Larry Gude
Strung Out
Depends. Certainly not in 1861.
Clearly not in 1917 or 1941.
Or Korea or 'Nam.
You could make a case for it in '03 but not '91.
End times - how close might we be?
- Thread starter NextJen
- Start date
Depends. Certainly not in 1861.
Clearly not in 1917 or 1941.
Or Korea or 'Nam.
You could make a case for it in '03 but not '91.
NextJen
Raisin cane
We must be close, as mAlice pointed out in 2 Peter 3:3.
mAlice
professional daydreamer
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
I'll scoff to my last.
This is scary stuff you folks believe in and the Muslims borrowed it from your books. As you know, even if we ALL believed, as the Lord said, it's still coming, must come, Instead of destroying the whole thing and whisking everyone off to this new place, why not show up now, appear to everyone, for real, and just say "Cut it out. Behave. I'm not gonna destroy the whole freaking thing just so some of you can say "Told you so!"
A miracle.
black dog
Free America
I'll scoff to my last.
This is scary stuff you folks believe in and the Muslims borrowed it from your books. As you know, even if we ALL believed, as the Lord said, it's still coming, must come, Instead of destroying the whole thing and whisking everyone off to this new place, why not show up now, appear to everyone, for real, and just say "Cut it out. Behave. I'm not gonna destroy the whole freaking thing just so some of you can say "Told you so!"
A miracle.
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Larry Gude
Strung Out
It would be so freaky if some smart ass at NSA stopped just watching what I type and actually took over my computer. It would be like the Ultimate Tech guy logging in remotely. "Larry, give away all your stuff, have no care for the 'morrow. Believe in me and I shall provide. Please send everything you have to 1122 Boogey Boogey Ave, Ft. Meade, Md...."
Maybe you just don't know anybody who made the cut.
mAlice
professional daydreamer
There has not been a rapture yet.
Toxick
Splat
Of course he's not going to do that. Near as I can tell, God isn't a petty little bitch, which is what you're describing above. I can't presume to know His motives, however I've tried to place myself in the unenviable position of a deity using my limited knowledge as a programmer.
To wit:
Let's say that I spend 7 "days" creating an AI. I loving handcrafted this AI using C# and I worked some of the back end logic with a combination of C++ and Assembler language. I programmed into them, their own logic so they may engage in the world around them, to be marveled with some of the other programs I wrote, and gave them to desire to be more like me, and gave them the desire to interact with the other programs, as well as with each other, and I gave them the desire to pair up and replicate with one another, and yadda-yadda... I'll just assume you can extrapolate the entire metaphor from there.
I love my little AI's and I love watching them interact and power-up and engage and build their own little digital world. I finish my programming, and I back off and wander at the beauty of my creation, and I share the joy they feel when they make their own little creations and build up their world.
So these little programs run along for many generations - and eventually a bunch of them go rogue - maybe it's corrupted code, maybe it's a ghost in the machine, maybe it's a Russian hacker... I dunno. What I do know is that I now have a bunch of ass hole programs running around being ass hole programs. And eventually it becomes necessary to shut the goddam thing down.
I didn't do this out of spite, or pettiness or because I like the way some AI's look more than the others. I did it because it needed to be done.
When God hits the reset button it's not because He's engaging the pettiness you described above, and He's certainly not bound by your moral code - it's because He's doing His thing, and that's just that, no explanation required.
And since you seem to think it's all a crock of #### anyway, I'm not sure why you care.
Toxick
Splat
mAlice
professional daydreamer
He cares for the same reason as others who think it's all a crock. They're guided by demons to distract, lie, misguide. It's all in the bible. It's been foretold. It's prophecy.
black dog
Free America
Better click your heels, and toss in a few hail marys.. 2016 ain't over yet..
Toxick
Splat
I think it's...well, I hate to say crock of #### about someone's belief system... but I care because it's still interesting even if I don't believe in it. I also feel as though I have a better handle on "let go and let God" than many believers I know, so that should make me an honorary Christian.
I know a number of very intelligent religious types (you fall into that category, as a matter of fact) and their minds are fascinating. Not like bug under a microscope fascinating, but how they extrapolate data. Usually the conversation is enlightening and interesting, and much more satisfying than conversing with people who believe something they don't appear to understand, nor can they speak intelligently about it.
black dog
Free America
Jedi Master... awesome sauce..
I have finally achieved the highest formal rank obtainable by a member of the Jedi Order... will my picture show up on the Wookiepedia Page ?
Larry Gude
Strung Out
That's a good, fair question.
The reason I care is because people who believe this crap, that the end of the world is coming by the hand of a god and it's a good thing because they're in good with the man who will take them off to some fabulous never ending life thus no reason to fear the END OF THE WORLD, have power. Lots of it. Including the power, if not to kill the planet themselves, then at least the power to start a chain reaction to kill the planet. Worse, they're in an EOTW contest with other crack pots who also have LOTS of the same powers, the battle being whose crack pot theory is the right one.
So, if this was some contest about whose god wanted to come here to spread love and happiness and health and well being, and give frownie faces to us scoffers, if THAT was Armageddon, then, it would be harmless, yet pleasant, crack pottery.
As is, it is about ARMAGEDDON. The End of the World which, presumably, includes me and everyone I love and everything I care about in this little theological turf war. So, other than that, I don't care. Believe all the bronze age myths and blood feuds you like about gods who love us so much they want to destroy everything so that the true believers can get their reward. (Spoiler alert; we'd ALL die and that's it so, no winners and no participation trophies). Leave me out. Step away from the buttons and switches. Swear off technology completely. Use the tools of the times these stories were written.
And then, we're good.
That's one of the few things I like about Trump as president; he's an atheist. So it his pal Putie. Lots and lots of reason and logic that don't include setting the whole thing on fire to see whose imaginary friend likes who best.
mAlice
professional daydreamer
I don't know if I'd go so far as to say I thought it was a crock, but I certainly was a non-believer. Nobody gets to be an "honorary" Christian.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
Good. Then I'm fulfilling a prophecy and no one has to think!
Now, I've not lied about one thing. So, maybe I'm not fulfilling the prophecy. I take this crap at face value. Y'all are eager for the End of the World. I think that's crap.
What makes you proclaim that? Trump has said he believes in God. Are you saying he is wrong and you know his religious beliefs better than he does?
Toxick
Splat
I agree. And I find that some of the more fascinating people to discuss this subject are those who are or were skeptical - ideally ex-atheists. Like me. For a very long time I was quite the atheist. During that time I was very much like you seem to be. I didn't look down on believers, and I certainly didn't say things like "Religion is a crutch for the stupid". Very many intelligent people are religious and very many intelligent people are non-religious. However the topic has always intrigued me, and I got into comparative religion and read about them all - as much as I could. This study led back to Christianity after a great deal of consideration of historical data and reasoning I found it adequately convincing. (Seek and ye shall find).
Also, during that study, I couldn't help but conclude that militant atheists every single bit as insufferable as religious zealots - for exactly the same reasons. So I was very conscious about judging people for their beliefs - as I am now. (Which is not to say I never rolled my eyes at them. I just didn't make it a spectacle and I didn't try to make anyone look or feel like an idiot for their beliefs.)
Therefore, I am usually immediately on guard when a nonbeliever decides to enter a topic about religion - and about Eschatology, in particular. Usually their motives are not for edification or interest, but to make the believer look (and feel) like a fool.
So Larry - if I sounded like a defensive turd, sorry.