Robert Fitzpatrick jeered when the world fails to disintegrate.
Doomsday sayer Robert Fitzpatrick predicts by tomorrow evening he will be instantly zapped into heaven.
Will the world implode tomorrow? Before we can really answer that question perhaps an intelligent discussion about what transpired this belief system in the first place and its actual validity ought to be had. What will become clear in the following discussion is that religion, as much as it portends to be a divine construct can equally be argued to be a man made construct, constantly appropriated and devolved to suit preferred or best explaining observations. But what becomes even more poignantly acute is that whether one believes in the foreboding 21 May date is the fact that even though the earth may not come to a screeching halt, the culminating myriad of world and social conflicts, has forced a reappraisal of doctrines, intellectual and aesthetic considerations of what time, reason, faith, logic, and what humanity really means.
It is this continual protracted debilitation of our times, that in some way has ironically led to a kind of death of us all, come May 21st or not. Or perhaps a kind of liberation. After all isn’t that what the second coming is meant to highlight? – Scallywag. The Editor.
The following compelling examination of the May 21 doomsday affairs appears courtesy of Karen Ledbetter, who can also be found at storiesrus.com
There are in the world thee monotheistic religious traditions. The largest, called ‘Christianity’, started as a single monolith sometime around two thousand years ago, but now compromises thousands of different denominations, large and small. They all have different, competing versions and visions of the same claim which is: ‘we’ have understood the mind of God! These claims, often embellished with layer upon layer of historical tradition are not easy to penetrate. The second thing they all have in common, is that in spite of their conviction of having a ‘hotline’ to the almighty, not one has ever been able to offer any demonstrable prediction of that divine will. A number have tried yet always without success. And every time it happens, the failure demonstrates just how dead, stone cold that hotline has gone. They are all dressed in the emperors new clothes.
The anomaly should be obvious to all, but even love is not as deaf, dumb and blind a religious conviction. In the modern world, we have become used to having claims demonstrate themselves by the active process of trust called faith, a process that offers a result upon which to make a judgment. In all aspects of life, everything from from our human relationships to scientific and commercial claims.
Trust in action, called faith exposes what works and what doesn’t, what’s true and what fails the test. That any sphere of intellectual intention, which makes claims to understanding, should demand and expect to be outside this intrinsic accountability for those claims, sits uneasily today for a growing part of humanity. Yet this is what religion demands.
If proof of the profound ‘unknowing’ of that potential called God were necessary, one Harold Camping, an American evangelical and radio broadcaster, is about to make it crystal clear once again; he has fixed the date for the return of Christ and something called the ‘rapture’ for May 21 2011. Given that no attempt to fix a time or date, for any act of God, by any religious or tradition has ever proved correct, may be why so very few ever attempt it now and risk the considerable humiliation when the bubble of their credibility bursts so publicly, demonstrating to all their own illusions and which itself may provide a general insight into the efficacy of the claims religious make for themselves.
An earlier attempt by this same wannabe prophet to predict Christ’s return already failed in 1994. According to him, because of a mathematical error of calculation. As if God were subject to mathematics? And while old traditions may snigger, they wouldn’t dare make any similar prediction of their own. Such is the empty confidence they have in their own ‘understanding’. They rely on ‘tradition’ to obscure that fact.
But lets humor the idea for the moment and consider. There are so many potential implications to muse over: If such an event ever does take place in our lifetimes, the ‘Apocalypse’ that the religious promise will rain down on the rest of us is much more likely to land on their own heads first, hard and heavy! First of all, ‘Christian’ institutional forms have been cracking up in disagreement for the whole of their history. Beginning with the origins of the Roman church, unresolved divisions started even with the
I guess we’re all waiting now for October 21st, 2011…ugh. Can’t wait to read the posts on Oct. 22nd.
Evolutionman, you are a bigot it seems with your view of religion. Did you conveniently forget about Lenin, Stalin, Mao, the Killing fields of Cambodia, North Korea and on and on? All these purely secular, atheistic and anti religion states caused more millions of deaths and suffering by the millions than all the other wars adn crusades combined up to that point!
Atheist need to finally stand up and be noticed. The world needs to be rid of these wackos.
hahaah 6 and still here funny
Obviously God runs on Manhattan time.
We’re still here.
Religion is a long passed story of good society building blocks. It’s caused nearly every if not every war or attack in history. It got us to where humans are today and now we can put faith and other bedtime stories to bed and put real thought to the real answer to human existence. The bible was extremely altered. Follow an ancient story altered by a greedy ruler who made a devine Jesus? Think not. How can you trust in a story when its the cut version. Religion were man made understandings of life and rules to follow. Don’t think it’ll last as long as man’s last day. Science will prevail.
Religion is a long passed story of good society building blocks. It’s caused nearly every if not every war or attack in history. It got us to where humans are today and now we can put faith and other bedtime stories to bed and put real thought to the real answer to human existence. The bible was extremely altered. Follow an ancient story altered by a greedy ruler who made a devine Jesus? Think not. How can you trust in a story when its the cut version. Religion were man made understandings of life and rules to follow. Don’t think it’ll last as long as man’s last day.
