# 42/100 of America beieves we are in End Times **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 19, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035 "2006-10-19T02:13:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/41 "2006-10-19T15:39:44Z")
[QUOTE=FinnAgain] You’re as bad as **der trihs**. [/QUOTE] Whoa! “Insensitive and patronizing” I can see, but calling him as bad as **der trihs**? Perhaps you exagerated a mite. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/42 "2006-10-19T16:45:22Z")
I think there have been very, very few times in history that _don’t_ fit the description found in various religious traditions of “the End Times”. [QUOTE=jsgoddess] At some point in the mid-80s there was an upswing in the whole end-times thing. A friend of mine got yanked out of school to go pray for days and days and days. I never saw her again. I think it had to do with Halley’s comet. [/QUOTE] Comet Halley _could_ in fact cause the end of civilization and possibly the human species- its orbit intersects ours (giving us the Orionid meteor shower), so it could hit the Earth. It’s about 10km in diameter, which is the size we think the dinosaur killer was, so things could be a bit unpleasant if it did hit us. Of course, that wasn’t going to happen in 1985-86- it missed us by 93 million kilometers. > [@Der Trihs](#): > > Unless you claim God is on some planet with a thousand year orbit or travelling at relativistic speeds, in which case you worship God the Lawyer, Deity of the Technically True. 😃 > [@Lissa](#): > > The Christian school I attended strongly believed we were in the End Times. (Just like every generation before them.) I remember that our principal once told us in chapel that it was unlikely any of us would be here long enough to have kids of our own-- the Rapture would almost certainly happen before then. The church I went to said something similar. It’s one of the biggest things that turned me off Christianity. At least liberal Judaism doesn’t go in for this End Times stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/43 "2006-10-19T17:28:22Z")
Yeah, count me with those who want to hear that that number has actually grown before I start to care. I’ve been hearing about how Jesus’ return is imminent for at least 30 years from my fundy relatives. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/44 "2006-10-19T17:45:48Z")
[QUOTE=dropzone] Whoa! “Insensitive and patronizing” I can see, but calling him as bad as **der trihs**? Perhaps you exagerated a mite. [/QUOTE] Point. I still find that attitude obnoxious, condescending, and worthy of scorn. But it isn’t quite as bad as our red shirt. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/45 "2006-10-19T17:56:32Z")
What I have trouble with,is that if god is going to pluck the rightous from their clothes and whisk them to heaven,why would he take war mongering neocons. People like the dalai lama would be more logical. However he must be born again to qualify. What a bunch of arrogant shits they are. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/46 "2006-10-19T18:00:07Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] What I have trouble with,is that if god is going to pluck the rightous from their clothes and whisk them to heaven, **why would he take war mongering neocons**? People like the Dalai Lama would be more logical. However he must be born again to qualify. What a bunch of arrogant shits they are. [/QUOTE] Because they **believe**! But I totally agree with that last bit. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/47 "2006-10-19T18:02:54Z")
[QUOTE=overeasy4] Yes, but a day with the Lord is as a thousand years. [/QUOTE] Nah, it just _seems_ that way because of the hard pews and the lack of A/C in most churches. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/48 "2006-10-19T18:15:41Z")
I think the second coming has to be right around the corner. Consider: > [@King James Bible](#): > > Matthew 16:28: Verily I say unto you. There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kindgdom." > > Mark 9:1: “Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, tillt hey have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” Surely there can’t be too many people who were standing there with Jesus that are still alive, and he has to come back before the last one dies. Maybe these people who are trying to bring about the end of the world should find these people and bump them off. But let me know if you are planning to do this so I can max out all my credit cards first. Also consider: > [@King James Bible](#): > > I Thessalonians 4:17: The **we** (not those, **we** ) which are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air…" > > Hebrews 1:2: Hath **in these last days** spoken unto us by his Son… > > James 5:8: For the coming of the Lord draweth nigh > > I Peter 4:7: But the end of all things is at hand. > > I John 2:18: Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists: whereby we know that it is the last time. > > I John 4:3b: …and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come: and even now already is it in the world. People have thought it was the end times since a few years after Jesus was here. I won’t hold my breath. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/49 "2006-10-19T23:57:11Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99] Nah, it just _seems_ that way because of the hard pews and the lack of A/C in most churches. [/QUOTE] Let’s not forget the terminally boring sermons in most of those same churches. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/50 "2006-10-20T00:34:37Z")
