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I am going to be ignorant for a moment (it's not that much of a stretch let me tell you)

Pre trib... post trib... mid trib... etc. I don't know... gets all confusing.

In reading II Thessalonians, it seems to be the church is all worked up because they are afraid that they missed the coming of the Lord... and Paul writes these words to soothe them.

Chapter 2:1-4 - Now we beseech you, brethern, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto Him. That ye be not so soon shaken in mind or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself about all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

If you just read the letter in its context - they were afraid they missed the coming - Paul says, there is a sequence of events that will happen first and he lists the sequence.

These events were to be observed by the church... and until they saw them unfolding, the day of the Lord had not come.

If they were to be raptured or caught away or whatever without warning... then would he not just have told them so? At least that is what I think.

I'm sure, knowing how these types of threads have worked in the past, if I am wrong... I will be straightened out forthwith... and, as in the past, not always in Christian love either. (That is for the past and not for you ftd)

If you just read the letter in its context - they were afraid they missed the coming - Paul says, there is a sequence of events that will happen first and he lists the sequence. These events were to be observed by the church... and until they saw them unfolding, the day of the Lord had not come. If they were to be raptured or caught away or whatever without warning... then would he not just have told them so? At least that is what I think.

Excellent point. That is how I read II Thessalonians as well.

I think you are absolutely correct. Those that teach rapture seem to forget those verses completely.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition,

What will happen to those that are completely unprepared for the man of sin when he gets here. He'll look and act like Christ and will deceive many. Jesus foretold us all things. Never did He tells us we would be taken away before the tribulation. Rather, He told us what to do during it.