Just a question. Why is everyone so scared of Rapture or Armageddon?

[Wolfnox]

Curious. My views on it are very different from most apparently. So why all the fear?

 

[tree]

@Wolfnox

Who is "everyone"?

People you know & talk to face to face?

 

[Wolfnox]

@Wolfnox

Who is "everyone"?

People you know & talk to face to face?

Not so much people I talk to face to face. Just generally in religion. I’m Christian but, there is so much fear among the dominations. Why?

 

[Raggamuffin]

I think it's a natural byproduct of our own mortality. To not only fear our own death, but to ponder that something might happen which could end all life. It hit me in my teen years after reading a very melodramatic news article by the Daily Mail newspaper. It hit me with such extreme panic, anxiety and depression, that for years I felt like life had lost all flavour, and that I was living on borrowed time.

Ed

 

[AdamG]

As an outsider (I was not raised Christian, and my spiritual beliefs are rather secular) I can say ... a lot of Christian sects are very into fear. "The fear of God" is actually a common term. And I find it sad. What is originally meant to be a faith of acceptance and humility has turned to control.
.
I fear I'm getting too religious for these forums. I suppose my point is, control through fear is a common tactic. Any religion that touts forgiveness, and acts to the opposite, makes me wince.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Good responses. Fear. Mortality. For some, there is the belief in some "consciousness" after death, that it transfers from one realm to another, furthermore, that our behaviors and decisions in this realm will be judged in the next. So, there is some degree of behavioral modification, some coercion in this realm, some guilt, regret, etc., "or else". If you have no such beliefs, then no worries, but even so, I do think we all want to be judged as a good person in this realm.

One scene from the movie Saving Private Ryan, where he is an elderly man visiting the huge D-day cemetery in France. He looks over at his family with tears in his eyes, sensing his own mortality, "Tell me I've been a good man."
That scene sort of hit me, personally. Nobody really wants to consider their own mortality, but when it comes to it, we want to know that others will remember us as "a good person". I think this is universal regardless of whether, or not, one is religious, or believes in a Heaven or Hell, or nothing at all.

 

[Progster]

It's only scary if you believe it.
A child who believes in monsters under the bed will be afraid of going to bed, but the adults won't, because they don't believe in them.
There are many belief systems in the world, of which Christianity is just one. Other civilisations believed in spirits in nature, or Gods who lived on the top of Mount Olympus, or in the sun god. If you don't belong to a culture that believes in them, or you weren't brought up to believe them, or you reject the beliefs because they don't seem logic, then they are, for you, myths and superstitions, or just stories. For people who believe them, they are real and have power over that person and can invoke fear. If you don't believe, then they can have no power.

 

[Judge]

Not "everyone" has the same belief system, if one at all.

From my perspective, we were born eternal beings and do not "die". That our existence on this particular plane is nothing but a construct for us to experience and enlighten our being through reincarnation, living a temporary mortal existence by choice. That when my mortality plays out and I leave this secondary plane of existence, I hope to uneventfully return to my primary plane of existence.

Fear, vengeance, evil and retribution. They aren't real relative to our natural state of eternal being. So there's no logical reason to fear anything other than to understand that it's intended for us to experience such things strictly temporarily. Otherwise there would be little to enlighten- and challenge ourselves as eternal beings.

Wherever our spiritual journey takes us on this plane of existence, that we do so as individuals. Regardless of whether one chooses to embrace any particular manmade religion, or none at all. Applying fear is just another way to appeal to mans' baser instincts, usually in an attempt to manipulate them for power, or some kind of collective or personal gain.

 

[Nitro]

A fear of death?
Nope, not in the least.

Cheated it twice so far.
(declared clinically dead twice on an operating table if you need details)

 

[Rodafina]

My views on it are very different from most apparently.

I have never discussed the rapture with a real person. Would you be able to explain your views on it a little? Not everyone’s, just yours.

 

[Wolfnox]

I have never discussed the rapture with a real person. Would you be able to explain your views on it a little? Not everyone’s, just yours.

Certainly.
As I understand it the rapture is another word for Armageddon. Which is derived from the Book of Revelations.

I have studied that part of the Bible and referenced other parts. Since it is spoken of in different parts and for aid in interpreting what’s written. Which I can to an extent.
I also referenced history, science, astronomy, and real world experience.

As such I arrived at my views on it.

I view it as an ending and a beginning. I view in a joyful light because of its final ending of suffering and evil. To the beginning of a truly magnificent 1000 years of wonders untold under Jesus Christ rule. This time frame ends with the imprisonment of Satan and his beast forever. Once that’s done. It’s all finished. Evil, sin, death, killing, destruction, and pain.
This new period of existence will be beyond our imagination. It is a beautiful hope and life.
It is also a choice.
People make the choice to choose where they go. The Bible is clear on that. By their actions and choices they decide.
That’s my view on this.
Not an ending but, a choice. A path everyone chooses as they live day by day.

 

[Rodafina]

Certainly.
As I understand it the rapture is another word for Armageddon. Which is derived from the Book of Revelations.

