideas around. Best rapture website?
Rapture Letters
If you're interested in what the Bible actually says about the 'end' of all things: Revelation Book

Or try actually reading the Bible. I know not everyone (not most?) care, but I'm just trying to represent! Christians believe some bizarre (and wonderful) things, but this shouldn't be one of them. I hope the world does end Saturday! Then maybe my road trip next week will be for eternity!

Scott Thalacker wrote:Or try actually reading the Bible.

And when you do, remember that the violent, slavery endorsing god of the Old Testament is not the same god of the New Testament....he's evolved ;-)

Anyone up for brunch on Sunday?

Nathan Scherneck wrote: And when you do, remember that the violent, slavery endorsing god of the Old Testament is not the same god of the New Testament....he's evolved ;-) Anyone up for brunch on Sunday?

Marcionites everywhere! Same God! Go ask a rabbi about their 'violent and slavery endorsing god' sometime... Ever read the prophets? Not exactly slavery endorsing... swords into plowshares and all. How about Esther (which doesn't directly mention God once) or the Exodus story? Not all parts of scripture have equal authority...

Besides being overly materialistic, evolution seems reasonable to me. God evolving is obviously a bit of a different question... But if Jesus was human and humans are part of evolution... And I believe the Bible is the true, authoritative word of God because it delivers Christ!

When you actually read the Bible, you might find that much of the reputation and use of it 'misses the mark'... That's why many thought it was worth dying for to have it in vernacular. So everyone could encounter it firsthand, instead of listening to people like me tell them what it says.

Due to recent advancements in gravitational physics, I have in my possession a device which allows me to manipulate the gravitational field around small objects, so that I may move objects around the room without physically interacting with them.

Prove my (imaginary) device doesn't exist, and I'll be able to prove your god of choice doesn't exist. Impossible, eh?

On another note, I hate when it rains on my day off. There's got to be a rain goddess deeply in love with me.

Just a note from the Accounting Department. There will be no paycheck advances this week. NO EXCEPTIONS.

and again...

THE ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT NO LONGER ACCEPTS QUATLOOS.

Scott Thalacker wrote: Not all parts of scripture have equal authority...

Says who?

Thalacker, have you read the Qu'ran and the Book of Mormon? Why are you not a Muslim or a Mormon?

Did you guys actually click on Thalacker's link for Rapture Letters? What a brilliant way to gather an email database for online marketing - someone is totally cashing in from all this Judgement day hoopla.

tooTALLtim wrote:Actually, the dead and living believers will be taken up to heaven on Saturday. Sounds like you'll be down here with the rest of us, looting their houses till we all burn in rOcktober 2011.

That was funny. Bring the rapture!! I have a student loan payment due by Monday, and I'd blow up the world to get out of it.

First, sorry for hijacking the rapture humor thread. +1 to Stich and Dolgio. That website is humorous on multiple levels - what will they do with all that money their scamming after Saturday?! Ha!

Bill Dugan wrote:Thalacker, have you read the Qu'ran and the Book of Mormon? Why are you not a Muslim or a Mormon?

Good question! One very major cause is that my parents are Christians and raised to me be one also. There were a great many other people who participated in this (all the way until the present day). But I do not believe that what our parents teach us (overtly or otherwise) determines who we are and what we believe - that would take very strong mind control, which some people do attempt on their kids! My parents were always incredibly open to what I wanted to be/believe. There is a distinction between cause and determine, even if there is only one cause in a case.

Why does the Bible have authority for me beyond my parents' influence? Because the congregations I've been part of and Christian church on earth center their shared life around it. Because it has again and again delivered Christ Jesus to me, both the Law and the Gospel. This has given meaning to my life in creation, transformed me, challenged me, strengthened me, sustained me, killed me, raised me, etc. I have found hope in this God, who makes and keeps promises, who is full of steadfast love and faithfulness, who finds a way when there is none. I've known what forgiveness can do and this Bible preaches forgiveness. The story has hooked me; it may be that this would have happened without being raised the way I was, maybe not.

Does my Christian belief in the Bible share the same form as Muslim or Mormon beliefs in their holy books? My experience and learning about these faiths indicates that this is not completely the case. THE CONTENT MATTERS. And there are different forms of authority. In my way of seeing things, Islam and Mormonism are basically religions of the Law and lack the Gospel. They aren't all bad and most people are probably whatever religion they are (including atheistic) for some of the same reasons I am a Christian. But the content and particular reasons matter, at least to me. The Christian God (and holy book) is not the Muslim or Mormon god. Muslims would agree with this, Mormons might not! But there are not as neat of lines between religions as we try to draw, both conceptually and empirically. What do you think about all this?

Scott Thalacker wrote:Not all parts of scripture have equal authority...

How convenient.

I'm just disappointed that The Hangover 2 is coming out after the Rapture.

--Marc

tooTALLtim wrote:Due to recent advancements in gravitational physics, I have in my possession a device which allows me to manipulate the gravitational field around small objects, so that I may move objects around the room without physically interacting with them. Prove my (imaginary) device doesn't exist, and I'll be able to prove your god of choice doesn't exist. Impossible, eh? On another note, I hate when it rains on my day off. There's got to be a rain goddess deeply in love with me.

