It would seem that we are beginning to make some people very, very unconfortable.

[cleanhippie]

With all of the press the non-rapture has gotten, it has allowed the spotlight of reason to shine on the irrational. From all angles.

It would seem that even those that consider themselves to be a I'm-not-one-of-THOSE-kind-of-believers are perhaps seeing that their brand of belief, when contrasted with the "wingnuts", are not so different after all. And its making them very uncomfortable.

To the point of anger, and even censorship, in an attempt to shield themselves from reality.


But one cannot hide from reality forever. Things are changing. Slowly but surely, things are changing, for the better.

[onager]

1. But this new book will change everything!

Er...well, no, that one didn't quite do the trick. Those damn Gnu Atheists are still mouthing off.

Maybe that book over there will shut them up, the scales will fall from their eyes and they will see the error of their ways! The book that won the completely impartial Templeton Prize for proving science is really religion in a lab-coat!

Or maybe this book, awarded another prize by a completely impartial source in the Believer/Atheist Wars - the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Aw, f!ck it! When Sophisticated Theology fails, we can always fall back on: "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no god."

THAT'LL teach 'em.

I think you're right. That gap for a god to hide in is getting smaller all the time. Right now, the gap is about the size of the space between Pat Robertson's ears.

[awoke_in_2003]

2. They just trot out that verse

from Matthew:

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

Funny thing in that verse- I thought Christianity said that God the Father and God the Son, along with the Holy Spook, were one?

[laconicsax]

3. Explained here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mII6-IyaT3o

[sudopod]

4. How to troll like a boss in one line:

"But the trinity isn't even in the Bible."

[onager]

5. Then there's Jesus, the false prophet

Who said in several different ways: "Some of you standing here will still be alive when I come back for Resurrection v.2.0, sitting at the right hand of God v.1.0, angels singing/harping, end of the world, yatta-yatta-yatta."

I think that was the REAL source of the "No one knows..." verse, which was probably inserted later. MUCH later. After it had become obvious that not only was everybody capable of hearing Jesus in 33 CE long dead, but several other generations had turned to dust as well.

Clearly he had not come back, and showed no signs of coming back anytime soon. So the writers weasel-worded the Next Resurrection with that stuff about "No one knows the hour..."

IMO, that clearly makes ol' Jebus a false prophet. Who are to be avoided or preferably stoned to death, if I'm remembering my SoBaptist upbringing correctly.

Jesus also snuck in another whopper of a false prophecy, long as I'm wasting time/bloviating on a holiday:

He said Jerusalem and/or its Temple would be leveled, so that "not one stone is not left standing on another," IIRC. That was clearly another back-fitted prophecy, referring to the Judean war of 66-70 CE. Neither part of it came true.

The Romans didn't completely destroy the Temple - they left one fairly famous wall that is still standing today. According to the Xians' favorite historian, Flavius Josephus, the Romans left the West Wall standing because the Jews asked them to. The Romans probably wanted to wipe the place off the Earth - it served as an Alamo for the insurgents and a lot of Romans died trying to take it. Accounts of that battle describe horrific atrocities committed by both sides.

Obviously the city of Jerusalem wasn't completely destroyed. After the war, the Romans gave away choice bits of Jerusalem real estate to their collaborators and Quislings - one of those collaborators being Flavius Josephus, who by his own account surrendered a key fortress to the Romans. He didn't stick around Jerusalem very long after the war, probably because many locals must have been highly pissed at him. He high-tailed it to Rome, where he enjoyed the patronage and protection of the Flavian family (and adopted their name).

[laconicsax]

6. The Romans were probably afraid of another zombie event.

You know, the one in Matthew 27

[Warpy]

7. However, they never trot out the rest of the statement

when Jesus promises his Apostles that it would happen before the last of them had died. There are only three conclusions for a believer:

1. He's late.

2. It already happened 2000 years ago and this is the time of peace and plenty we were promised. I don't know about you, but I feel cheated.

3. He found out it was a one way trip just like the rest of us have and will.