I have studied that part of the Bible and referenced other parts. Since it is spoken of in different parts and for aid in interpreting what’s written. Which I can to an extent.
I also referenced history, science, astronomy, and real world experience.

As such I arrived at my views on it.

I view it as an ending and a beginning. I view in a joyful light because of its final ending of suffering and evil. To the beginning of a truly magnificent 1000 years of wonders untold under Jesus Christ rule. This time frame ends with the imprisonment of Satan and his beast forever. Once that’s done. It’s all finished. Evil, sin, death, killing, destruction, and pain.
This new period of existence will be beyond our imagination. It is a beautiful hope and life.
It is also a choice.
People make the choice to choose where they go. The Bible is clear on that. By their actions and choices they decide.
That’s my view on this.
Not an ending but, a choice. A path everyone chooses as they live day by day.

Thank you for explaining.

 

[Wolfnox]

Thank you for explaining.

Thanks for hearing me out.

 

[Crossbreed]

"The fear of God" is actually a common term. And I find it sad. What is originally meant to be a faith of acceptance and humility has turned to control.
.
I fear I'm getting too religious for these forums. I suppose my point is, control through fear is a common tactic.

There is a difference between control-based fear and situational fear.
The first is a type of extortion.
The second evokes both wisdom & caution.

If you were

• in a high place with no railing,
• near an out-of-control fire,
• in room full of high-voltage contacts, etc.,

none of those things would deliberately seek to destroy you, but the laws of physics would make that a real possibility (unless someone came to your aid).

God's holiness works the same way. Even if He just wanted to give us a hug, we would die in His Presence (in our default state --and that is scary...!) if we were not prepared to meet Him, first.
Even Moses, His best human friend, could not look on His face (in his unprepared state), lest he die.
God knew this and that is why He mounted a rescue attempt. Jesus' name means "Rescuer."
4SLaws
If a person hears of the problem, but never hears the Solution, the only sensible response is fear.

 

[AdamG]

There is a difference between control-based fear and situational fear.
The first is a type of extortion.
The second evokes both wisdom & caution.

If you were

• in a high place with no railing,
• near an out-of-control fire,
• in room full of high-voltage contacts, etc.,

none of those things would deliberately seek to destroy you, but the laws of physics would make that a real possibility (unless someone came to your aid).

God's holiness works the same way. Even if He just wanted to give us a hug, we would die in His Presence (in our default state --and that is scary...!) if we were not prepared to meet Him, first. Even Moses, His best human friend, could not look on His face (in his unprepared state), lest he die. God knew this and that is why He mounted a rescue attempt. Jesus' name means "Rescuer."

If a person hears of the problem, but never hears the Solution, the only sensible response is fear.

Thanks, I think I understand your point of view better.

 

[Vindiesel]

there is a fine line between fear and mitigating probable risk...Self-preservation makes us feel secure but the growth/experience is taking risks and being in a state of exposure therapy to overcome.

Dying to me sounds like a permanent nap and quite pleasant given I fall into slumbereven then the gift of life and experience whatever this is surpasses the fear of death to me. If you fear the unknown then Im sure other burdens fulfill those peoples lives on the premise they worry about things out of their control and manifest in depression/anxiety.

People always ask "what is the purpose of life?"

There isn't one

All I see that is common across the board is we all throughout our life will be in pain, tragedy, hurt, suffering and watch others go through this as well. As we experience these events you gain wisdom. You use this wisdom to help those close to you go through the same tragedies to put them at ease that they are not alone in their suffering.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

People always ask "what is the purpose of life?"

There isn't one

All I see that is common across the board is we all throughout our life will be in pain, tragedy, hurt, suffering and watch others go through this as well. As we experience these events you gain wisdom. You use this wisdom to help those close to you go through the same tragedies to put them at ease that they are not alone in their suffering.

I believe you may have hit the nail on the head with this, perhaps without you knowing. Q. "What is the purpose of life?" A. To gain wisdom. To be more specific, it is that sharing of wisdom that gets passed down from generation to generation. Even the best of us stand upon the shoulders of others. I have had my mentors. I use their wisdom, and then pass it on to others.

 

[Wolfnox]

People always ask "what is the purpose of life?"

There isn't one

Polite disagreement.
There is purpose. It’s to be loved and love in return . That is what Christianity as I have come to understand it to be is all about. It’s a love story of a father for his children. A God for his creations. And all the heartache and trouble that goes with that.
That’s what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I think there can be more than one purpose to a life. I am thinking every person has to sort that out for themselves what that may be for them. Now, we can generalize and say things like "passing along wisdom" or "to love and be loved", but for some, neither of those may apply.

I do agree that many of us struggle with their purpose in life. I know for some, if they did have a purpose, and it is removed for one reason, or another, it can absolutely destroy a person psychologically.

 

[Vindiesel]

Polite disagreement.
There is purpose. It’s to be loved and love in return . That is what Christianity as I have come to understand it to be is all about. It’s a love story of a father for his children. A God for his creations. And all the heartache and trouble that goes with that.
That’s what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs.

There isn't one... the inverse and or in other words you can create whatever you believe yourself but will not fit for everyone.