Armageddon

[Venomshocker]

The war in Iraq is not a disaster, but the beginning of the fulfilment of biblical prophecies that culminate, possibly very soon, in a mighty struggle between good and evil at Armageddon. Fully one quarter of Americans describe themselves as Evangelical Christians, and their support for the president remains rock solid. Cornerstone Church, a vast squat white temple in San Antonio, is rapidly becoming the movement's epicentre, thanks to the charismatic founder, Pastor John Hagee, the rising star of America's TV evangelists. For these evangelists, the war in Iraq is not a disaster, but the beginning of the fulfilment of biblical prophecies that culminate, possibly very soon, in a mighty struggle between good and evil at Armageddon. This belief lies at the core of the teachings of the bespectacled pastor, who argues that Christians and Jews must make common cause against forces of darkness he identifies as Arabs, Russians and even a future president of the EU. Christians who fail in their duty will be "left behind" when the obedient are summoned to heaven. While mainstream churches across the land struggle to attract congregations, Cornerstone and hundreds more so-called Mega Churches are packed week after week, forming the last remaining bastion of support for the troubled Bush presidency. Hagee set up his church 28 years ago and sits through services on a throne, in suit and tie, facing his son, Mathew, who he has appointed as his deputy. By taking the bible as literal truth, these evangelists argue that Israel can do no wrong because their enemies are, by definition, forces of darkness who can be disposed of. His stance has brought the pastor powerful friends, among them disgraced former House of Congress majority leader Tom Delay and ex-CIA chief James Woolsey. Hagee is rapidly taking the place as top TV preacher from fellow Evangelist Pat Robertson, who has lost support after angering Bush by using one of his sermons to call for the assassination of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. "Pastor Hagee is experienced, charismatic and efficient, and his message is simple," says writer Victoria Clark, who is researching a history of Christian Zionists. "Hagee preaches that if Americans want God to bless America then Americans had better bless the Jews."

Source: Link

Reposted from: Link

[RisenPrism]

Never believed in Armageddon. Do believe in the Apocalypse though. Too many Christians confuse them. I just don't understand why these evangelicals seem to want the world to end. They seem to want millions of people to die. If you ask me, that's just plain sick.

[Jodie.Lynne]

I just don't understand why these evangelicals seem to want the world to end. They seem to want millions of people to die. If you ask me, that's just plain sick.

because those that wish such, beleive they have a golden ticket on the "heaven express" and that everyone else is doomed

[Princess Serenity]

Never believed in Armageddon. Do believe in the Apocalypse though. Too many Christians confuse them. I just don't understand why these evangelicals seem to want the world to end. They seem to want millions of people to die. If you ask me, that's just plain sick.

Same here. I don't believe there will ever be a "apocalypse." Of course that's my choice not to believe.

because those that wish such, beleive they have a golden ticket on the "heaven express" and that everyone else is doomed

Yeah that's what they won't. They don't care about everyone else though.

[RisenPrism]

That's what I'm talking about, you think that "apocalypse" means the end of the world, but in it's purest form, it truly means the same as "revelation". At the Apocalypse, God and His message for humanity will be revealed. Simple as that.

[Grandpa Greenman]

This stuff really bothers me. Christian Zionists don't own the world. What right to they have to try to start wars to fulfill their prophecy. Sick people if you ask me.

[Venomshocker]

The idea of absolute good and evil and the battle between the two is a vice of the ego.

ITs through conflict the ego strengthens its sense of seperation and therefore its identity. The ego seeks conflict in order to strengthen itself. Ultimately there is no seperation and thus it is a lie of the ego.

The ego is like a double-edged sword. Its purpose is to help in differentiaion in the relative framework. But if the ego gets out of hand it starts to identify with one of the polar opposites in the relative framework.

People actually enjoy conflict (well the ego does) because it strengthens there sense of self. Call it selfish sense of self if you wish. The duality of good and evil plays right into this. And so does war and conflict.

Ultimately the self is formless, limitless, and un-definable. Conflict helps people strengthen their idea of a false sense of self. An illusionary/imaginargy/hallucianted sense of self.

People are constantly trying to add to the greater picture they have formed in there head, of who and what they really are.

Thus comes the saying that sometimes people try to find themselves. What there trying to do is impossible. The self cannot be defined in earthly terms, or any terms for that matter. Because what the self is, is limitless.

See my other topic, of the concept of God in relation to the ego.

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum...c=67946&hl=

[Venomshocker]

The following comes from an interview with Eckhart Tolle. It illustrates quite well why there is a constant need for people to be involved in conflict and drama.

"Identification with thoughts and the emotions that go with those thoughts creates a false mind-made sense of self, conditioned by the past: the "little me" and its story. This false self is never happy or fulfilled for long. Its normal state is one of unease, fear, insufficiency, and nonfulfillment. It says it looks for happiness, and yet it continuously creates conflict and unhappiness. In fact, it needs conflict and "enemies" to sustain the sense of separateness that ensures its continued survival. Look at all the conflict between tribes, nations, and religions. They need their enemies, because they provide the sense of separateness on which their collective egoic identity depends. The false self lives mainly through memory and anticipation. Past and future are its main preoccupation. The present moment, at best, is a means to an end, a stepping stone to the future, because the future promises fulfillment, the future promises salvation in one form or another. The only problem is the future never comes. Life is always now. Whatever happens, whatever you experience, feel, think, do - it’s always now. It’s all there is. And if you continuously miss the now -- resist it, dislike it, try to get away from it, reduce it to a means to an end, then you miss the essence of your life, and you are stuck in a dream world of images, concepts, labels, interpretations, judgments -- the conditioned content of your mind that you take to be "yourself." And so you are disconnected from the fullness of life that is the “suchness” of this moment."

