Posted by jonvon on October 29, 2002 at 12:15:02:
In Reply to: Hopeful mortal posted by PS on October 29, 2002 at 10:46:48:
: Why not focus on the imminent end of all of our lives to stimulate realism and contemplation? Certainly the frailty and temporal nature of our lives is easily enough demonstrated. Statistically, we have an astronomically better chance of being hit by a truck or dying of cancer than hearing the trumpet blast of a pre-trib rapture in our few remaining years of life. And what if we do hear it? The person who is comfortable with their physical mortality and assured of their immortality in God will have no problem with the rapture if they are blessed enough to be a part of it. The hopeful mortal will be just as ready (if not moreso) than the certain rapturist who has put all eggs in that one basket. The faith of the hopeful mortal can not be invalidated by any unexpected apocalyptic development, because his/her faith was never based on a specific understanding, but rather in the person of Christ.
this is good stuff. i've personally found tremendous value in considering the moment of my death. i've found almost no value at all in considering the moment of the rapture beyond, wow, wouldn't that be something... its not that i don't believe or do believe it will happen, i just don't really care much. all the wrong stuff has been made of it. it seems to just degenerate constantly into some sort of science fiction tale used to impinge upon our sense that everything is ok. like no one is satisfied unless we are all running around saying weird things and acting real strange. its like the freak show at the end of the carnival that is christian subculture.