CARTER: Some Christians who I know very well, very devout people, believe a certain interpretation of Revelations, that in my opinion are quite weird, in that in the coming of Christ that the holy land has to be occupied by the Jews and not by anyone else and then in the end that all Jews will have to be killed or either converted to Christianity. This is a very seriously distorted interpretation of the Scriptures that I am very familiar with. READ IT ALL

From The New York Times

When Israel and Hezbollah began trading blows last month, the community at RaptureReady.com, a fundamentalist Christian site dedicated to the proposition that the end times are near, was atwitter, taking the conflict as another sign of an impending judgment day. Quotes from—and links to— the site’s forums (www.rr-bb.com) became a hot commodity on the blog circuit (“I have been having rapture dreams and I can’t believe that this is really it!”), causing a brief service collapse when forum traffic spiked.

But the chatter is back—although a user named Kathe advised members that “we must all (including me) watch our words carefully. Our Christian witness (or lack thereof) might make the difference with someone coming here for answers.”

To wit, with terror attacks on the West—including the airline bomb plot foiled in Britain last week—being a bit of a deviation from the rapture script, several of the forum’s faithful could be found politely exchanging Christian guidance on a central question: What do you do with a problem like a Muslim? Excerpts follow.

From: Resting in Him

Date: Aug. 10, 11:55 a.m.

“I know this is extreme, but am I wrong in thinking that we should close our borders to Muslims and evacuating a few who are already here? In fact, I’m wondering if all Muslim mosques, which are a haven for perpetrating hate against us, shouldn’t be closed down.” READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE

Related:
Middle East Conflict Has Rapture-Ready Nuts Very Excited

Dick Armey: Another Top GOP Who Believes "The Omen" Will Come True

Here's a chunk of an interview Armey did with the BBC in regard to the current Israeli/Hezbollah conflict [via Bartholomew]

Armey: We talk about the End Times, the day of Tribulation. Yes there seems to be, if you believe in Bible prophecy, there seems to be a great deal of the circumstances that was prophesised present at this time, and a lot of people believe that this is the time for that prophecy. They also believe that a free and a, what shall I say, well, Israel will be a consequence after those days of Tribulation, but that the whole world goes through a difficult time during those days of Tribulation.

Do you believe it?

Armey: Yes, I do.

Does the President of the United States believe it?

Armey: I believe he does.

Of course, this is just further confirmation that much of the GOP are buying into the Rapture-Ready nonsense spewed by the likes of John Hagee.

Related: Condi Uses Biblical Code Words To Speak To Her Rapture Ready Base

Not Work Safe! But very funny.

[a big hat tip to Digby and Kevin]

When evangelicals are discussing End Times prophecy, they often use the term "birth pangs" as shorthand to refer to a core "prophetic" verse in Matthew:

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs." (Matthew 24:3-8 RSV)

Simply put, they believe that when the "pangs" (aka wars, earthquakes, etc) begin to intensify the Rapture is about to occur. (Similar to the way a woman can tell she is about to give birth when her birth pangs intensify and become closer together). You can see the term used everywhere in Christian's online chatter. Most evangelicals also believe that conflict in Israel is the most telling sign of the End Days.

Given this, we find a statement made by Condi last week very alarming:

"What we're seeing here ... are the birth pangs of a new Middle East and whatever we do, we have to be certain that we are pushing forward to the new Middle East, not going back to the old one."

Condi is a self-professed evangelical and is undoubtedly familiar with this religious code word.

Continue reading "Condi Uses Biblical Code Words To Speak To Her Rapture Ready Base" »

The insane folks at RaptureReady.com are looking towards heaven in anticipation. They believe that the bloodshed in the Middle East is good news. A sign that Jesus is about to Rapture them. In a post (which has since been pulled) one visitor to the website claims that the bloody headlines have her circling "her fist over her head and imitat[ing] Arsenio Hall by yelling WHOO-WHOO-WHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!." Here are some other choice postings found on the website [via Bartholomew's Notes and Cursor]:

“I am excited beyond words that the struggle of this life may be over soon and I can finally be FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!”

“I will just have time to get my hair and nails done”

"It has been quite a day today, if you caught all the news; I'm getting the feeling world tension is gonna be high for a long time with increased terrorism and nations being defiant. I don't think it will cool down until after the rapture when the peace deal is confirmed."

"I am too am soooo excited!! I get goose bumps, literally, when I watch what's going on in the M.E.!!... And Watcherboy, you were so right when saying it was quite a day yesterday, in the world news, and I add in local news here in the Boston area!! Tunnel ceiling collapsed on a car and killed a woman of faith, and we had the most terrifying storms I have ever seen here!! But, yes, Ohappyday, like in your screen name , it is most indeed a time to be happy and excited."

Bartholomew has more here.

Talk2action has the full story:

Mark Carver, a top aide to mega-church pastor and best selling author Rick Warren, has resigned as a business advisor to Left Behind Games, the developers of a video game in which Christian militias wage physical and spiritual warfare using the power of prayer and modern military weaponry to convert New Yorkers and kill those who resist. Mr. Carver's abrupt resignation, announced in a statement e-mailed to Talk to Action by Mr. Warren's Purpose Driven Ministries on June 6, 2006, came in response to a two-part series on Talk to Action that criticized the game's antisocial nature (warriors shout "Praise the Lord!" as they blow infidels away, and players can switch to the side of the AntiChrist to kill Christians). The series also revealed the game developer's links to Mr. Warren's empire and their emulation of his network marketing techniques. For example, Mr. Carver, Executive Director of Purpose Driven Church, served on the Advisory Board of Left Behind Games, a corporation formed in October 2001 (weeks after the attack on the World Trade Center) to develop the violent video game and distribute 1 million sample discs through pastoral networks and mega-churches. And until June 6, the Left Behind Games web site featured Mr. Carver's name and detailed his prominent role in Purpose Driven Church. [continue reading]

After all, today is 06/06/06, the devil's favorite day! The all-time high was on September 11, 2001 when the index peaked at 182. Check the rapture index here.

Talk2Action has a great follow-up to the LA Times' Left Behind video game story that we posted last week. From Talk2Action:

A top aide to mega-church pastor Rick Warren is advising the makers of a children's video game in which characters kill New Yorkers while shouting "Praise the Lord." When children tire of converting or killing New Yorkers, they can switch sides and command the demonic armies of the AntiChrist, and kill the conservative Christians. The real-time strategy game, slated for release in October 2006, is based on the best selling series of Left Behind novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. The web site of Left Behind Games states the involvement of Mark Carver on its Advisory Board. This web-based marketing tool also highlights his role as Executive Director of Mr. Warren's Purpose Driven Church. What appears to be going on here is an old-fashioned business practice called "endorsement by association."