"Rapture": Reality or Song by Blondie?

Quote of the day:
“Remember that you’re just an extra in everyone else’s play.”
--Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Questionable assertion of the day:
Former evangelical leader Ted Haggard, who left his position last November after it was revealed that he had regularly visited a gay prostitute, now declares that he is “completely heterosexual.”

“Apocalypse Not” was the name of a conference of religious leaders held recently at Trinity Church in New York. "Christian Century" magazine recently ran a brief item about it.

The conference was organized as a response to concerns about the coming end of the world from two different groups--conservative Christians who believe there will be a “rapture” and those concerned that the environment will soon degrade to the point that life on earth will cease.

About the latter concern, theologian Jurgen Moltmann reminded attendees that “life on earth” includes much more than human life. As such, it is virtually impossible for all life to be wiped out any time over the next two or three billion years. Moltmann used the example of life on earth continuing after dinosaurs became extinct.

Belief in “rapture” is widespread these days. The popularity of the best-selling "Left Behind" series of fiction books is evidence of this. Underlying most religious beliefs are inherent personality and emotional traits, which give power to the beliefs. Generally, people who believe in a coming literal apocalypse are unhappy in their current circumstances and want to look forward to the day they will be freed from them. This is a broad simplification, of course, but when you look across the groups who teach this belief, you will find it to be mostly true.

Theologians, scientists and religious people can debate the reality and timing of the end of the world. Liberal and conservative biblical scholars can argue about whether Revelation is a literal prediction of the end of the world, or an allegory about hope in the presence of corruption and the abuse of power.

But I’m a practical guy. Instead of spending time panicking or praying about the end of the world, why don’t we simply do something now to make life around us a little better?