It is a major bummer to have rain on a day off. But, as they say, "it rains on the righteous and the wicked." Ha!

It would be pretty easy to prove that your device doesn't exist by asking you to show it to me or allow me to test it. But the whole 'flying spaghetti monster argument' withstands this response. I offer you this: only believing in what you can empirically verify with sense perception works in the world of technical science but is no way to go through life. The question of whether God exists has always been less interesting to me than the nature of God, not so for everyone. This 'nature of God' business is where the spaghetti monster kind of falls apart. I can't empirically verify anything non-material, but I still believe it exists (things like love, hate, reason, justice, etc.).

Scott Thalacker wrote:They aren't all bad and most people are probably whatever religion they are (including atheistic) for some of the same reasons I am a Christian.

Atheism is not a religion, don't refer to it as such. An atheist is simply a person whom chooses not to blindly follow.

Scott Thalacker wrote: I offer you this: only believing in what you can empirically verify with sense perception works in the world of technical science but is no way to go through life.

Why not? The world around us is one of the greatest curiosities of all. Why kill this curiosity by preaching made-up stories which claim to explain existence and meaning?

johnL wrote:Personally, I'd rather put my faith in Boreal Fusion rubber.

For me, locking carabiners....and my ability to pull through the crux moves above a runout. Also, when the sun sets and it gets cold on the wall I think back to the primitives who worshipped the sun...they kept it simple and had it right.

Scott Thalacker wrote:First, sorry for hijacking the rapture humor thread. +1 to Stich and Dolgio. That website is humorous on multiple levels - what will they do with all that money their scamming after Saturday?! Ha! Good question! One very major cause is that my parents are Christians and raised to me be one also. There were a great many other people who participated in this (all the way until the present day). But I do not believe that what our parents teach us (overtly or otherwise) determines who we are and what we believe - that would take very strong mind control, which some people do attempt on their kids! My parents were always incredibly open to what I wanted to be/believe. There is a distinction between cause and determine, even if there is only one cause in a case. Why does the Bible have authority for me beyond my parents' influence? Because the congregations I've been part of and Christian church on earth center their shared life around it. Because it has again and again delivered Christ Jesus to me, both the Law and the Gospel. This has given meaning to my life in creation, transformed me, challenged me, strengthened me, sustained me, killed me, raised me, etc. I have found hope in this God, who makes and keeps promises, who is full of steadfast love and faithfulness, who finds a way when there is none. I've known what forgiveness can do and this Bible preaches forgiveness. The story has hooked me; it may be that this would have happened without being raised the way I was, maybe not. Does my Christian belief in the Bible share the same form as Muslim or Mormon beliefs in their holy books? My experience and learning about these faiths indicates that this is not completely the case. THE CONTENT MATTERS. And there are different forms of authority. In my way of seeing things, Islam and Mormonism are basically religions of the Law and lack the Gospel. They aren't all bad and most people are probably whatever religion they are (including atheistic) for some of the same reasons I am a Christian. But the content and particular reasons matter, at least to me. The Christian God (and holy book) is not the Muslim or Mormon god. Muslims would agree with this, Mormons might not! But there are not as neat of lines between religions as we try to draw, both conceptually and empirically. What do you think about all this?

The point is that you are also an Atheist. An Atheist in regard to Islam and Mormonism. You believe the claim that the archangel Gabriel visited Muhammad in his cave is false. The same for the angel Moroni's visits to Joseph Smith. Agree or disagree?

Bill Dugan wrote: The point is that you are also an Atheist. An Atheist in regard to Islam and Mormonism. You believe the claim that the archangel Gabriel visited Muhammad in his cave is false. The same for the angel Moroni's visits to Joseph Smith. Agree or disagree?

An atheist does not believe in any sort of deity, I'm not sure you can call Scott an atheist.

Dusty wrote: An atheist does not believe in any sort of deity, I'm not sure you can call Scott an atheist.

I know Scott is not an Atheist in it's cultural context. The term simply means anti-theist. He IS an Atheist in regards to Islam and Mormonism. The point is to establish that Scott uses the same reasoning when choosing what he does and does not believe.

If you are confused about the different views on religion, try these simple video games:

• Christian
• Buddhist
• Atheist

Bill Dugan wrote: I know Scott is not an Atheist in it's cultural context. The term simply means anti-theist. He IS an Atheist in regards to Islam and Mormonism. The point is to establish that Scott uses the same reasoning when choosing what he does and does not believe.

What Dusty said, Atheist means without god, Atheism is a rejection of any deities. As JohnL said Christians, Jews and Muslims all believe in the same God.

Bill Dugan wrote: Also, when the sun sets and it gets cold on the wall I think back to the primitives who worshipped the sun...they kept it simple and had it right.

Be careful with your choice of words - I happen to come from the culture that worships skies and the sun. If "primitive" is another word for "enlightened" I'll take it!