So what will be "left behind" when the rapture happens?

[PlutonianEmpire]

The "rapture" will happen when UFOs from the planet Nibiru appear in great numbers and teleport believers into their spaceships and bring them to a Utopian Paradise while the rest of us battle for the control of Earth.

 

[Defiant47]

And [insert number of atheists here] believe that the above is a fair and balanced description of Christianity.

I bloated it a bit, maybe too much, but you get what I'm saying.

Go troll somewhere else please Not the world's biggest Christian, but it seems like your trying to take Curt Sibling's place more than add actual constructive conversation.

I'm just trying to put things into perspective.

 

[Perfection]

The "rapture" will happen when UFOs from the planet Nibiru appear in great numbers and teleport believers into their spaceships and bring them to a Utopian Paradise while the rest of us battle for the control of Earth.

I thought those from Nibiru were evil power hungry bastards like myself

 

[Shaihulud]

The body will be left behind, which will be animated as soulless zombies that eats the sinful.

 

[Erik Mesoy]

Why? I'm genuinely curious since your the only intelligent person I've ever met (err, internet or real life) who believes in the rapture. All the others were stupid highschool kids who I can't really ask an introspective question like that and expect a clear answer.

I don't count?

The Book of Revelations is bunk right? Like, the fringe of the Bible collection and whatnot? Like, full of metaphors and all of that jazz that are not supposed to be taken literally as a prophecy of the future?

I think it's metaphorical at least to the degree where the "beast with seven heads" means an association of seven countries or a seven-man ruling party or the like rather than something like a Hydra. But I don't know and I don't pretend to know.

At least that's what I've always gathered. Do you think it's happening anytime soon?

[skadistic]Either it'll happen soon or it won't. So there's a 50/50 chance.[/skadistic]

Obscurantist piffle.

Answer this: which one is correct... A) The (ever consistent) laws of the universe are radically altered, or B) Bible is just a collection of bronze and iron age obscurantism made up by some stupid charlatans who played with stupified peasants. Option B is the most plausable, don't you think?

First, we don't live in the most plausible universe. We live near the bottom of a gravity well, dependent on a million-mile fusion reactor, adapted to and dependent on a highly corrosive and toxic substance for life.
Second, neither, unless you think the Wright Brothers radically altered the Law of Gravity.

You're kidding, right? You know Orthodox christians don't even include Revelations in their bible it's so dodgy, and that's to say nothing of the fact that only a tiny minority of people interpret it the way the premilenial dispensationists do.

Daniel 7-8, anyone? Do the Orthodox skip those too?

 

[Kozmos]

The Rapture is just one more example of how God 'loves' us all. I think I'll stick to the god we make with our hands. And no, I am not talking about making a golden statue of a calf.

 

[Princeps]

First, we don't live in the most plausible universe. We live near the bottom of a gravity well, dependent on a million-mile fusion reactor, adapted to and dependent on a highly corrosive and toxic substance for life.
Second, neither, unless you think the Wright Brothers radically altered the Law of Gravity.

Yes, we live in a very violent universe, which gradually destroying itself. We live in the only planet that we know can sustain life, and even Earth itself is very chaotic and only partially habitable. Some "design"!

There's no need to assume that a rapture will occur and there's no need to assume that god exists.

 

[philippe]

It will be paradise for necrophiliacs.

It would be cool to see the looks on the faces of those christians who are staring down from heaven to see what is going on with their body!

 

[Erik Mesoy]

Yes, we live in a very violent universe, which gradually destroying itself. We live in the only planet that we know can sustain life, and even Earth itself is very chaotic and only partially habitable. Some "design"!

Is this a strawman, or are you quoting me and then addressing someone else?

There's no need to assume that a rapture will occur and there's no need to assume that god exists.

How's this relevant? Not that I do either.

 

[Bill3000]

The rapture was invented in the 1800s. It's not a "discovery"; it's a creation of false doctrine. It's looking into the bible and seeing stuff that simply isn't there.

This is, of course, besides the fact that it's the worst Christian scaremongering invented.

 

[Traitorfish]

I always preferred Ragnarök to the Apocalypse. Much more fun.

Admittedly I'd prefer to ascend to heaven than be burned to ash in the world-consuming fires of Muspel, but whatever. At least it makes for better death metal.

 

[El_Machinae]

I thought those from Nibiru were evil power hungry bastards like myself

There's no conundrum, unless you don't think that evil powerhungry bastards can create a utopia.

 

[Erik Mesoy]

The rapture was invented in the 1800s. It's not a "discovery"; it's a creation of false doctrine. It's looking into the bible and seeing stuff that simply isn't there.

And by "stuff", do you mean the book of Revelation?

 

[Integral]

And by "stuff", do you mean the book of Revelation?

I hate to jump in here, but the PMD interpretation of Revelation is hardly the only one out there - and it is no more "literal" or "inspired" than the rest. PMD eschatology jumps around from Daniel to Revelation, to Thessalonians, to Ezekiel, then back to Revelation, tying it all together with a girl's fever-dream in the 1830s. But at least their end-times charts are cool.

As a trivial nitpick, Revelation makes no mention of any rapture of the believers. The closest thing to that is in 1 Thessalonians.

 

[Perfection]

There's no conundrum, unless you don't think that evil powerhungry bastards can create a utopia.

For other evil superhuman powerhungry bastards we can, but not for inferior human trash.

 

[Erik Mesoy]

I hate to jump in here, but the PMD interpretation of Revelation is hardly the only one out there - and it is no more "literal" or "inspired" than the rest. Also, Revelation makes no mention of any rapture of the believers. The closest thing to that is in 1 Thessalonians.

PMD eschatology jumps around from Daniel to Revelation, to Thessalonians, to Ezekiel, then back to Revelation, tying it all together with a girl's fever-dream in the 1830s. But at least their end-times charts are cool.

I have no idea what the PMD interpretation is, and I should probably make it clear that I probably don't have the same idea of the rapture as VRWC does, or as anyone else for that matter.

 

[Integral]

I have no idea what the PMD interpretation is, and I should probably make it clear that I probably don't have the same idea of the rapture as VRWC does, or as anyone else for that matter.

PMD = premillenial dispensationalism; it's the belief structure underlying the Left Behind novels. The pre-tribulation Rapture plays a large part of their eschatology. Obligitory wiki link.

Whenever I see the word "rapture" I automatically associate it with that doctrine. If I've miscategorized you, I deeply apologise.

 

[LightFang]

Everybody from fiftychat 'cept Erik Mesoy and Elrohir?

I'm sad.

I used to believe in the Rapture, but now I don't really know. I figure, I can ask God about it when I see Him.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

I thought those from Nibiru were evil power hungry bastards like myself

You never know...

EDIT: I can't believe it's been 4 years already!

 

[classical_hero]

A lot of Christians don't believe in 'The Rapture'! Except for conservative protestants. Most ideas of the rapture come from the book of Revelation anyways, and that's notsupposed to be taken literally.

Actually the main verses used for the Rapture are found in 1 Corinthian 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Even Jesus makes mention of it in Luke 17.

The whole basis for this doctrine is the fact that Jesus has risen from the dead, so shall our bodies become like his once he calls us.

While the term Rapture is a modern one, if you look up the word Chialist and Chialism you will see that many early Christians believed in similar thing, but it was just called something different.