“End Times” theology has played a disturbingly prominent role in the religious right. The concept of an apocalyptic, divinely guided end of the world is a common feature in preaching by religious-right leaders like Tim LaHaye of the violent Left Behind series and San Antonio mega-pastor John Hagee. Even Peter Marshall, appointed by the Texas State Board of Education to a panel of so-called “experts” helping revise the public school social studies curriculum, dabbles in it.
Now we read that former President George W. Bush seemed to have the End Times in mind when he ordered the invasion of Iraq:
Incredibly, President George W. Bush told French President Jacques Chirac in early 2003 that Iraq must be invaded to thwart Gog and Magog, the Bible’s satanic agents of the Apocalypse.
Honest. This isn’t a joke. The president of the United States, in a top-secret phone call to a major European ally, asked for French troops to join American soldiers in attacking Iraq as a mission from God.
Now out of office, Chirac recounts that the American leader appealed to their “common faith” (Christianity) and told him: “Gog and Magog are at work in the Middle East…. The biblical prophecies are being fulfilled…. This confrontation is willed by God, who wants to use this conflict to erase his people’s enemies before a New Age begins.”
This bizarre episode occurred while the White House was assembling its “coalition of the willing” to unleash the Iraq invasion. Chirac says he was boggled by Bush’s call and “wondered how someone could be so superficial and fanatical in their beliefs.”
EEK!
That’s nearly all I can say……
Though I like to imagine the expression on Chirac’s face.
As the old saying goes, all things come to an end. This too shall pass. Blah-Blah-Blah. Jesus said himself that he did not know when such a thing might come. Therefore, I feel sure that John Hagee, Tim LaHaye, and all of their nutcase buddies do not either. Jesus said we could watch for signs. However, he never made a request or command that “watching” should turn into a cottage industry for prophetic crackpots and personal wealth. Only God knows when such a time will come, and I am willing to be content with that.
I could be wrong. However, every Christian generation for the past 2000 years has thought that SURELY their own time must be the end time. The Apostle Paul did, and he was wrong. Unless of course, and you have to consider this, it did come, a few people were saved (like maybe 18 people out of 500,000,000), and we (you and me) are all in Hell right now (which seems plausible on some Mondays).
You also have to understand about how the fundies and evangelicals operate. The whole thrust of what they do is getting people to respond to the altar call at the end of the revival or service. Therefore, the end time always has to come tomorrow or maybe tonight. “Don’t delay!!! It might be in 5 minutes. Get down here now!!!” So, you see, every graduation just immediately before present on the clock circle is always the end time. It has to be for them. The system demands it because it is set up that way. In my opinion, no one on the Earth knows which time is the end time—especially not the Christian Neo-Fundamentalists—because they tend to be nine-tenths wrong on everything they touch. Everything is speculation—in reality.
So, when will the end time come. I am with Jesus. I just plain don’t know, and I am satisfied with that. Anyone want to call Donald or Mickey?
Every time one of these nuts predicts that the “end times” are near, we atheists predict that they are wrong.
So far, we are batting a thousand.
Hmm…..
Oh. Just another thought. The concept of the “End Times” has high social, cultural, and political utility for those who have a high emotional investment in it. What do I mean by that. Here are some examples:
1) We do not have to protect the environment we depend upon for life on this cosmic dust particle we call Earth because these are the end times. Everything we see around us will disappear very soon, and Jesus will make it all new again. Therefore, there is no need to be concerned about such things or to take any action.
2) What about warfare, nuclear weapons, and the relationships among peoples and nations? Everything we see around us will disappear very soon, and Jesus will make it all new again. Therefore, there is no need to be concerned about such things or to take any action.Everything we see around us will disappear very soon, and Jesus will make it all new again. Therefore, there is no need to be concerned about such things or to take any action.
3) Epidemic diseases and hunger? They are signs of the end times. Everything we see around us will disappear very soon, and Jesus will make it all new again. Therefore, there is no need to be concerned about such things or to take any action.
4) The economy is going to Hades in a handbasket. That nice Rev. LaHaye has talked about these things. Everything we see around us will disappear very soon, and Jesus will make it all new again. Therefore, there is no need to be concerned about such things or to take any action.
5) Fear the Girl Scouts will quit making and selling Thin Mint cookies. Everything we see around us will disappear very soon, and Jesus will make it all new again. Therefore, there is no need to be concerned about such things or to take any action.
Well, even JC got it wrong. He predicted that “none of you standing here will taste death before I return.” Or something like that. Well, if that statement is true, then there are 2,000 year old people walking around in Israel that CNN hasn’t discovered yet because, as far as I know, JC hasn’t showed up for his return engagement yet. I’m sure if CNN knew about these 2,000 year-old folks, it would be all over the news. Now THAT would be news!
Actually, JC was wrong on two counts: the one above, and the other being that Christians claim JC and God are one and “of the same substance.” If that’s true, how could God have information that Jesus did not have? Is God a multiple personality like the famous story of Sybil? And, come to think of it, how could Jesus pray to God if he was God? He must have been talking to himself; I guess we should put God in a strait jacket.
No wonder Christians are so confused and mixed-up! Man, if I were one, I sure would be too! It would be funny if it weren’t so dead serious. These crackheads are willing to start wars based on mythology!? Lord, help us!
And yeah, if only I was there to see Chirac’s face. Ha, good point.