From: "Robert Comer" 

> I'm afraid I don't buy that.

Suit yourself.

> That might be your faith, but have you ever listened to a
> fire-and-brimstone preacher gleefully threatening all the non-believers
> with eternal torment?

Yep, but it's not because he wants unbelievers to not be saved -- quite the opposite.

> They're based on the notion of the Rapture as a kind of prequel to
> Revelations. I understand that the Rapture is a fairly recent notion and
> isn't widely accepted.

Rapture isn't all that new, but anyway, there is some debate as to when
that's supposed to happen. (in relation to other events)

> Regardless, I meant "fantasy" in the same sense that any
story set in the
> future is fantasy.

As I said, it's not fantasy.

--
Bob Comer


"Tony Williams"  wrote in message
news:43ab0955$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> Robert Comer wrote:
>>>Seemed like an obvious connection to me. People enjoy reading about what
>>>a hard time the sinners have while the faithful sit smugly on their
>>>clouds saying, "Told you so".
>>
>> The connection is not so obvious from this side, and that's not why they
>> read it. (any that I know about anyway.)
>
> I'm afraid I don't buy that.
>
>>
>>>Claiming not to want it to really happen just rings false to me.
>>
>> You're wrong.  You ever read the book of Revelations?  Nobody could
>> "want" that.  As a Christian, you don't need Revelations
to be saved, so
>> that theory is just not right.
>
> That might be your faith, but have you ever listened to a
> fire-and-brimstone preacher gleefully threatening all the non-believers
> with eternal torment? It's the old carrot and stick, coupled with a way to
> divide the world into "us" and "them". Bad things
happening to the
> sinners/infidels is all part of the deal and proves that
"we" were right
> all along.
>
>>
>>>I could have phrased that better, perhaps; see above for another attempt.
>>>I don't claim to know whether Armageddon is fantasy, but the books surely
>>>are.
>>
>>
>> If the are based on the study of Revelations, they are not fantasy.
>
> They're based on the notion of the Rapture as a kind of prequel to
> Revelations. I understand that the Rapture is a fairly recent notion and
> isn't widely accepted.
>
> Regardless, I meant "fantasy" in the same sense that any
story set in the
> future is fantasy.
>
> --
> Tony

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