Great Points:
"LEFT BEHIND"...? Where Does This Idea Come From?
"I tell you, that on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. There will he two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left." Luke 17:34-35, NRSV.
The "Left Behind" fiction series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins borrows its title from passages like those in Luke 17 in which Jesus describes events of the end times. Verses 34 and 35 are widely interpreted to mean that those taken are the lucky ones. Moreover, Left Behind fans and others influenced by dispensationalist theology tend to see the ones taken as "raptured" heavenward to be with the Lord.
Not so, says New Testament scholar Ben Witherington III.
"A first-century audience would have understood [Luke 17:35] to mean one will be taken away for judgment, while the other will escape judgment by remaining where she is," he wrote recently in Bible Review. "This is clear from the context, which is about the coming judgment -- a judgment that, in Jewish literature, everyone is expected to face."
Witherington says it was very common in both Jewish and Greco-Roman literature of that era to see the phrase "taken away for judgment." The Asbury Seminary professor said he interprets the term ‘taken" in this context "of the long history of Israel’s being taken away into exile, and individuals being taken away for trial and judgment, including Jesus," he said.
"Those left behind are spared judgment or exile or the like," he said. "And, of course, nothing [is said] here about avoiding tribulation." In other words, even the ones remaining were likely to face eventual chaos and tribulation in end-time scenarios. He said he suspects that "Left Behind" theology attempts to harmonize this Jesus saying with Paul’s colorful imagery of believers being caught up, or raptured, into the clouds in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, as if the two scenarios envisioned the same thing.
Robert C. Tannehill of Methodist Theological School in Ohio wrote in a 1996 commentary that "being ‘taken’ would indicate deliverance. This, however, is not certain. Furthermore, there is nothing here about escaping a period of tribulation that is coming on the rest of the world, as in the current doctrine of the rapture." P> The Rapture:The Pentecostal Connection
And among them are some of the most powerful men in America. John Ashcroft, the attorney general, is a true believer, so are several prominent senators and the House majority leader, Tom DeLay. Mr DeLay (who is also the co-author of the marvellously named DeLay-Doolittle Amendment, postponing campaign finance reforms) travelled to Israel last year to tell the Knesset that "there is no middle ground, no moderate position worth taking".
The Pentecostals differ from fundamentalists and other evangelical hristian denominations by practicing exorcism, speaking in tongues, faith healing, and, in general, seeking supernatural experiences. Some of the better known Pentecostal denominations are Assemblies of God and the United Pentecostal Church.
The Pentecostals created the theory of Rapture and the Tribulations, based on strained and improbable misinterpretation of Biblical verses. In 1900, Parham opened a Bible college to promote these views, which he deemed "Apostolic Faith" theology. An interesting footnote is Parham’s theory that God would soon give His church the gift of tongues, in the form of known languages, so that the world could be quickly evangelized.
In 1905 Parham opened a Bible school in Texas and began publishing a newspaper entitled The Apostolic Faith. Out of this Bible school came a major figure in the Pentecostal movement, William J. Seymour, a southern black Holiness preacher. Seymour soon moved to Los Angeles, where he led a revival at what was locally called the Azusa Street Mission.
It was here that a Los Angeles Times reporter wrote that "colored people and a sprinkling of whites practice the most fanatical rites, preach the wildest theories, and work themselves into a state of mad excitement in their peculiar zeal" Regardless of such criticism, by September 1906 the church reported about 13,000 people had received the "baptism of the Holy Spirit." Although Seymour would seldom preach, meetings would often begin at 10:00 A.M. and continue until two or three the following morning.
Between 1906 and 1909, several thousand persons visited Azusa Street But while the Azusa Street Revival weathered the external storm of criticism, it soon began to unravel internally. Perhaps the handwriting was on the wall as early as October 1906, when Parham came to preach. He was shocked by many manifestations being portrayed as from the Holy Spirit, but were really, he believed, of the flesh or demonic.
