Last night, while driving home, I heard a radio interview with a member of Camping's rapture believers. The kid was not willing to entertain the possibility that he would be around after this evening. The host asked him if he would be willing to continue the conversation on Monday, and the kid (I think he was in his early 20s, and I want him to GET OFFA MAH LAWN!!!!) insisted that he would not be present.
I can't think of a more nihilistic belief, unless it's the whole martyrdom for 72 virgins crap- the whole notion that someone would willingly trade the reality of existence for the prospect of an otherworldly reward is pitiable.
This Rapture business does real damage to people- financially, emotionally, socially, mentally (redundantly?). As the Pope of Mope himself would put it, the joke isn't funny anymore:
Added bonus, new commentor Nicholas advised, "so that you will not be misled today, study the Bible today." Well, Nicholas, so you will not be misled today, read The Poetic Edda. Deal?
On an unrelated note, I stopped by the local library today for their "Books for 50 cents per pound" sale and bought Phillip Pullman's books to celebrate the day. I know that a lot of fundies were upset about the books, but I fear that they'll be a little heavy handed. To my mind, the children's book series that best exemplifies the folly of disengagement from the world is Lloyd Alexander's "Chronicals of Prydain". If you haven't read them READ THEM NOW!!!! or you'll be in danger of bannings and cannings. The end of the series (WARNING, MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!!!), which has the protagonist trading a kingdom of joy for a kingdom of sorrow, seems as explicit a rejection of a hoped-for heavenly reward in favor of earthly engagement as any in literature.
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8 comments:
This Rapture business does real damage to people- financially, emotionally, socially, mentally (redundantly?).
Sadly, this does not separate it from many other businesses are country is currently relying on.
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Deja vu.
Our country also are disappointing me.
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study the Bible today
I studied mine, to the point of measuring its dimensions to the nearest millimetre. People kept talking about "disasters of Biblical proportions" and I wanted to know what they were on about.
I couldn't get past Pullman's first few pages of the plunge into his ridiculous world. It might have gotten better but my eye-rolling injury did not.
Loved the Chronicles of Prydain as a kid. How nice of you to remind me.
We could all do well to aspire to be an Assistant Pig-keeper.
I don't know why this shit got so much traction in the media in the first place.
*Totally* forgot about Chronicles of Prydian.
I liked the Golden Compass series, but I had also slogged through a shitload of reeeeeeeeeeallllyyyy bad YA fantasy around that period of time, so my view of it may be a little distorted.
i loved the golden compass series, but that's as far as i have gotten...thanks for reminding me about pullman...
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