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I'm not Christian, so...
Get your drink on then!
linkIgnore them. Just be a good person and live life to the fullest -- every day.
A startling billboard has been blaring its message outside of my town, claiming that Jesus Christ will be returning on May 21. This is certainly alarming. We are all going to know quite soon whether or not this splinter group of Christianity is correct.
I can't resist commenting on this matter, yet another prediction by an off-shoot group of the end of all things. As a leader within the Christian community, I am frustrated by these followers of the well-financed and self-proclaimed prophet Harold Camping. I believe they are perpetrating a spiritual abuse upon their own people and an emotional abuse upon the rest of the population.
They can be seen at the Mall of America, accosting people with tracts. They are zipping around the country in RVs, vans and cars in order to frighten people into belief. These are people who have canceled insurance policies, sold their homes, left their jobs, liquidated their assets and bankrupted their own children's future because they have become completely convinced that the end time is set -- for Saturday.
When they speak of Christ's return, they mean to say that cataclysmic events are just around the corner. He's not coming for afternoon tea. He's coming, and, boy, is he ever ticked off! There will be earthquakes (so says Harold Camping), starting next Saturday evening and rolling across the planet. And the good people that God prefers will be swept up (we can assume Harold and his followers have an assurance that they'll be included), while the bad people will be left to witness the destruction of all things. No doubt Harold would number me in that hapless latter group.
There have been a great many predictions of the end times throughout human history. Some Christians I meet seem to relish the thought, believing it is a great mark of faith to be anxious and even prayerful about the end of all things.
I am a believer, eager to place my future in God's hands. But I also note Scripture passages that speak of God so loving this world, or calling the creation "good," or plainly pointing out that Christ came to us that we might have abundant life.
More to the point, there is a passage from Matthew 24:36 that insists we cannot know the day and the hour of the end of all things, for that is a mystery, known only to God.
This is why I believe it is abusive for some Christian extremists to try to panic people with their claims to have cracked some secret code and to have been given some secret knowledge. It is abusive for them to foist their anxious predictions of apoplectic apocalypse upon the rest of us.
To my fellow Christians, I ask you to not give in to such fears and instead to remember that God has the whole world in his hands. To people of other faiths, and even people who make no claim of faith: I want you to know there are a great many Christians out here who don't buy into the scare tactics. Please know that many of us wish to work side by side with you in caring for creation and for the good of all people.
Allow me to quote Britney Spears, whose latest song reinforces my own outlook. She sings: "Keep on dancing till the world ends." That is a good notion to share with the doomsayers. Even if the end is imminent, we should dance, work, play, share, give, care -- all those things that make this life sweet and beautiful.
I'll offer one more quote, this time from the weighty mind of the reformer Martin Luther, who said, when asked what he would do if he knew the world was to end tomorrow, "I'd plant a tree today."
That makes sense to me. Celebrate this beautiful life to its fullest and give thanks for the joy of this new day. And go ahead and look forward to the plans you've made for Saturday. I plan to plant some peas and onions in my garden.
Josh Nelson is pastor of Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church in Buffalo, Minn.
I'm not Christian, so...
I wonder which timezone.
As opposed to this guy who stands at a pulpit every Sunday in order to frighten people into belief.They are zipping around the country in RVs, vans and cars in order to frighten people into belief.
Apparently the same guy from this same group made a similar prediction back in the '90s.
We're still here so...
Each one. It will start in New Zealand and travel around the planet. Hitting each time zone at 6pm. Pretty cool, we will get something like a 16 hour warning so we can go to confession, or whatever. (you know everyone is going to party for 15 hours, then try to find a priest)
unprotected sex anyone?
I mean anyone.
the terminator is coming
His coming is what got him in trouble.
This time, Maria will know about it.
Anyone care to ELE bet on the world ending Saturday?
@ "The Bible Guarantees It!"
No it doesn't you ing idiots, it even says directly in the Bible that only God knows when he will return. Not that I believe in that but come on these dumb s are seriously reaching for something that's not there.
read about this a couple months ago, some people say its the end
other say its a in big ass earthquake in LA
Awwww, man! No more football or Spurs b-ball???
I think I was the first here to mention March 21. Still, posted it as levity.
How many times in our history was the world suppose to end?
Besides. 5/21/11 is suppose to be the rapture. Not the apocalypse.
3/2/11 post:
5/21/11 is the rapture. Heard it on Coast to Coast AM yesterday, must be true.
3/14/11:
Not yet. The rapture is 5/21/11. We still have almost 10 weeks. The world ends sometime after that.
3/30/11:
Everyone knows the rapture is 5/21/11.... Just google the date!
4/20/11:
That's OK since the rapture is next month.
5/4/11:
Ah yes. the rapture.
You're late at bringing it up:
3/2/11
Last edited by Wild Cobra; 05-18-2011 at 06:35 PM.
Congrats man
I'll be grillin' on the 22nd....anyone else?
why dont you ask cleverbot what will happen on saturday
http://cleverbot.com/
i said hi he thought for a second then said No.
jew gotta ax him (in whatever wording you want) what will happen this sauturday , may 21st 2011
here was our conversation
User: Hi.
Cleverbot: No.
User: Hi.
Cleverbot: Holá.
User: Hows it going.
Cleverbot: No.
User: you.
Cleverbot: What?
User: You heard me.
Cleverbot: No.
User: Whats going to happen saturday.
Cleverbot: I'm going to go.
User: you.
Cleverbot: Yes please!
User: Ok where?
Cleverbot: Ok where.
User: At my place?
Cleverbot: I'm at your place?
User: Do you want to at my place.
Cleverbot: So you are athiest?
User: Stfu.
Cleverbot: I don't understand that word.
User: What will happen May 21st, 2011?
Cleverbot: I cannot predict the future.
User: If you had to guess what would happen what would you say?
Cleverbot: 26.
User: What a ty prediction.
Cleverbot: Anything.
User: What about anything?
Cleverbot: Nothing about everything.
User: A/s/l.
Cleverbot: 18/m/ME.
then it froze
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