"When Israel began bombing Lebanon this summer, participants of the Rapture Ready web message forum welcomed the conflagration as a sign of the apocalyptic End Times anticipated by some evangelical and fundamentalist Christians in the United States:
“This is so exciting.”
“I have been having rapture dreams and I can’t believe that this is really it! We are on the edge of eternity!”
“Praise God! We are chosen to be in these times and also watch and spread the word. Something inside me is exploding to get out, and I don’t know what it is. It’s kind of like I want to do cartwheels around the neighborhood.”
“Gosh! Things are happening at break neck speed it seems! Here we are making plans to move to the east coast and we might not even have to move after all. I say, come quickly Lord!”
“Got that dancing feeling on the inside of me” (multiple exclamation points deleted)."
....
Something is happening to shape the political attitudes of what is an increasingly well-educated, upwardly mobile, suburbanite crowd of people who think President George W. Bush is a godsend…literally.
The last book of the Christian New Testament is “Revelation,” written by John of Patmos. It was originally thought to have been written by the same John who was a disciple of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Alas, no, not the same John.
(MFL notes: are these people nuts? The link to the article from Zmag is here. What I loved about the end of the article, that Zmag is written in English while the audience of those "Rapturists" have their readings translated into 12 languages already. Now seriously, answer me, isn't Religion the opium of the masses?)
MFL
12 comments:
:D
I am interested in reading your views of Christian Zionists.
Yes, I do think these people are nuts and absurd BUT I still do not believe religion is an opium to the masses. I believe if religion is practiced in peoples' daily lives as in a philiosophy in a method of living, and religion is practiced only where they are supposed to be practiced (eg. Churches) then we would not have the religious fanatics trying to include religion in everything! (eg. politics)
This topic is a lot more complicated than what I just summarized in the above paragraph... and is not discussable in one post either.
Hi Rampurple, I agree that religion should remain home, but not influence people's social behavior. I mean I find it awkward that two people from different sects can't wed due to the standing system, moreover forced to narrow their lives' in one perspective and so on.
I mean take the Ahhbash, or Druz, they stress on a single sect pressure. As in regard to Sectarianism: this is the link to post I wrote over here called Religion and Sectarianism: Opium of the Masses
It got published on carnival of Socialism (last issue actually, and still do not know why)
MFL
I have read the post. It's insightful. My curiosity was towards Christian Zionists which you didn't tackle in the blog and is more relevant to the above post.
Thanks
Well let me set some few points straight:
1) Zionism is a political ideology.
2) Zionism targeted non-Jews for support and alliance in order to establish the nation of Israel (Felix Frankfurter,Hoover,...etc)
Some crazy Christian zionists appeared during the 1936-1939 great Palestinian revolution against the Mandate. The first was the british Odre Wingate.
He started the building of the Haganah (despite British orders at first) and explained it that the bible said that the Land of Israel shall rise again... at the ashes of the barbarians. He did succeed to train the newly born Haganah into night squads during 1936-1939 rebellion, but kicked out, and Ben-Gurion said that Wingate placed the basic foundations of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
Now the reason he went to it was not a political alliance like the British (partly to secure both flanks of the Suez Canal) but for a delusional reasons. He considered himself God sent.
Zionist Christians, ie the fanatics, tend to be racists as to view the land of Palestine unworthy of its inhabitants. For them Arabs are garbage and the lands are empty. That is why their problem is not only sectarian, but as Edward Said would term them, racists. They think the bible as a prophecy and the old testament as well as the new testament should be applied by force. They forget that Christ commanded his disciples in Mattew to forget everything and focus on Love the Word of the Lord.
Problem is these fanatics do not live in a real world. Just as similar to the comments in the article above... that is how they view things and from this sense they support the Zionists. They still think the land is promised to the Children of Ibraham, Ashma'el included rather only David (Old Testament).
As for Christian political Zionists, that is a different story, these are the ones I handle on this blog.
MFL
“Isn't Religion the opium of the masses?”
As much as I want to answer your question.. I’m afraid that concerning the religion issues it is impossible to be objective, so .. no comment
Khawwta, an opinion is an opinion, so I highly welcome your thoughts :)
Religion is a way of life, it's a sum of principles and values that organize our relationship with others. Religion teach us the importance of love, respect, helping others, service, support.. it makes you differentiate between good and bad. Isn't that what we all need.
Christianity above all is a message of peace and love; Jesus talks about Freedom, Justice, Brotherhood, Equality, he breaks all borders and renews everything.. no more slavery or differentiation.. so tell me how can such a religion destroy our way of thinking ..
And to answer your question "Isn't Religion the opium of the masses?"
Sure it isn't, but using religion in political issues in order to convince people to do or think in a way or another doesn't make it bad .. People using religion to achieve their goals are evil in itself, they are using religious values and ideals to spread ideas like racism and chosen people.. while Jesus breaks the old rules about chosen people and as I said before he replaces the old world with a new one.. and I'm talking here about true Christianity.. If everyone followed his doctrine, then for sure we would have no wars.
"My kingdom is not of this world..." (John 18:36) said Jesus, but unfortunately no one believes it .
Khawwta,
When Religion comes as a barrier of people marrying of same Sect, it is. Religion as intended was demolished and became a tool. For me, I am an athiest, I do not need religion to find out what is correct or not.
I tend to be Nietzschian in this perspective, as we give the values rather a value exists by itself and provides values for others.
Religion has been an instrument for over 7000 years to dominate. When Hamorabi first issued the codes. Everyone had to obey accept himself. For a marxist, religion belongs at home, between an indivudual and the self. Not between two people, and definitely no allegiance to a figure claiming holiness.
MFL
Christianity is an ideology as much as Marxism is a religion.. Marxism becomes a kind of religion ya MFL.. depends on how u define religion.. anyway, as I've said before concerning the religion issues it is impossible to be objective .. or I should say religion and Ideology ;)
Must have been some rough experience with that marxist friend of yours ;)
Well, marxism is a perspective, but taken to the extreme, it may become a parallel to religion. But marxism is a socio-economic-political perspective, religion is how to be closer to God.
MFL
rough experience... 3am ti2ra ellli 3am biktbo aw ballasit todrob bil ramel?
I know about Marxism much more than you think;)
lolol
Khawwta :)
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