Look with me at the uncritical thinking that accompanies contemporary American craziness about end times. Think about our attitudes and actions concerning the nation of Israel.
- Because of much current teaching about the centrality of Israel as a nation in fundamentalist beliefs about the End Times,
- Christian politicians often excuse Israel of crimes against neighbors and citizens which we would never excuse in anyone else
- Strangely, there is also the belief among meny that Israel has to be nearly destroyed in a “battle of Amerageddon”
- Sadly, our support of Israel is usually based on the nation being around to be attacked
- We withhold appropriate help and support from Muslims who have been cheated out of their homes and businesses without recompense
- We lump al Muslims together because, of course, they hate Israel.
- (Muslims do the same thing -- lump all Jewish people together as objects of hate)
This is a short, simplistic list. As we think, however, we realize that we are dealing with people holding beliefs that seem complex, but are really quite simple. Simple minded. Simple craziness.
What do you think? Log in and leave your comments.
For Christians, the lust for End Times is a lust sponsored by an anti-Christ, for sure. Jesus taught firmly against this lust. Matthew 24 records his teaching and he began by saying (NIV translation) ‘Watch out that no one deceives you.
And later in his discourse had talks about hearing “Look, here is the Christ!’ and instructs “do not believe it!”
He gives a list of signs, all of which have happened over and over and over again throughout history:
- Nation will rise against nation
- Kingdom agains kingdom
- Famines
- earthquakes
- Persecution and death of his followers
- many will turn away from the faith
- many will betray and hate each other
- many false prophets will appear
- the love of most will grow cold.
If you don’t know your history, you can be seduced by this list. If you do know history, you will know that this has happened in every century from the time these words were recorded until 2011. These things are still happening. And among the people most fascinated by end times love grows cold.
What do you think? Log in, and leave your thoughts in the comment area.
Some people are psychologically ready to be captivated by thought of eschatology -- the End Times. They devour ‘clues’, systhensize them with other ‘clues’ and build complex structures they believe will tell them answers to questions like these:
- When will the End come?
- What will be the signs preceding the End?
- Who will be spared at the End?
- Who will be destroyed at the End?
- What must a person do to be ready for the End?
- What must I do, or how must I change, to be ready for the End?
- What must people of faith DO to be ready for the End?
That is a representative sample, but not all-inclusive, of course.
If you are a Christian you may not realize that the questions are the same for Muslims as they are for Christians. The unhealthy passions they evoke are the same for both. Even some members of Judaism are entranced by visions of the End, and the End Times. (I capitalize because I sense that such folks capitalize the concepts in their minds.
Among Christians . . . well, let’s save it for the next set of reflections. Suffice it to say, I believe this passion leads to evil in nearly every person consumed by it.
What do you think? Log in and leave your comment.
“It makes sense when you put it that way, but I don’t like it!”
I hear that from folks in church more often than I like. I wonder what it means.
- “God will not let anything be true that I don’t like.”
- “I don’t have to think about things I don’t like.”
- “Your truth is not true for me.”
- “I only believe things I have already decided that are true and new information is not relevant.”
Sometimes I wonder if there is an invisible box just outside the doors to churches where people put their brains before entering the church. Most would not run their businesses by excluding inconvenient truth. They just want to “have faith” without brains.
What do you think? Log in and leave your comment.
