Serious question for those whose families believe(d) in "the Rapture"

They’re dumbfucks and hypocrites?

If you’d grown up in a religious family then you’d know that they ignore things when it’s convenient for them. The whole “what you do unto the least of these” speil is commonly ignored by the conservative, religious right.

No reference to a rapture appears in the bible - this is why they reject the idea. I don't even know where it came from. Kind of like "God helps those who help themselves" is nowhere in the text - Ben Franklin said that shit!

Jesus returns to do battle as He returns with "a sword." No one will ever know the time of the hour of His return.

Why don't you just read Matthew and Revelations, OP?

I realize you probably just want people to rag on believers, but I will try to thoughtfully answer your questions.

To the first part of your question, Climate Change would not qualify to them, specifically because it is referred to as man-made. As it is man-made it is not natural and therefore can't be the natural catastrophes mentioned in Revelations, which are caused by God not man. Furthermore, even if they were to accept that it is the sign of the end times, they would not want to stop it and to even to attempt to stop it would be against God. Man can neither attempt to speed up the end-times nor stop them from occurring.

Now to the second part. Trying to determine the Anti-Christ or the beast of Revelations is an age old problem. If you look at some of the Popes of old times, they were much worse than Trump, specifically because they were supposed to be leading the church and not a secular government. Or Hitler, who specifically targeted God's chosen people, who could he NOT be the beast? Regardless of how loathsome, you might find Trump he is nowhere near the evilest person to come to power, even with support of Christians. You must also consider that many Evangelicals that support Trump, view him as a Cyrus figure. Basically an immoral man used by God to accomplish something great. I've heard many Trump supporters say they wouldn't elect him as a Preacher, Deacon, Elder, or Sunday School Teacher, but the President isn't required to be any of those things.

As R3 said Christians reject the belief of the Rapture, but you must also remember that even among those who accept the rapture there is disagreement as to when it will occur.

Pre-tribulational premillennialism believes the rapture will occur before the tribulation.

Mid-tribulational premillennialism believes that the Rapture will occur during the tribulation. Prewrath premillennialism is a subset of these believers who think the rapture will occur closer to the end of tribulation.

Partial pre-tribulation premillennialism depends on the individuals relationship with God as to when they will be raptured.

Post-tribulational premillennialism believes that the Church will live through the tribulation and then be raptured.

Thanks, r4 -- that helps me make some sense of it. I've never had anything but the most cursory interest in the Bible. I had no idea that the Rapture wasn't a Biblical thing.

R5 Yes, the rapture isn't specifically mentioned in the Bible, but they do have a basis for their belief 1 Thessalonians 4:17 which states, "After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (NIV)

Like many parts of the Bible, it is open to interpretation. I am a believer, a Baptist of the old school like Jimmy Carter. What I mean by that is that Baptists like me, are different from many people calling themselves Baptist, today. I hold to the traditional four Baptist Distinctives: Bible freedom, Soul freedom, Church freedom, and Religious freedom.

Bible freedom is the belief that each individual interprets the Bible for themselves and the Bible isn't our final authority Jesus is.

Soul Freedom is the belief that individuals are free in matters of religion, not only from governmental interference but also from clergy and other Christians.

Church freedom is the belief that each congregation is free from all others and any denomination.

Religious freedom is of course the separation of Church and State.

If Baptists, would return to, and other Evangelicals would adopt these principals, they would be much more popular, it would be better for the country and the Church Universal.

God gave man dominion over the earth so it’s our right to fuck it up as much as we want to. What difference does it make? The world is ending any day now. Any day. Any day.

[quote]Behold, he cometh with clouds; and [bold]every eye shall see him[/bold], and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

- Revelation 1:7

Not every Protestant Christian believes in the rapture. This is the verse I remember hearing growing up to counter the notion.

This is all very interesting and educational. Thank you, everyone.

The rapture is a concoction of a 19th century English pastor. He invented the idea. It's not biblical.