# What the heck is "Left Behind?"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 31, 1999, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750 "1999-12-31T23:35:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [December 31, 1999, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/1 "1999-12-31T23:35:00Z")
Hey everyone,
Most of who have been here for a long time know that I left a few months ago, and have started posting again, every so often. Anyway, what happened when I was gone? What is “Left Behind?” All I’ve picked up so far is that most of you don’t like it. any other info I should know?
## Adam
“Life is hard…but God is good”
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### Author:  [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/2 "2000-01-01T00:36:00Z")
Well essentially we all began to worship Satan and stone Christians.
* * *
You know, doing what is right is easy. The problem is knowing what is right.
–Lyndon B. Johnson
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### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/3 "2000-01-01T00:49:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Well essentially we all began to worship Satan and stone Christians.
Hmmm. Sounds about right. 😉
* * *
“Life is hard…but God is good”
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### Author:  [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/4 "2000-01-01T01:26:00Z")
Oh come on, have a little bit of a sense of humor. I know it is fun to pretend that you are being persecuted on these message boards, but we do not actually stone you. You come here on your own free will and you admit that you are trying to convert us heathens. Try not to get pissed off if your religious droning is not always effective in converting people.
What the HELL, let us go ahead and turn this into a creationism debate. The hardest argument for religious zealots such as yourself to refute that I have found as of yet is; if God is indeed good and fair, why are there certain demographic groups that are less likely to be “Christians.” People that grow up in Christian homes are more likely to be Christians. If you want some imperical evidence here, Christians are relatively rare in Asia. How can everybody have a fair chance of eternal salvation if their birth affects the chance that they accept a Christian God?
* * *
You know, doing what is right is easy. The problem is knowing what is right.
–Lyndon B. Johnson
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### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/5 "2000-01-01T01:50:00Z")
Threemae, that post came from left field. I was joking with my post, since I knew you were joking. I’m sorry you took what I said the wrong way, and I apologize for offending you.
> [@](#):
>
> How can everybody have a fair chance of eternal salvation if their birth affects the chance that they accept a Christian God?
Is this a rhetorical question? Because, if it’s not, then I’d be happy to answer it.
Adam
* * *
“Life is hard…but God is good”
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### Author:  [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/6 "2000-01-01T02:03:00Z")
Adam, I’m a bit surprised you don’t know about Left Behind (although I don’t expect you to know about the web site).
A Mr. & Mrs. LaHaye are in the process of writing a whole series of novels on the tribulations of those people who didn’t make it off-planet when the Rapture struck.
There is a web site devoted to hyping the books that includes a UBB-powered message board.
Their web site is at
[http://www.leftbehind.com/](http://www.leftbehind.com/)
The current controversy arose as a recent reaction against events and posts described in this thread on GD:
[http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000628.html](http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000628.html)
(_For David B, the good Doctor and others who are knowledgable about Creation debate_) particularly comments on page 13.
The general brouhaha now appears to be over, thank heavens.
* * *
Tom~
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### Author:  [@lvick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lvick)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/7 "2000-01-01T02:26:00Z")
Whoever said God was fair?
“He’s a lover of life, but a player of pawns.”
Jethro Tull
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/8 "2000-01-01T03:30:00Z")
The question’s been answered, the jokes were funny . … and as you all know, proselytizing is allowed only on the Great Debates forum, elsewhere on this board.
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
The Straight Dope
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### Author:  [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/9 "2000-01-01T03:35:00Z")
“Left Behind” is the opposite of “Right Behind”; put them together, and you have my ass.
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### Author:  [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/10 "2000-01-01T03:41:00Z")
Adam, the implied question there is, how can something as great as your God be so unfair tht eternal suffering can be influenced by where you live.
* * *
You know, doing what is right is easy. The problem is knowing what is right.
–Lyndon B. Johnson
---
### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/11 "2000-01-01T04:05:00Z")
Tom, I know about the books, but didn’t make the connection. Actually, I visited the sight tonight, and laughed out loud. It’s pretty funny how they think our very own Satan is evil, and “attacking” them. Anyway, I think I would rather enjoy the books, and I’ll buy them someday.
* * *
“Life is hard…but God is good”
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### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/12 "2000-01-01T04:06:00Z")
Oh, and Threemae, I think that one is best suited for GD, since it would envolve much Scripture, and such.