Parham and Seymour split and never reconciled. Seymour, from that time forward, eclipsed Parham as the dominant personality in the movement. In the early months of Azusa Street, blacks and whites, men and women, shared leadership, although blacks were predominate. But soon Seymour asked all the Hispanics to leave, and eventually wrote by-laws that prevented anyone except African-Americans from holding office in the Pentecostal Mission. By 1909, the revival movement was spent, and the mission building was torn down after Seymour’s death.
Comment: It should come as no surprise to discover that the Pentecostal,are the strongest supporters of George W. Bush. THE LADDER PHILOSOPHY VS. THE CIRCLE OF LIFE
The Ladder philosophy, Sun Bear explains, is how American Western society has come to view all God's creation from top to bottom, like a ladder. Naturally at the very top is The Great Spirit (God)and the co-creator (Jesus)...but next in rank and importance is man, then under him is women, then under her is children, then under them is dog and cat and so on. But the question is: All these creations are ranked in order of importance acording to WHO? God? No. Man. That is why he places himself right under Jesus as if he is some sort of Divine King of Kings himself .
But in Native American belief life is viewed as a circle where The Great Spirit and co-creator are still at the very top of the circle..but the rest of creation in not ranked by one being under the other or one over the other but instead the rest of all creation is side by side, next to one another in kinship, not over each other in rulership. Note in the Ladder philosophy of American Western belief things are ranked according to what's important to MEN..and NOT according to what's important to God. But the churches would likely say otherwise.
GOD AND THE BIBLE SUPPORTS THE CIRCLE OF LIFE & NOT THE LADDER PHILOSOPHY
The Western tradition has convinced people that it is God's will that man rule over the woman instead of being equally yoked side by side with her. The Western tradition has convinced people that the Bible tells human beings that it is ok for them to rule and exploit one another, animals and the earth for their own benifit. In the Euro-American Western tradition of treating the opposite sex, and others races as inferior and exploiting them as well as animalkind and the earth, they have long justified these behaviors by claiming that the Bible teaches the domination over women and animalkind and the earth. They say the Bible told Adam and Eve to "have dominion OVER the animals". Yet a Rabbi in a 1996 artical in Seirra Club magazine intiled, "Faith and the Environment", wisely explains that the actual Hebrew word was SHAMAR..which translates as "Care takers TOWARDS the animals" and NOT "RULERS or EXPLOITORS OVER THEM."
Also, likewise churches have long quoted Ephesians Chapter 5 as a justification for sexism stating that this Scriptures call "men to be HEADS OVER women." Here the English word HEAD is translated from the Greek word ARCHE which means "CHIEF", "RULER" and "to have authority OVER"....But Christians for Bibical Equality wisely bring out this this an a translation error. The word here was not orginal ARCHE/HEAD..but instead WAS the Greek word KEPHALE which means "Selfless one", "willing self-sacrificer" and thus SPEARhead...NOT "HEAD". So are humans justified to exploit animals? The Bible brings out that in this imperfect age, just as with the animals, God permits humans to kill animals for food or if an animal threatens their life. But the Bible does NOT say it is ok to exploit animals or to treat them unkindly or to hunt them for mere entertainment or sport. Genesis 3:21; 9:3; Exodus 21:28)
As for the earth, Jah says he will "destroy those who destroy the earth".Revevation 11:17,18. And as far as claiming one race is superior to another, or that theat one sex is superior to another, the Bible says: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, nor male nor female...but ALL become equals through Christ."-Galatians 3:28. Jesus also said: "The MEEK shall inherite the earth." Matthew 5:5. Now if ones thinks of their self as superior to the opposite sex or other races, then that person is NOT "meek". There is a very famous Native American proverb that says: "What ever man does to the earth, he does to himself."