Source

Another brief quote:

"This sense of self needs conflict in order to feel that it exists. It cannot tolerate a prolonged period of non-conflict because the Little Me depends for its continuous existence on the feeling of separateness.

It defines itself as "me" and "other," which is not me. So, the more I can be in conflict with the not me the stronger my—ultimately illusory—sense of self becomes. The ego tells you continuously that it wants to get out of conflict. It’s looking for happiness, but the ego is constructed in such a way that the state of happiness it says it looks for it cannot afford to find when its very survival depends on conflict."

Source

Once people are taught and begin to understand why it is that conflict such as these arise in the first place, people will become enlightened. Through education of the masses information of this nature has the potential to transform the world.

Edited November 1, 2006 by Venomshocker

[hyperactive]

venom,

a false self indeed. There is indeed a false self, the concept of self at all! Should we then call what your refering to the false self as the perceived false self? hmmm....

[ohio tsunami]

This belief lies at the core of the teachings of the bespectacled pastor, who argues that Christians and Jews must make common cause against forces of darkness he identifies as Arabs, Russians and even a future president of the EU. Christians who fail in their duty will be "left behind" when the obedient are summoned to heaven.

What is called "belief" here is in all reality racisim. Take who these people call the forces of darkness and just imagine hearing a hate driven KKK speach. One group or race of people has no right to purge humanity of another race.

By taking the bible as literal truth, these evangelists argue that Israel can do no wrong because their enemies are, by definition, forces of darkness who can be disposed of.

The proof right here that the Muslims aren't the only faith with racist fanatics. Who's next on thier "forces of darkness" list?

"Hagee preaches that if Americans want God to bless America then Americans had better bless the Jews."

No, Hagee preaches that if Americans want God to Bless America then Americans better kill everyone who doesn't support the Jews.

[Bella-Angelique]

Fully one quarter of Americans describe themselves as Evangelical Christians

There is absolutely no way possible that this statement is true.

Not a single blue state would exist it it was true.

[NiCkC818]

Armageddon is very real and will probably happen in the next 30 years. I am very verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry confident in that

[RachelM]

First I read, "The war in Iraq is not a disaster", and I snorted a bit. Then, " Fully one quarter of Americans describe themselves as Evangelical Christians", and I started feeling a touch queasy. Then, I got to "Pastor John Hagee", and that's when I threw up in my mouth a little.

We would do well to keep in mind that the television evangelists who rise to the top, always end up falling from their pious perches. Hard. And, I giggle when that happens.

Hagee's in it for the money. He's just using the war in Iraq to fill his coffers.

Sad, I think.

[foxmulder27]

Armageddon is very real and will probably happen in the next 30 years. I am very verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry confident in that

This is entirely untrue. All I can say is that there is no God, therefore no heaven and no hell and NO "Armageddon"! However, it can be used in scientific terms as any large disaster, like an asteroid or cosmic explosion.The movie was very good.

[GIDEON MAGE]

This is entirely untrue. All I can say is that there is no God, therefore no heaven and no hell and NO "Armageddon"! However, it can be used in scientific terms as any large disaster, like an asteroid or cosmic explosion.The movie was very good.

There are, "out there", most probably, millions of earth-like planets in the universe. Here is my personal (but not very original) theory:

each planet with organized human-like life, as in, able to build civilizations, comes to a certain point eventualy. They either destroy the planet, through nuclear war or polution, or, they come to world peace and move into actual space travel. We are at the point where we can blow up the planet. We don't need any help from God to do this.

[mako]

Venomshocker, join the rest of the "prophets" on my "Partial history of the End of the World" thread....

[Grandpa Greenman]

We are at the point where we can blow up the planet. We don't need any help from God to do this.

That is a good one Gid. So very very true. Mine if I turn it into a tea shirt.

[Bella-Angelique]

each planet with organized human-like life, as in, able to build civilizations, comes to a certain point eventualy. They either destroy the planet, through nuclear war or polution, or, they come to world peace and move into actual space travel. We are at the point where we can blow up the planet. We don't need any help from God to do this.

I have thought about this to and how hard it is to change cultures. That is why I think it possible that a selection of life may be removed from one planet and planted on another by those more advanced to give the species more time to evolve, with perhaps a few adjustments to help.

[GIDEON MAGE]

I have thought about this to and how hard it is to change cultures. That is why I think it possible that a selection of life may be removed from one planet and planted on another by those more advanced to give the species more time to evolve, with perhaps a few adjustments to help.

Either that, or they get off their alien butts and visit, like in "the Day the Earth Stood Still".

[rev r]

Hey venom, an old cat in a Japanese fable said it much simpler.

"When there is no self, there is no enemy."

[GIDEON MAGE]

That is a good one Gid. So very very true. Mine if I turn it into a tea shirt.

Okay-but if a woman has sex with you because you are wearing my cool slogan, and whe gets pregnant, you must name the baby after me.

[Grandpa Greenman]

Okay-but if a woman has sex with you because you are wearing my cool slogan, and whe gets pregnant, you must name the baby after me.

Sure I guess so, if you really don't want a share in the profit for each one sold who am it question.

[rev r]

So there could be a lot of little Gideon's running around?

[GIDEON MAGE]

So there could be a lot of little Gideon's running around?

For a girl, it would be "Gideonne".

[Grandpa Greenman]

So there could be a lot of little Gideon's running around?

You might say all the odds are stacked in my favor of that not happening.