I've been re-reading a very interesting book by Carl E. Olson, Will Catholics be "Left Behind"?: A Catholic Critique of the Rapture and Today's Prophecy Preachers and am finding a lot of it to be quite intriguing. So here are a few questions here for people:
1. Do you believe in the Rapture?
2. Why or why not?
3. If you answered yes to #1, are you a Pre-Tribulation(it'll happen before seven years of horrible stuff) or Mid-Tribulation (3.5 years in)?
4. Do you know who is credited with starting the modern Rapture movement?
5. If you answered no to #1, do you believe in the Parousia of Christ (Second Coming)?
6. The Left Behind series: a lot of truth mixed in with the fictional account or a lot of dangerous bunk that undermines Christianity?
7. (Because I know some will want to say it anyways ): Is all of the above a bunch of hooey and not worth believing, whether it's Rapture stuff or Christianity in general?
8. Those Rapture bumper stickers:
a) I laugh when I read them, then shake my head in disbelief
b) I smile and agree with the sentiment
c) I proudly display one on my car
d) What the hell is a Rapture?
9. Should the Apocalypse of John/Revelations be viewed literally or metaphorically?
Bah, I'll just stop at 9 and see what answers are given. I just hope that people can agree or disagree civilly, but is that asking for too much here?
If you have to choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.