In the Bright Day book Sun Bear says: "Native people try to blend WITH nature, rather than trying to conquer it. Before we Native people look at adding anything to our life we pray over it. We ask, "How does this effect our life? How does this effect the rest of creation? How does this effect our relationship with the Creator?"... In stark contrast to this I call to mind numberous old photographs of our early pioneers during the 1800's, with axes in hands, proudly smiling as they stand in front of a toppled great Red Wood trees. Their eyes gleaming with dollar bill signs. Never 'thinking' how their actions might effect the future,the earth and wildlife. Never stopping to think: "What does God think of this?"...They only thought of themseleves and how they could make a quick buck. Yet, likely many of these men were deemed, "good Christians", by there peers and "civilized", while Native peoples were deemed "savages"...Unforuantly, these type of people still exist.
DOES THE 'RAPTURE' BELIEF SUPPORT THE CIRCLE OF LIFE & THE MESSAGE OF GOD'S COMING KINGDOM ON EARTH?
A prime example of this as well as one of the worst examples of Western church ego gone mad is found in Bun Bear's account of the views held by Ronald Reagen's former aid in the Department of Interior named James Watt. Shockingly, as a "good Born Again" (Evangelical Fundamental Protestant) Christian he expressed not wanting to wast any time or effort protecting the environment reasoning: "Why should we? When Jesus is just gonna come back and scoop all the righteous up to heaven and burn up the earth anyways?"...You see, this is the problem with the 'rapture' movement.
Many non-rapturists laughed at the 'rapture' movement as being silly. But it goes beyound being "silly",it is actually destructive for it seems to give people a since of complete apathy about caring the earth or anything other than winning people's souls into heaven.
BIBLE STUDENTS WHO SHOW A LACK OF CARE FOR THE EARTH!
Both Haile Selassie's Twelve Tribe movement as well as Age to Come Christianity and The Charlse T.Russell movement rebuke William Miller's 'rapture' theory, teaching and believing instead on Jah's Kingdom coming on earth. Never the less, I must stop here and tell you that dispite the fact that the Age to Come Christian movement prime theme is focus on the renewl of this earth as God's Kingdom comes to rule over it, I have been very dismayed and shocked at the high numbers of individuals I have heard from amoung the Russell movements,speak in such an equal tone of apathy toward caring for the environment and animalkind as Evangelical Fundamental Protestants.
The additude I have heard them express so often is: "Why bothered saving the environment? When Jehovah's just gonna fix it all for us when earth becomes paradise anyways?"...Oh yes. Jehovah WILL "fix everything"...but with such expressed lazy additudes and lack of care for helping God's creation is this imperfect age...what makes them think he WANTS THEM in his Kingdom? Remember, "He that is faithful in the least of things will be give more." Such ones should know better.
THE END OF THIS WORLD OF THE END OF THIS AGE?
Upon reading Sun Bera's Bright Day book I was greatly impressed with his bibical wisdom and insight into understanding Greek and Hebrew. In a very wise manner, Sun Bear brings out in his Bright Day book that in the orginal manuscripts of the New Testament Jesus did not say: "End of the WORLD", but instead DID say: "End of THIs 'AGE'." The English word here 'AGE' is translated from the Greek word 'AEON'. This can be PROVEN by simply looking up the footenote in the Living Bible or Living Translation at Matthew Chapter 24, verses 3 and 34 and Chapter 6. Here the footnotes verify this saying: "Here the word WORLD LITERALLY translates as 'AGE'"...Since it is verified that the orginal word age has been changed to world, the question is why?
Simply put, it seems the world age (AEON) has been changed to world (physical earth) so as to better fit the Evangelical's 'rapture' belief. To admit that Jesus spoke of an end to THIS AGE....instead of the end of this physical earth would mess up their belief that the earth must be destroyed literally by fire while the faithful are wisked away to heaven. You see, if it is understood that God's Kingdom will come on earth...as it is already in heaven..and if the Kingdom will come on earth...then there would be no need to fly away to heaven..and the escape pod known as 'rapture' serves no purpose then.
