End of days my arse.
Okay this has got to stop. When a big organisation like MSNBC starts reporting on the End Of Days, (see here) you know something is wrong.
It seems that a rash of disasters in the last year (earthquakes, tsunamis etc) have got religious groups devoted to watching for the End Times whipped up into an absolute frenzy. These people look at every news event through a biblical lens, which magnifies the smallest detail out of all proportion.
The most commonly cited biblical passage describing the beginning of the end has now turned up on MSNBC. "nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes," and "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring."
Come on people - settle down. Remember that first and foremost, the Bible is a story - a work of fiction - a collection of fables and yarns which have been translated and translated over and over again for the last 2,000 years. Or should that be mis-translated and mis-translated? The meaning of the original stories was probably lost in the first translation. I'll give you an example, relevant only in the last 30 years or so:
"Are you cool?"
In the 50s and 60s, that would have meant "are you cold or chilly?". Skip ahead and now, whilst it can still mean that, it more likely means "are you hip, are you with it?"
Now apply that simple example to the Bible.
The real problem is that enough religious fanatics believe this crap then it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
It seems that a rash of disasters in the last year (earthquakes, tsunamis etc) have got religious groups devoted to watching for the End Times whipped up into an absolute frenzy. These people look at every news event through a biblical lens, which magnifies the smallest detail out of all proportion.
The most commonly cited biblical passage describing the beginning of the end has now turned up on MSNBC. "nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes," and "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring."
Come on people - settle down. Remember that first and foremost, the Bible is a story - a work of fiction - a collection of fables and yarns which have been translated and translated over and over again for the last 2,000 years. Or should that be mis-translated and mis-translated? The meaning of the original stories was probably lost in the first translation. I'll give you an example, relevant only in the last 30 years or so:
"Are you cool?"
In the 50s and 60s, that would have meant "are you cold or chilly?". Skip ahead and now, whilst it can still mean that, it more likely means "are you hip, are you with it?"
Now apply that simple example to the Bible.
The real problem is that enough religious fanatics believe this crap then it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Comments
Can't agree more. I'm a Christian myself, but lunatics like these...