[QUOTE=Anne Neville] The church I went to said something similar. It’s one of the biggest things that turned me off Christianity. [/QUOTE] For me, it was the idea of spending eternity with those people. The way they descibed heaven made it sound like one long church picnic. Fire and brimstone started looking mighty appealing in comparison. I think that my principal’s fascination with the End Times was sort of akin to the reason people go to scary movies. She seemed to get a thrill out of the whole “worm that will not die” thing-- since she’d be safely in heaven watching it, of course. I think she was genuinely dissapointed when Itzhak Rabin didn’t come back to life. She had speculated about him possibly being one of the three people who will rise from the dead when the shit goes down. She also told us about this big supply of building materials that have been set aside for “rebuilding the Temple” in Jerusalem. She assured us that one of these days, sombody’s going to blow up the Dome of the Rock which is rudely refusing to surrender the spot. See, some Christians believe that the Temple must be rebuilt before Jesus can come back, so the supplies have already been gathered to start building as soon as that pesky dome is demolished. She warned us with shivers of horror that the Mark of the Beast is already being applied to babies. It was some sort of microchip, inserted in the baby’s hand without the parents’ knowledge. One of these days, “they” will suddenly reveal a purchasing system based on those microchips and most people won’t be upset by it because they’ll find out that they already have the chips conveniently in place. The ones who don’t have it will be mocked as being paranoid, or something like that, but anyhoo, you won’t be able to buy or sell anything without that chip and would starve to death for Jesus. (Guess she’d never heard of the barter system.) Oh, the humanity when all of those suddenly unpiloted planes and cars go crashing into the people who were left behind! She used to muse about it, seemingly revelling in the idea of action-movie-style carnage. 'Twas an interesting experience, my Christian school years. ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/51 "2006-10-20T00:47:16Z")
I wouldn’t be surprised if a good number of that 42% are liberals though. How often have you heard leftists spouting about how we’re all screwed thanks to Bush and that the world is about to end? And the whole deal about “Fundies in office with nukes”. I wouldn’t be so quick to implicate the Eeeevil Religious People here. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/52 "2006-10-20T09:33:55Z")
[QUOTE=Dag Otto] If there happens to be someone who believes this and uses his influence to try to bring about the end times, wouldn’t that be a terrorist act? Flying planes into buildings is terrorist amateur hour compared to bringing about the end of the world. [/QUOTE] Totally agreed, the only thing Christians should be doing to “immanentize the Eschaton” is global evangelism & ministry so that all peoples are reconciled to God through Jesus, and yes, that includes a certain ethno-religious group with whom Christians share a Biblical heritage and without whom the Christian Church is incomplete. I, and I would wager most Adventists\*, are against performing or inciting violence to bring the Apocalypse closer. Most of us do support existence & security of the State of Israel, and would like to see, if not harmonious, then at least non-violent co-existence of Israel with its Arab/Muslim neighbor states. I for one am not opposed to a free & peaceful State of Palestine being established. I will concede that many Adventists do despair of such a lasting peaceful settlement being accomplished. - I use the term for any Christian who believes we may be approaching the soon Return of Jesus to defeat wickedness and establish God’s Kingdom. It includes but is not limited to Rapturists (who believe in the removal of true Christians to heaven before the AntiChrist arises and God’s Wrath falls upon the Earth) and Millenialists (who believe that Jesus’s Return will bring in a thousand-year Earthly Kingdom). The Seventh-Day Adventists for example believe we are approaching Christ’s return but not a Rapture or an Earthly Kingdom. