tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415815443006499013.post3791113417052963909..comments2023-04-27T04:14:30.583-07:00Comments on Straight from the Heart: I Wish We'd All Been…SmarterDonna Farleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11884647995104136193noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415815443006499013.post-13278491016272156812014-10-12T17:32:24.152-07:002014-10-12T17:32:24.152-07:00A similar kind of madness overtook the Shia Muslim...A similar kind of madness overtook the Shia Muslims of Iran some 35 years ago. Traditional Shia Islam says that the 12th Iman is in hiding, the way Moses was hidden from view when he received the Law.<br />But then, an Islamic Shia cleric in Iran started speculating that maybe Iman Mehdi, as he is called, can be induced to come out of hiding and vanquish the powers of evil. And the way to do that was to establish an Islamic republic. And what better place than Iran, apparently!<br />After the revolution of '79, we can all see for ourselves that it goes downhill from there.<br /><br />But the list of this kind of apocalyptic madness goes on. Charles Manson thought he could ignite an apocalyptic race war by acts of murder. While apocalyptic speculation about a so-called rapture motivates the Religious Right to transform the United States into a Cromwellian Commonwealth. The secularised version being the Marxist obsession with revolution. Even Orthodox are not immune to convincing themselves that before the end comes, the office of the czar will be restored in Russia, and the Ayia Sophia will be restored by force.<br />But in all cases, the consequences are tragic. Rapture speculation has taken a toll in the US, where reasonable conservatives cannot talk sense in the public arena because the Tea Party takes all the attention. Speculation about a restored czar almost always comes with hatred of Jews. While Kahanist speculation about the coming of Messiah inspires Israeli settlers on the West Bank to terrorise Palestinians. Apocalyptic speculation can be known by it's poisonous fruits.Gavin James Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06363242306824812372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415815443006499013.post-10358996874568916512014-10-06T23:51:19.477-07:002014-10-06T23:51:19.477-07:00N.T. Wright has commented that the verse about peo...N.T. Wright has commented that the verse about people being taken up into the air is actually based on the ancient custom of sending delegates out of the city to greet a visiting VIP and usher him back <i>into</i> the city. So the whole point of being "raptured" would be to greet Jesus and welcome him back to Earth -- not to stay in the air with him forever.Peter T Chattawayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07395937367596387523noreply@blogger.com