Jesus to return May 21, 2011

[duchess of malfi]

as according to these people:

www.freep.com/article/20101204/NEWS05/1 ... sus-return

Note that this thread is not a knock on Christianity or any other religion as such or in general. I do not know any Christians who are into this date setting stuff, and that is what I am trying to figure out.

I always wonder how and why people come up with these dates - especially when the Bible itself says no human knows that particular information.

Is it not better and more important to live your life the best you can than to spend your time worrying about such things as an exact date of the return of a religious figure?

I guess I have just never understood this aspect of religion/s. If Jesus returns that day or not, I have to keep living my life in the meantime. Even if he does return on that day - in what way should I spend/use/live my life differently in the next few months?

Even if I knew for a fact He is coming back on that specific day (or any other specific day for that matter) I really do not see any difference in my daily life in the meantime. I will still just keep muddling along, doing the best that I can one way or another.

[Zahir]

Alas, most Christians (and I suspect this is true of most followers of any faith) don't really study their religion but follow someone else's ideas.

There is also among Fundamentalists what I can only call a sadistic lust for world-wide destruction, a longing for the Apocalypse where they get to watch all their enemies suffer unbearable torments.

[danlo]

It's just disgusting fundamentalists trying to capitalize on the Mayan calendar..

[High Lord Tolkien]

He's tried to come back several times but he keeps getting aborted.

[Vraith]

He's tried to come back several times but he keeps getting aborted.

Then he should stay out of 14 year old virgins.

[aliantha]

He's tried to come back several times but he keeps getting aborted.

Then he should stay out of 14 year old virgins.

You guys are too funny.

For my part, if these guys are right, I'm gonna be p*ssed -- we'll never know how the Last Chrons ends!

[Cambo]

Nah we'll probably get to see the end of the Chronicles before we all get shipped off to our respective eternal afterlifes. If I remember correctly, he has to wage the final war against Satan and his minions. That should take at least a couple of years.

Picture it. In the midst of Armageddon, as the apocalyptic battle rages on, as the fate of humanity is decided, members of a certain online fan club will be conspicuously absent, having all stayed home with their noses in The Last Dark

[Loredoctor]

It's just disgusting fundamentalists trying to capitalize on the Mayan calendar..

Not just christian fundamentalists, but New Agers, UFO cultists, etc etc.

[Avatar]

I must say, I'm not going to be holding my breath. But I've seen something similar even here. I think even the date is the same.

Still, as with the whole 2012 thing, while I do not expect it by any means, I wouldn't mind...if the world is going to end, I wouldn't mind actually seeing it.

--A

[Cambo]

Yeah, that'd be kinda cool. And I'd be down at the Church to repent and convert like a shot

[Avatar]

Not me.

--A

[rusmeister]

What comes up for me is that these kinds of things are interesting, in the way that sensationalists and whackoes are interesting, but it is totally disconnected from traditional Christianity - and yet non-Christians link them with us in their minds.

I do not know any Christians who are into this date setting stuff, and that is what I am trying to figure out.

That's probably the only thing worth commenting on, although it seems pretty obvious to me. It is about wanting to manipulate - or push events - bring apocalypse about by wishful thinking. Not so different from people wanting to manipulate events by science or magic. They grasp on to a true idea - that we are mortal, and need to "seize the day" in order to repent, and stop living our lives as if they were only "rough drafts", and then corrupt it by putting their own timelines and spins onto things.

It is precisely that it is NOT what anyone would have recognized as Christian 1500 years ago -and even the noise at the end of the first millennium was out of synch with Church teachings (what was then a mostly united Church, pre-schism). Even most Protestants - who are the most individualist of Christians - insist that Scriptural teaching that we cannot know the date and time is true.

But of course the whackoes get all the press, and provide much of the justification for people to not be Christians - even though the whackoes are not terribly Christian - if they followed Christ, then they would listen to His words.

[Orlion]

I just saw on of these billboards... time to get wasted

[Hashi Lebwohl]

If you haven't seen the movie Last Night (or something like that), go see it. I can't recall the main actor's name but I know the lead actress was Sandra Oh.

The story is that the Earth is ending--tomorrow--and it shows what happens in the lives of a few select folks.

[Cambo]

Not me.

--A

Guess you're a stronger man of convictions than I. I bow my head in shame.

[rusmeister]

A person can be wise and of strong convictions, or foolish and of strong convictions. It depends on what the objective truth external to that person is.

[SerScot]

aliantha,

He's tried to come back several times but he keeps getting aborted.

Then he should stay out of 14 year old virgins.

You guys are too funny.

For my part, if these guys are right, I'm gonna be p*ssed -- we'll never know how the Last Chrons ends!

Hey you think you've got it bad the three series I'm most hipped on are A Song of Ice and Fire, The Kingkiller Chronicles, and the Gentleman Bastard's series. I will not even get close to seeing them end.

[aliantha]

aliantha,

Then he should stay out of 14 year old virgins.

You guys are too funny.

For my part, if these guys are right, I'm gonna be p*ssed -- we'll never know how the Last Chrons ends!

Hey you think you've got it bad the three series I'm most hipped on are A Song of Ice and Fire, The Kingkiller Chronicles, and the Gentleman Bastard's series. I will not even get close to seeing them end.

I hate to break this to you, but I think you're screwed no matter *when* the world ends.

[Vain]

I thought Obama came a while back?

I'm flying the whole family in SA over here for an End of the world party in 2012 - it should be a blast !!

[SerScot]

Aliantha,

I'm still hoping man. WMF comes out in March. There are claims that Republic of Thieves is being "polished". ADWD is close. I can feel it.

(que Charlie Brown jokes.)