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The Rapture Bullshit.
Apr. 29th, 2006 01:19 pmI'm not the only one who is pointing out how the Fundi-Christian lunatic fringe that has captured the Whitehouse, and now the current Canadian Parliament are making their policies based upon the idea that The End Times...or "The Rapture" is close at hand, and they don't need to plan for the next 100 years.
Here is a quote from Tony Hendra, in his columns in the Huffington Post.
The Rapture is an all-American, jumbo-colossal, Southern-style end-times racket. (Super-save me Jesus!) It makes all previous religious opiates look like Sominex.
The world's been ending ever since the Book of Revelation was penned, supposedly by the apostle John but more likely by some 1st century acid-casualty who'd eaten too much moldy bread. The Rapture however is new - dreamed up by one John Nelson Darby, an Irish lawyer turned Anglican priest, in the 1830s. His loopy biblical interpretations divide all history into seven ages or dispensations and declare - surprise surprise! - that Jesus' precepts are inoperative until he returns. This will be heralded by...the Rapture.
Darby was defrocked by the Anglican Church and most of his pals regarded him as deranged. But his ravings spread like kudzu in the fertile soil of 19th century American evangelical fundamentalism. A century and a half later the Rapture is taken as literal truth according to reliable estimates - eg Kevin Phillips - by a third of the nation, who, needless to say, will be the only Rapturees.
I have no problem with people with strong faith being in government...but when their faith starts to influence their policies in a way that is detrimental to the long-term health and well being of a country, it is time to change the people in government. This planet is a limited resource to the human race, and we must do all that we can to make sure it and the human race will survive long enough for us to get off it and start living in space and other planets. If a government does not have the vision to see to the continued existence of the human race 25, 50, 100 and 200 years from now, they do not deserve our support, and we should be electing people who have this scope of vision, for with medical advances that are coming down the pipe, we many of us will live to be 100 years old, and maybe even significantly longer. Don't just plan for your kids and grandkids, but for yourself. Chances are, those who are under 50 will have close to another 50 years to live. those under 30 may have at least another 100 years to live. And we are talking about living full lives, not on life support.
As such, we should be electing people who can see this vision, and are willing to plan for it. And that means policies that will preserve the existing pieces of nature, and adapt our cities to become sustainable. And it is up to us, everyone of us, to choose our leaders appropriately...for it is your life that you are planning for, your future, 50 to 100 years from now.
ttyl
Here is a quote from Tony Hendra, in his columns in the Huffington Post.
The Rapture is an all-American, jumbo-colossal, Southern-style end-times racket. (Super-save me Jesus!) It makes all previous religious opiates look like Sominex.
The world's been ending ever since the Book of Revelation was penned, supposedly by the apostle John but more likely by some 1st century acid-casualty who'd eaten too much moldy bread. The Rapture however is new - dreamed up by one John Nelson Darby, an Irish lawyer turned Anglican priest, in the 1830s. His loopy biblical interpretations divide all history into seven ages or dispensations and declare - surprise surprise! - that Jesus' precepts are inoperative until he returns. This will be heralded by...the Rapture.
Darby was defrocked by the Anglican Church and most of his pals regarded him as deranged. But his ravings spread like kudzu in the fertile soil of 19th century American evangelical fundamentalism. A century and a half later the Rapture is taken as literal truth according to reliable estimates - eg Kevin Phillips - by a third of the nation, who, needless to say, will be the only Rapturees.
I have no problem with people with strong faith being in government...but when their faith starts to influence their policies in a way that is detrimental to the long-term health and well being of a country, it is time to change the people in government. This planet is a limited resource to the human race, and we must do all that we can to make sure it and the human race will survive long enough for us to get off it and start living in space and other planets. If a government does not have the vision to see to the continued existence of the human race 25, 50, 100 and 200 years from now, they do not deserve our support, and we should be electing people who have this scope of vision, for with medical advances that are coming down the pipe, we many of us will live to be 100 years old, and maybe even significantly longer. Don't just plan for your kids and grandkids, but for yourself. Chances are, those who are under 50 will have close to another 50 years to live. those under 30 may have at least another 100 years to live. And we are talking about living full lives, not on life support.
As such, we should be electing people who can see this vision, and are willing to plan for it. And that means policies that will preserve the existing pieces of nature, and adapt our cities to become sustainable. And it is up to us, everyone of us, to choose our leaders appropriately...for it is your life that you are planning for, your future, 50 to 100 years from now.
ttyl
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