I am just reading a book called "Have a Nice Doomsday" by Nicholas Guyatt. It starts off with a close look at John Hagee's ministry. And already I have found a danger for motorcyclists in this doomsday scenario.According to Hagee, and many Americans believe this, all true Christians will instantly disappear soon, at the time called the Rapture. Then the world will continue on for seven more years of strife before a vengeful Jesus appears to defeat the nonbelievers at Armageddon, in Israel (it's real place, and Hagee runs tourist buses there). Then all the ones who disappeared seven years earlier will return and live in a perfect world, along with anyone who converted or at least smartened up when Jesus reappeared.
But here is the hazard for motorcyclists. When the rapture comes, if you are not a perfect Christian at that time, say you happen to be lusting after a woman you just saw. This sin will be enough to ensure you do not immediately go to heaven, and you will still be riding your bike. Now you will be in serious danger from the now pilotless cars belonging to Christians who just disappeared all around you.
Some Christians have considered this to be a moral dilemma. That is, by driving a car, they are putting at risk the lives of other motorists, especially those on motorcycles. They think one answer might be to give up driving immediately. Another answer, of course is to immediately put on a warning bumper sticker (see picture)
I have a suggestion for them. Why not just switch over to motorcycling instead. I would much rather be dodging an oncoming riderless motorcycle than an oncoming driverless car with or without the warning label. Also the motorcycle has less momentum, and is less likely to kill the unraptured occupants of other vehicles.
I photoshopped the picture of two bumper stickers I found onto a picture of two cars side by side.
Despite the fact that scriptural 'evidence' for the Rapture is extremely tenuous, there's an awful lot of belief in this eventuality.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I cannot pretend to be an expert on this aspect of Christianity, the actual word 'rapture' never appears in the Bible. There are vague references to something that may possibly be construed as the Rapture in passages such as The Revelation 11:11, 'And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.'
If the Word of God is literally true, then any responsible government would revoke the driver's licenses (along with pilots' licenses, &c.) of anyone who admitted to belief in the Rapture on the basis of public policy and the risks that the eventuality presents.
There are times when I am mystified at the wierdness of people who profess to be Christians. Haven't they got better things to do, like looking after the poor, the sick and the needy?
ReplyDeleteSteve ... there are undoubtedly many christian 'Christians' that still do 'good works.'
ReplyDeleteHowever, one must heed the words in Ephesians 2:8-9 ... For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast ... Only through absolute faith shall we receive salvation.
Seriously, though, this whole 'Rapture' thing is a very recent accretion to Christianity.
The contemporary version of the 'Rapture' started with the 'visions' of a 15-year-old Scottish girl (possibly a maladjustment to the hormonal changes of adolescence?), Margaret McDonald, of a Secret Rapture of believers.
A Church of Ireland minister, John Nelson Darby, then popularized the concept in the 19th century. But it was writers like Hal Lindsay (The Late Great Planet Earth) in the 1970s that really got the momentum going.
Although there has been long-standing dichotomy between determinism and free will in Christianity, subscribers to the Rapture agenda are victims of the worst kind of determinism, unaware that this is the worst kind of emotional illness ... wishing fervently for the world to end, to escape their psychological misery.
In this belief system, 'good works' become virtually irrelevant ... they're not going to make any difference after the (soon to arrive) Rapture anyhow.
The current issue of Business Week carried an article that will make many of us feel much better.
ReplyDeleteTrue believers can now contract with atheists to have their pets looked after, come the Rapture.
Look for a franchised outlet opening, soon, near your church!
"If we thought the Rapture was really going to happen," Centre says, "obviously our rate structure would be much higher."
ReplyDeleteInteresting business model to make money off the Rapture. There should also be a provision to turn over you bank account to the pet service in case of Rapture.