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/53 "2006-10-20T10:15:25Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] I’m not sure that a response to a poll question, “Do you believe we are in the End Times?” actually translates to much more than a general belief that in some not-too-distant-but-still-unpredictable moment, God is going to pull the plug (or rapure the faithful, or not rapture the faithful, or whichever variant of the rather numerous End Time beliefs they happen to hold). [/QUOTE] Arthur: This makes sense. All my life I’ve felt like there was something bigger out there. Slartibartfast: No, that’s perfectly normal paranoia. Everyone in the galaxy gets that. [QUOTE=overeasy4] Am I the only doper who is one of those 42 %? [/QUOTE] I don’t mean to be overly picky, but since when are guests…? [QUOTE=Der Trihs] … you worship God the Lawyer, Deity of the Technically True. [/QUOTE] 🙂 Permission to unashamedly rip this off when appropriate? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/54 "2006-10-20T11:09:17Z")
[QUOTE=Menocchio] As a Christian, I find the certainty some of my coreligionists have that we’re living in the end-times to be almost comically arrogant. The belief that we’re living in the end times really boils down to believing that this point in history is somehow special. That the gorund has never been riper for the Second Coming. That things have never been worse. Bullshit. Compared to the World War II era (in which the Nazis plotted to build themselves an occult pagan mythology as the slaughtered God’s Chosen People by the trainload), or its near aftermath (in which atheistic communism expanded and gained weapons that threatened to destroy all of civilization), we’re in an exceptionally peaceful era. Besides, Jesus specifically told us that we wouldn’t see it coming. I don’t think he meant “this weekend, but I can’t tell you if it’s Saturday or Sunday”. We’re not special. We don’t have insight that others in history didn’t have. There’s nothing wrong with living every day as if it may be your last. You’ll face judgement if you’re hit by a truck tomorrow, even if Judgement Day is millenia in the future. Just don’t live your life as if it may be _everbody’s_ last. [/QUOTE] Where is the applause smiley when you need it? BRAVO! BRAVISSIMO! ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/55 "2006-10-20T12:14:15Z")
[QUOTE=overeasy4] Yes, but a day with the Lord is as a thousand years. [/QUOTE] I’ve been to some Condo Association meetings that were like that. Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/56 "2006-10-20T13:38:50Z")
> [@Lissa](#): > > I think she was genuinely dissapointed when Itzhak Rabin didn’t come back to life. Y’know, I read this and thought, “Why would a violinist’s death and resurrection be a sign of the end times? Does Jesus really groove to classical music? Besides, he’s not dead!” Then I realized **Lissa** meant Yitzhak Rabin, the late Prime Minister of Israel, not Ithzak Perlman, the master violin player. :smack: Egads, I need more coffee. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/57 "2006-10-20T14:07:12Z")
Still don’t get it, do ya? [QUOTE=FriarTed] Totally agreed, the only thing Christians should be doing to “immanentize the Eschaton” is global evangelism & ministry so that all peoples are reconciled to God through Jesus, and yes, that includes a certain ethno-religious group with whom Christians share a Biblical heritage and without whom the Christian Church is incomplete. [/QUOTE] And as one of those Jews, who you evidently won’t even specifically name, I’d like to cordially invite you to go fuck yourself. And you can shove your unmitigated arrogance and sense of superiority up your ass while you’re at it. If your Chruch isn’t complete without a seperate religion that has no desire to be part of your club, then that aint nobody’s fault but your own. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/58 "2006-10-20T14:19:45Z")
Or, to elaborate: your view is that of the skeevy stalker who tells a girl who wants nothing to do with him that she’s destined to be his, and that he’s not complete without her. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/59 "2006-10-20T14:25:23Z")
[QUOTE=FinnAgain] And as one of those Jews, who you evidently won’t even specifically name, I’d like to cordially invite you to go fuck yourself. And you can shove your unmitigated arrogance and sense of superiority up your ass while you’re at it. If your Chruch isn’t complete without a seperate religion that has no desire to be part of your club, then that aint nobody’s fault but your own. [/QUOTE] Well spoken! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035/60 "2006-10-20T15:59:18Z")
[QUOTE=Princhester] 🙂 Permission to unashamedly rip this off when appropriate? [/QUOTE] Any time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/42-100-of-america-beieves-we-are-in-end-times/377035.md?page=4)