# What the heck is "Left Behind?" **URL:** \ **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:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2000, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/21 "2000-01-02T12:52:00Z")
I read the sample story at left behind, about the pilot. It was kind of entertaining, even for an atheist to read. ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2000, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/22 "2000-01-02T12:56:00Z")
Ayesha: There is no Santa Claus. And God…well, he/she retired after the Jurassic. Just so you don’t get disappointed after you leave our planet. ---
**Author:** ![Ayesha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c0e974/32.png) [@Ayesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ayesha)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2000, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/23 "2000-01-02T17:27:00Z")
sunbear, Sorry, too late for me to change my mind now. I made my decision long ago Just because we don’t believe in something doesn’t mean it isn’t there. And there is so a Santa Claus, he was just here a week ago, he left me some neat stuff ! ## Look at it this way, I’m not hurting anyone because of what I believe. Believing there is a better place gives me comfort, and doesn’t do any harm. Ayesha - Lioness * * * There are two solutions to every problem : the wrong one, and mine (Thomas A. Edison) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2000, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/24 "2000-01-03T06:05:00Z")
Well, of course those stories are written at the 3rd grade level. You only need to read some of the postings by our very own home-schooled fundie board members here to see why. ---
**Author:** ![StrTrkr777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@StrTrkr777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StrTrkr777)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2000, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/25 "2000-01-03T00:13:00Z")
Just went to the web page linked above, Sigmundex maybe you were reading from the kid series? Just kidding. My wife has read them all and is awaiting the next one. I have not started reading them. I do not find much time for reading these days. My sister-in-law is just starting the last one. I guess she likes them too. Jeffery ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2000, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/26 "2000-01-03T20:06:00Z")
> [@](#): > > How can everybody have a fair chance of eternal salvation if their birth affects the chance that they accept a Christian God? Several observations. First, both the Bible and Catholic tradition are rather less exact on the subject than Protestants would have you to believe. Just because everyone that is saved is saved by Jesus (which the Bible _does_ say), you can’t conclude that everyone is saved is saved by joining the Church. Second, on the other hand, turn it around this way: why should this be an exception to the general rule that knowledge leads to more satisfactory results than ignorance? If the basic Xtian notion is true (that the physical universe was created by an infinitely wise and good Being Who actually made Himself into One of us, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth), isn’t that obviously terribly important? * * * John W. Kennedy “Compact is becoming contract; man only earns and pays.” – Charles Williams ---
**Author:** ![torq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@torq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torq)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2000, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750/27 "2000-01-03T22:37:00Z")
I’ve read all but one (the second one) of the series. I think categorizing the books as “third grade level” is undeservedly harsh. There are passages that are worse than others, but overall they seemed to me to be pretty comparable with most popular novels. I rather liked them. At heart, they’re basically science fiction or fantasy novels where the McGuffin is that the Book of Revelations turns out to be a more or less literally true prediction of future events. They could use a somewhat better science proofreader; a couple of the books contain Colossal Science Blunders which aren’t really crucial to the plot (in at least one case, it’s a throwaway sentence which wouldn’t have been missed if it had been omitted entirely) and could easily have been altered slightly to be more reasonable. Aside from that, they’re fine… though I suppose if they contradict your most deeply held religous beliefs or complete lack thereof, you probably wouldn’t like them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-left-behind/5750.md?page=1)