Arikay

I got thinking about the rapture/end times, and how it was different and ive come to a possible conclusion that some who believe in the rapture have a fear of death.

-In the rapture, true christians are supposed to be lifted up from whatever they are doing and taken to heaven, to leave others to endure judgement day.

-In normal death, you die and are taken to god to be judged.

-Practically all that believe in the rapture believe it will happen in their life time.

So it seems to me that people are afraid of death, and so they believe the rapture will come in their life, preventing them from actually ever dieing.

Turning into a possible fear of death, and belief in the Rapture/end times is a defense against it.

Does that make any sense or is this just rambling?



-Ari

Sarpedon

Makes perfect sense. They are afraid of death because deep in their hearts they know its all a lie.

AdamWho

It seems to me that people obessed about the rapture tend to be of the materialistic branch of christianity. The "pray for prosperity" type.
Maybe it is more generally a fear of loss or weakness.

Ovazor

Those who expect the rapture to happen very soon might like it because they see it as a way to "skip" the old age.

southernhybrid

I was raised in a church that preached the rapture. Many of them believed it would happen in their lifetime. As I grew up and started to question my religion, I decided that the concept of the rapture was created as a mechanism to deal with the fear of death. The idea that one would be taken to heaven without having to experience physical death seemed to bring a lot of comfort to people. It also made people feel like they were special, better, different than the poor sinners who would be left behind. It was a fantasy that many people liked to believe. I can't for the life of me imagine how so many adults can still buy into this myth but they do.

I also think this type of myth comforts people in another way. The idea that all your family and friends will go together to the next world, rather than having to go alone also seems to make this an appealing myth.

beth

Alot of non-materialistic Christians look for "the great hope". They suffer in the name of Jesus while non-believers prosper, they study prophecy and see that surely this generation shall not pass without seeing the coming of the Lord.

I looked forward to the rapture and feared it at the same thime. I saw t as a way for those I love to escape death. I also prayed for it not to happen because there were so many that I knew and loved who would not make the rapture of the saints. I was in constant fear of not being pure enough to be caught up with the other saints. The rapture was a blissful and horible thing that loomed over me.

Defiant Heretic

That doesn't make sense, though. If they knew that the regular judgement was a lie, the Rapture wouldn't stand any better odds.

Rhea

Christians are remarkbaly fearful of death. It always amazes me. Can't figure out why.

Puzzling.

lpetrich

That may be an overstatement, but does anyone ever have "See you in Heaven" as their last words?

And it's curious that those who turn funerals into celebrations are those who believe that the dear departed is totally kaput rather than living happily ever after in Heaven.

Pyrrho

Yes, it is interesting that so many Christians are afraid of death. I think it means that, deep down, they don't really believe in Heaven, or they don't believe that they will really go there.

It is interesting that most of the atheists I know, who have been atheists for at least a few years, are usually not afraid of death. Yet Christianity is supposed to provide comfort about such matters. I think this is yet another example of a false claim about a product; Christianity is supposed to bring comfort (according to many Christians), yet it generally brings the opposite.