Are these the End Times?

[AB Editor]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14083809/site/news week/

The above link is to an interview with the author of the hugely successful book series "Left Behind". Basically, he believes that Jesus will return in our lifetime and the current fighting in the Middle East is testament to that.

I grew up in an evangelical church in the US and have seen, I believe, the first movie version of the books. I remember it scared me silly.

Now - if we believe that what is happening NOW in the MIddle East is predestined, how does this stand for peace in the region? Where does the current state of Israel stand in all this and if you are a Christian - is this the sort of message you are comfortable with?

[ugly_bob]

Can't see it being the return of Christ - that's supposed to happen every so often according to some people. We might all die if it escalates much more though.

[whiffey]

This is an aspect of Christian belief I find hard to understand.

If the return to earth is literal, everything is cleaned up, and everybody lives happily after, I'm thinking "What is the point of it all"

It's almost like I can see God sitting back and saying, OK, done that, I'm bored, now what ?

We should watch out for trouble brewing at Armageddon however !

[heathfield]

Various people have been forecasting the return of Jesus for the past 2000 years. Since they've all been wrong, what makes this author different?

[EuanC]

Well said heathfield. Just exactly what I was thinking.

[Postdog]

Nothing to do with the question, just an observation. A great many of the different religions advocate Peace, Harmony, Toleance and Forgiveness, and yet what are most wars and conflicts about - religion, that's what. It doesn't make sense to me.

[aristotle]

...but the Peace, Harmony, Tolerance and Forgiveness have to be on their terms exclusively.

[spanner7853]

i had been told by someone that the devil was supposed to rule the world again so to speak if god couldn't sort out all the differences in the world with regards to violence etc.

If people believe all this stuff let them. there are plenty of people in this world that think they are god or the devil. I personally dont believe in any of that nonsense unless im proved otherwise. I just want this world to be peaceful like everyone else. Religeon causes more than enough wars for my liking so how can it be a good thing?

[Lonnie]

A bit complicated, but in Jesus's time, they thought they were in 'The Last Times, since then 'The Last Times' have been 'now', loads of times, one day it'll be correct.

Now, going into the myths of Bibliology, there was a revolt in heaven, led by the one we call Lucifer, or the Devil, this revolt was put down, and the Devil was given Earth as his domain.

If this happened, then we should all be Devil worshipers, and most of us are praying to the wrong God.

[gary baldy]

Is this post really by the A B Editor?

First off i have never known him/her to make a post and secondly i doubt they would post such a 'question'.

Has anybody reported this post because i think it is a thinly veiled excuse for some spreading of 'The Word' and not from the editor at all?

[gary baldy]

I might add that i would report it myself but the 'report this question' button seems to have disappeared leading me to think this maybe from AB.
If so i dont like the idea of the editor posting questions of such an 'inflammatory' nature.

[mike b]

Armageddon outa here!

[jake-the-peg]

Don't drink the Kool-aid Ed!

[dawkins]

Have you gone completely mad? I thought the fortune teller question below was the craziest post ever and then this pops up, and from the editor no less. Apart from some Christian fundamentalist cults residing deep in the montana wilderness nobody believes this stuff Ed. I think you owe us an explanation.

D

[dot.hawkes]

Ed can you ask a question in Film & TV please that i might know the answer to , or at least be able to decipher, this one is way too complex and also very wordy, could you ask us to name the Magnificent Seven without Googling the answer please as i can always do that, TY
Dotty
xxxx

[noxlumos]

Well people are always fighting in the Middle East why pick on this particular bought of it. Interesting enough question Ed but I've never seen you post anything else question wise, why this one?

[The Big Gill]

Leaving aside the question of destiny, Christian evangelical groups in the US do appear to have influence in US foreign policy. These are powerful groups, with the intention of 'urging the government not to restrain Israel in any way' - and we don't appear to have any evidence of restraint so far.

This was featured in a recent Newsnight article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5193 092.stm

[Octavius]

As a catholic although I don't go to church much, these sort of things always make me feel uncomfortable.

Personally (I haven't opened the link, just taking your word Ed) I believe that this sort of pscycho-babble is just purile nonsense, however, as we have seen with the Da Vinci Code (and some would say the Bible itself) there will always be those who believe that this is literary truth. I don't think that all of the Bible can be taken as literal truth.

The Pharaohs interred themselves in such a way that they would live with the gods and walk the earth again. Perhaps them being dug up and displayed in a museum fullfills that intention. It doesn't mean that they will actually walk the earth again, it is merely allegorical.

[poeima]

I do believe that there is truth in all of this. I do believe in Jesus (and that he will return) and I do believe that the Bible is all truth. As a born again Christian, I do believe that what is happening in Israel today is predestined and that there will be peace in Israel. I�ll try my best to answer this question.

[jake-the-peg]

Apocalypse cults have always been popular from early Christianity through to Jehovas Witnesses and it's not difficult to see why.

If you can convince your followers that the end of the world is nigh they're not going to be distracted by anything else.

"Everybody's doomed - but I can save you" has always been a powerful message and one that Hollywood uses regularly from Armagedon to the Terminator.

I wonder how many Y2K survivors are still holed up in basements with mountains of canned meat?