Religion is a long passed story of good society building blocks. It’s caused nearly every if not every war or attack in history. It got us to where humans are today and now we can put faith and other bedtime stories to bed and put real thought to the real answer to human existence. The bible was extremely altered. Follow an ancient story altered by a greedy ruler who made a devine Jesus? Think not. How can you trust in a story when its the cut version. Religion were man made understandings of life and rules to follow. Don’t think it’ll last as long as man’s last day.
It’s been predicted lots of times that the worlds going to end like on new years eve in 1999 it was gOing to end it didn’t and this Harold is old he’s probably had a dream about t and told people it’s going to end , they would know if it was because it wouldn’t end in one go Cus earth is a big place ‘ I’ve seen loads of websites about tomorrow ones saying it’s goin to en at 6am an the others are saying night time it’s blantley not ending it’s sick to make people scare about it.
“The second thing they all have in common, is that in spite of their conviction of having a ‘hotline’ to the almighty, not one has ever been able to offer any demonstrable prediction of that divine will. …And every time it happens, the failure demonstrates just how dead, stone cold that hotline has gone.”
— Your assertion only works if mankind is to be exalted but that is contrary to Christianity where we understand that God “confounds” the wisdom of the (so-called) wise. After all, it is only in humility can we come in repentance for our self-centred selfish ways and recognize that we indeed to need a saviour, just as Christ claimed.
“The anomaly should be obvious to all, but even love is not as deaf, dumb and blind a religious conviction.”
– That’s a pretty arrogant sweeping judgment, don’t you think?
“So any true revelation must provide a path for human reason to follow,”
– Says who? In fact Christianity claims it is a matter of the heart.
“There are few things other than the secular nation state that have been as destructive and divisive among humanity as religion.”
– I always am amused at this assertion, completely ignoring all the far greater good that has been done in Christ’s name than bad. Even the whole concept of adoption, taking care fo the poor and homeless and sick, hospitals, literacy, aid to the poor in other countries all done and initially forged by Christians—far more than any purely secular/atheistic society or group has ever done. Your focus on the negative here shows your bias I’m sorry to say.
“For all our idealism, neither secular nor religious thought have provided the values to reach out and satisfy the greatest longings of the human soul, have failed to deliver an enduring peace, quench our thirst for a higher justice or secure a sustainable materialism.”
— Again, says who? You clearly don’t know the myriad of born again Christians who have been saved from horrific drug abuses, violence, abuse, etc and have truly found peace and lasting joy in Christ, being completely transformed from their old destructive or self centred ways. You again assume with judgment.
“Existing religion is a human fabrication founded upon a vain intellectual imagination,”
– This statement alone is vain intellectual imagination. I suggest you put aside your lofty judgments of others who have been convicted otherwise.
“The second thing they all have in common, is that in spite of their conviction of having a ‘hotline’ to the almighty, not one has ever been able to offer any demonstrable prediction of that divine will. …And every time it happens, the failure demonstrates just how dead, stone cold that hotline has gone.”
— Your assertion only works if mankind is to be exalted but that is contrary to Christianity where we understand that God “confounds” the wisdom of the (so-called) wise. After all, it is only in humility can we come in repentance for our self-centred selfish ways and recognize that we indeed to need a saviour, just as Christ claimed.
“The anomaly should be obvious to all, but even love is not as deaf, dumb and blind a religious conviction.”
— That’s a pretty arrogant sweeping judgment, don’t you think?
“So any true revelation must provide a path for human reason to follow,”
— Says who? In fact Christianity claims it is a matter of the heart.
“There are few things other than the secular nation state that have been as destructive and divisive among humanity as religion.”
— I always am amused at this assertion, completely ignoring all the far greater good that has been done in Christ’s name than bad. Even the whole concept of adoption, taking care fo the poor and homeless and sick, hospitals, literacy, aid to the poor in other countries all done and initially forged by Christians—far more than any purely secular/atheistic society or group has ever done. Your focus on the negative here shows your bias I’m sorry to say.
“For all our idealism, neither secular nor religious thought have provided the values to reach out and satisfy the greatest longings of the human soul, have failed to deliver an enduring peace, quench our thirst for a higher justice or secure a sustainable materialism.”
— Again, says who? You clearly don’t know the myriad of born again Christians who have been saved from horrific drug abuses, violence, abuse, etc and have truly found peace and lasting joy in Christ, being completely transformed from their old destructive or self centred ways. You again assume with judgment.
“Existing religion is a human fabrication founded upon a vain intellectual imagination,”
— This statement alone is vain intellectual imagination. I suggest you put aside your lofty judgments of others who have been convicted otherwise.
The anomaly should be obvious to all, but even love is not as deaf, dumb and blind a religious conviction.
So any true revelation must provide a path for human reason to follow,
There are few things other than the secular nation state that have been as destructive and divisive among humanity as religion.
For all our idealism, neither secular nor religious thought have provided the values to reach out and satisfy the greatest longings of the human soul, have failed to deliver an enduring peace, quench our thirst for a higher justice or secure a sustainable materialism.
Existing religion is a human fabrication founded upon a vain intellectual imagination,
for all you know it could be tomorrow. YOU DON”T KNOW. NEITHER DOES HAROLD CAMPING. NEITHER DO I. It could happen today, stop being so moronic everyone, stating it WILL NOT FOR SURE happen is just as dumb as stating IT WILL FOR SURE. Why can’t all the skeptics see they are the ones that make themselves look like complete idiots, along with the “PROPHETS” Might happen before I finish typing this WE DON’T KNOW