Posted on 05/21/2011 10:25:44 PM PDT by pastorbillrandles
However, there are over 30,000 plus of these cults and the spiritual damage done is diffuse. Just read some of the loonies on this forum and see the anti catholic toxins they vomit and the preposterous ideas they propose. Perhaps they don the "White Sheet holding and burning cross" when they post
Thee Left Behind series of religious zanery spawned a fervor for Camping’s prophecy. None of this has anything to do with Christ.
The Bible is clear that no one knows the day or the hour of His return. Folderol like Campings is demonic. It leads followers down a jaded path to destruction. the man could not even prophesy his own death. That, at least, would have gained him some credibility.
As things stand he is an old fart with worthless spiritual awareness. Nuf said.
As I’ve said, I tried to talk some sense into him 40 years ago.
I’d certainly rather he’d been AT LEAST Biblical . . . or silent.
You made many good points, imho.
I don't think any reasonable person will associate Camping with mainstream Christianity any more than people associated the Branch Davidians or Westboro Baptist with mainstream Christianity.
I'm an atheist, and I certainly don't. That being said, I don't think he's quite as out of the mainstream as Westboro or the Davidians. Those were cases of just a few hundred people at most, and there are certainly many more people who fervently believe in (and wish for) the rapture, to the point that it impacts their life on a regular basis.
I used to have a co-worker that would would almost always try to tie any news event mentioned in conversation to the coming Biblical apocalypse. My guess (and that's all it is) is that there are tens if not hundreds of thousands of people out there like him.
There hasn’t been a pre-trib rapture every day of my conscious life, and for centuries past. This is nothing new to me.
Therefore, my answer to TwoSword’s question is found in a favorite hymn of mine.
I know not when my Lord may come,
By night or noonday fair,
Or if I’ll walk the vale [1] with Him
Or meet Him in the air [2].
But “I know Whom I have believed
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed unto Him*
Against that day [3].”
[1] Psalm 23:4
[2] I Thessalonians 4:17
[3] II Timothy 1:12
*The meter of the hymn puts a break between “committed” and “unto”, which I have removed to bring back the meaning of the verse.
It doesn’t take a full on belief in everything to lump us all together - jokes about “end of the world” tend to taint the entire group of believers
We are never to abrogate one's responsibility to understand and ponder scripture through study, prayer and enlightenment with help of the holy spirit to another human. That my friend is un-biblical. The mutterings of man should NEVER supersede scripture. You kinda made a point contrary to what you intended here. Camping is what you are advocating here, not interpreting scripture yourself through careful study but through someone else interpreting for you. Your KKK reference is hateful and unnecessary. No one was attacking the Catholic Church here but you flame baited anyway.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.