Their early stuff was better.

October 5, 2004 4:56 PM

Heavy prophetic activity... The rapture index- cliffs notes for doomsday.
posted by drezdn (16 comments total)

I can no longer tell when things are jokes, so I now declare: EVERYTHING IS FUNNY.
posted by kevspace at 5:02 PM on October 5, 2004

I'm 99% sure this site isn't a joke, as they've published a book.
posted by drezdn at 5:08 PM on October 5, 2004

Man, I haven't seen this in forever. They've made it look significantly nicer. I love how ecumenism is considered a contributing factor toward armageddon.
posted by sciurus at 5:10 PM on October 5, 2004

32 Mark of the Beast:
The push to replace bar codes product labels with radio tags
has upgraded this category.

Hmm, I say this is legit.
posted by Gyan at 5:11 PM on October 5, 2004

They have some 'splainin to do. (scroll allllll the way down).
posted by contessa at 5:28 PM on October 5, 2004

With Bush still in power, you'd think the Antichrist index would be higher!

/rimshot
posted by clevershark at 5:57 PM on October 5, 2004

There's an (old... 1998) interview with the site's creator on Mother Jones. Very interesting.
posted by emptyage at 6:16 PM on October 5, 2004

Sadly, it is a "legit" site, run by a fellow member of the Air Force.

I don't mean to bash xtians -- rather, I mean to bash all "doomsday" prophets -- but this kind of crap just nauseates me. I am absolutely stunned that anyone can believe it.

Sorry about peeing in this thread, but "rapturous" things are, to my mind, just about the worst theory/ideology/practice ever foisted on humanity.
posted by davidmsc at 8:20 PM on October 5, 2004

Ah, the good old Rapture index... Previously discussed here, here, and here, but still amusing.

Also, see the Brunching Shuttlecock's Bullish on Babylon, from waaayyy back in 1997...
posted by Johnny Assay at 8:25 PM on October 5, 2004

Makes you wonder how many in this administration visit that site.
posted by fleener at 10:37 PM on October 5, 2004

Global warming theories predict harsher hurricanes.

This isn't a persuasive rebutal, though, given that a prophecy of heavy storms doesn't have to be concerned with cause, only a result.

Not that I'm impressed with the index.

All religions are selfish/self-serving. Its just a lot more obvious with the world's most popular religion.

People are selfish/self-serving, and they will use religion as a justification to be so if they can, as well as anything else available. But if you haven't observed people who are actually influenced to be less selfish/self-serving by their religion, then really, you literally don't know what you're talking about.
posted by weston at 12:44 AM on October 6, 2004

Sorry about peeing in this thread, but "rapturous" things are, to my mind, just about the worst theory/ideology/practice ever foisted on humanity.

davidmc, How can you believe that and still support this president, who, by all accounts, believes the bible literally, including the Rapture part?

I'm not being snarky. I'm genuinely curious.
posted by Optamystic at 1:55 AM on October 6, 2004

I don't think there's necessarily any evidence that Bush supports belief in a coming rapture (and I'm saying that as a Kerry supporter).

The idea that so many people hold the view that the end is near is frightening though.
posted by drezdn at 9:38 AM on October 6, 2004

No one ever said that sanity was a requirement to make a website.
posted by rushmc at 10:35 AM on October 6, 2004

Optamystic: Because I believe that many "believers" are, deep deep deep down in their hearts, not truly "believers' at all. They say they are, they practice many of the more convenient tenets of their faith, but way deep down, I don't think that many of them believe it. And those who DO believe it -- well, it's literally their loss for wasting any brain cells or time pondering such, or taking actions to hasten or delay the End (depending on their viewpoint).

And re: President Bush -- there are many things that I disagree with him about -- namely "faith-based" initiatives, gay marriage, prayer in school, and such. But on the Big Issues -- which are, to me, much more important because they are things that government is truly supposed to do -- I support the President: national security, economic policy, tax cuts, the role of America in the world, etc.

So while I abhor the "rapture" crowd, their "terrestrial" actions are much more important and have a greater impact on me and my life. Hope that answer makes sense.
posted by davidmsc at 6:21 PM on October 6, 2004

Good answer. I suppose my gut-level revulsion at the concept of a Fundamentalist Christian having his finger on the button comes from having spent my entire childhood immersed in a community where the Rapture was discussed as an upcoming event, as certain to occur as next Wednesday.

Perhaps George does not share this level of belief. I certainly hope he doesn't. But if he's been a member of a Methodist church in Texas for any length of time, I'd be very surprised to learn that he's never heard a sermon detailing the apocolyptic ravings of John the Revelator, detailing Armageddon, the seven vials, and the Whore of Babylon, etc.

It's the Armageddon part that concerns me. Especially the widely held belief that the battle that ends all battles will be initiated by the U.S. in protection of Israel. Maybe Bush is not a biblical scholar, but he's got at least some level of awareness that this belief exists among the followers of his particular religion, and as such, may see the events of the book of Revelation the same way that my parents do. As a foregone conclusion.
posted by Optamystic at 3:44 AM on October 7, 2004