Kristof: Apocalypse (Almost) Now (Rips Left Behind authors a new one)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/24/opinion/24kristof.html?hp=&oref=login&pagewanted=print&position=

If America's secular liberals think they have it rough now, just wait till the Second Coming.

The "Left Behind" series, the best-selling novels for adults in the U.S., enthusiastically depict Jesus returning to slaughter everyone who is not a born-again Christian. The world's Hindus, Muslims, Jews and agnostics, along with many Catholics and Unitarians, are heaved into everlasting fire: "Jesus merely raised one hand a few inches and . . . they tumbled in, howling and screeching."

Gosh, what an uplifting scene!

If Saudi Arabians wrote an Islamic version of this series, we would furiously demand that sensible Muslims repudiate such hatemongering. We should hold ourselves to the same standard.

<snip>

So I challenge the authors to a bet: if the events of the Apocalypse arrive in the next 10 years, then I'll donate $500 to the battle against the Antichrist; if it doesn't, you donate $500 to a charity of my choosing that fights poverty - and bigotry.

[NVMojo]

1. Tyndale Press is going to print 3-4 books by another author

who is a Christian but rebutts the "Left Behind" crap by explaining that the Book of Revelation is referring to the First Century Christians, not some Armagedon in the future with a raptue set of Christians ....LeHaye is pissed off as this is his publishing company!!! It was in the last week's Time magazine that I read this.

[RamboLiberal]

2. The Book in the Time article was The Last Disciple

Author challenged LeHaye to a debate and of course LeHaye was too chicken.

FWIW's on the book:

Tyndale House, the publisher of the Left Behind books, the megaselling Christian series about the end times, now presents a new series with a very different interpretation of biblical prophecy. Christian radio-show host Hanegraaff and bestselling CBA novelist Brouwer take readers back to the time of Nero in the first century. As the Roman Empire ruthlessly persecutes Christians, the novel's warrior-hero, Vitas, tries to defend them. But even Vitas can't prevent the destruction of the Jewish Temple—the historical event that sits at the center of this novel. Hanegraaff and Brouwer posit that the Book of Revelation, in code, predicted Roman persecution and the Temple's fall; subsequent novels in the series presumably will walk readers through the rest of Revelation, tying historical events to biblical prophecy. This is, to be sure, middle-brow genre fiction, and not an especially shining specimen thereof. The prose is plodding, with far too many dramatic sentence fragments and a conventional plot. The dialogue tends toward the unsubtly didactic (" 'Jesus, then, uses this rich symbolism?' Darda nodded.... 'You said John was obviously educated. Can you make any other guesses about him?' 'John verges on genius.' ") Despite the series' many flaws, readers who are hungry for apocalyptic fiction may embrace it, though it remains to be seen whether they'll find a first-century apocalypse as gripping as Left Behind's 21st-century one.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0842384375/qid=1101276866/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/103-6036104-6239827?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[colonel odis]

3. they must be so proud, using their faith to become multi-millionaires.

it's hard to understand those depths of greed and opportunism.

[bunkerbuster1]

4. Good smack-down, except

Now, I've often written that blue staters should be less snooty toward fundamentalist Christians, and I realize that this column will seem pretty snooty.

I realize there's more than a little sarcasm behind this sentence, but it still betrays a pathetically apologetic attitude.

Anyone who can read the Gospels and conclude that Jesus is going to come back and burn innocent people alive is at least borderline insane. It's high time we call these people what they are, and stop feeling sorry for the way we feel.

[RamboLiberal]

5. Good point - all of us need to quit being so sensitive

and apologizing-it makes our point seem weak. The Fundies, Repugs and Freepers certainly don't.