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### Author:  [@Ayesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ayesha)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/13 "2000-01-01T11:41:00Z")
The Left Behind books were/are being written by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins.
I have read all 6 and am looking forward to the 7th.
* * *
Ayesha - Lioness
* * *
There are two solutions to every problem : the wrong one, and mine
(Thomas A. Edison)
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### Author:  [@coosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coosa)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/14 "2000-01-01T12:57:00Z")
Ayesha, have you visited the LBBB? I’d be interested in your impressions, since you’ve read the books. My sister has read at least a couple of them, and said they were pretty good. I thought the premise sounded interesting and planned on reading them, but got completely turned off after seeing that message board \ and witnessing the totally paranoid, irrational attack on this board.
It doesn’t appear that the books have turned you into a rabid fundamentalist. If you get a chance, would you check out that message board and tell us if you think it reflects the true spirit of the books?
While I guess the LBBB has been very succesful in attracting the lunatic fringe of Christianity, it certainly will drive many potential readers (like me) away.
* * *
Carpe diem - Seize the day
Carpe noctem - Seize the night
Carpe cerevisi - Seize the beer
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### Author:  [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/15 "2000-01-01T17:27:00Z")
Much like Ayesha, I have read all of the books. While I think the stories aren’t the best ever written, I have enjoyed reading them and look forward to the next installment.
The LBBB seems to be one of those things when too many people with the same mindset get together, they end up sounding overly weird in their proclamations. I may believe what they believe, but I also understand it is pretty stupid and pointless to force it on others, especially in this medium.
I have a lot more fun reading this board and learning from different areas, perspectives, and beliefs rather than reading the LBBB and hearing the same things said post after post.
* * *
Well, shut my mouth. It’s also illegal to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling.
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### Author:  [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2000, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/16 "2000-01-02T06:30:00Z")
Guy said:
> [@](#):
>
> “Left Behind” is the opposite of “Right Behind”
Sorry. It is the opposite of “Right in front.” 😉
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### Author:  [@Ayesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ayesha)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2000, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/17 "2000-01-02T06:38:00Z")
The books are pretty good, as Mullinator said not the best but good.
I have gone to that board and lurked, never posted there.
Now get ready for a shock folks, I am a Christian, and many of my beliefs are pretty fundimental.
Yes I flirt on the board, and I cuss too, execpt for two words that I will not use.
I wish people would read thier Bibles a little more closely before they spew hell fire and damnation. Jesus Christ was not a snotty Holier than Thou type of person. The only people I read about him giving a hard time were, gasp, religious people.
Things I have seen written by believers and non-believes on that board
and this one have troubled me.
I stay out of great debates because of the way people tend to react to each other there.
But , back to the subject, don’t let the way some people act make you decide not to read them, not all Christian foam at the mouth and try to do forced , shove it down your throat conversions.
## Read and decide for yourself. But they won’t make you rant and rave, unless you decide you want to. Your choice.
Ayesha - Lioness
* * *
There are two solutions to every problem : the wrong one, and mine
(Thomas A. Edison)
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### Author:  [@coosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coosa)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2000, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/18 "2000-01-01T19:08:00Z")
Thanks for your input, Ayesha and Mullinator. I’m not a religious person, but I thought the books sounded interesting, if only as a learning experience. I’ll give them a try, then.
Gotta finish reading John Grisham first, though!
* * *
Carpe diem - Seize the day
Carpe noctem - Seize the night
Carpe cerevisi - Seize the beer
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### Author:  [@Sigmundex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmundex)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2000, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/19 "2000-01-02T03:36:00Z")
I’d never call myself a Christian, but when I heard the storyline described in a newspaper article, I went out and borrowed them from the library. Okay, the storyline IS pretty fascinating, but I really think the writing is terrible. It’s written in language that a 3rd grader could easily read, and in no way did it pull me into the story. It’s written more like a comic strip (isn’t it funny that one of the co-writers also writes the Gil Thorp comic strip?). Let’s put it this way, I read them all the way up through ‘Nicolae’, and when the new book came out, I didn’t even bother to look for it. I still haven’t read it. If I was reading Grisham, I’d probably stick with it, and then go out and get Scott Turow’s new book, and forget all about ‘Left Behind’. Just my agnostic 2 cents.
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### Author:  [@dlv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dlv)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2000, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/20 "2000-01-02T05:06:00Z")
“Left Behind” is an excruciatingly polite euphemism for “Left B_tt_ck”.
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