One thing that fuels the 'rapture' belief is the fact that Evangelical Fundamental Protestants believe that the earth will literally be burned up by fire. They make their claim on this based on the scriptures found at 2 Peter 3:7 and Revelation 17:16. These Scriptures speak of the earth being "completely cleansed by fire".
BOTH NATIVE AMERICANS & THE BIBLE USES THE WORD 'FIRE' SYMBOLICALLY
However, in both Native American beliefs and in the Bible the use of the the phrases, "purification by fire", and "Cleansed by fire", is used SYMBOLICALLY. Why does I reason this? Take Matthew 3:11 for example where John the Baptists explains to the crowd that he baptises with "water", but then he tells of one coming who is greater than he (John) and that this one who is greater (Jesus) would "baptize with water,spirit and FIRE."
Logically, we know that this does not mean that Jesus would literally dunk people into real fire, but instead again fire is used symbolically to show that when one is baptized then this person's is changed by Holy Spirit and Holy Spirit "cleanses", or "purifies the heart", thus, in a spiritual sense, their hearts are renewed.
HOW THE HEAVENS & THE EARTH ARE RENEWED
So, likewise it is when the scriptures speak of a, "New Heavens and a New Earth"- 2 Peter 3:13; Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:5. Thus, why Jesus prayeed: "Thy Kingdom come...ON EARTH...as it IS (already) IN HEAVEN"...The Heavens have already been made NEW...when Satan and his fallen demons were kicked OUT of heaven. When he was kicked out of Heaven he and his demons came down here upon the earth. The Bible says they know they only have so much time before God renews the earth as well and when this happens the Bible says that the Devil and his demons will be cast away from humanity.
'SOME' CHURCHES HAVE MADE IMPROVEMENTS
Dispite the Babylon teachings that have been added, the inequalities and the fear tacticits, Sun Bear also states the grand improvements and sincere and humble efforts made on the parts of many churches to correct such ways. That some Christian churches have repaired the demaged bridges between Native peoples and other races and how some have began teaching equality and have become teaching to care for the earth and the animal kingdom. As we have stated before, we know not all Christians students of the Bible believe the same, and that there are many different held views held amoung different Rastas. So it also is with Native Americans.
However, in sum, what I see is at the heart of Sun Bear's message is:
(1) The earth will be cleansed...but NOT destroyed.
(2) The Sacred Path will lead us to the renewl of the earth..which is built on the respect for the Creator.
(3) To find this Sacred path we MUST start caring for the earth NOW, and THIS age. This means we must start caring about our natural world and stop viewing the animals as throw-away dixies cups.
(4)We MUST stop our hyprocrisy of proclaiming the Golden Rule..but then only implying it to those our group, race or gender. This will lead us to peace in this imperfect age and brings us the hope of the better age to come.
Progressive Christians Should Find This "Left Behind" Belief Very Concerning ..And Here's Why...
BrotherRog Posted: Sep 13 2003, 02:54 AM
And here's a GREAT article entitled When Truth Gets Left Behind, put out by the Christian Research Council (CRI) - a rather conservative Christian apologetics organization. It is interesting to me that even they speak out against this kind of premillennial dispensatitionalist mania. Simply cut and paste the following link: http://www.equip.org/free/DW257.pdf
Ultimately, what frustrates me about this current fad is 1) it claims to be "the" normative Christian view of things; and 2) it can lead to moral quietude; i.e. "if the world's about to get destroyed, then heck, why bother caring about the environment (note Bush's views of Global warming) and why bother caring about any one other than yourself (ignoring the needs of others)."
Now, if these Christians would pause to think a moment, they'd find that they could hold such views if they also were committed to living as FAITHFULLY as possible, including conintued wise stewardship of God's resources, and faithful tending to the needs of the least of these, etc.. Sadly, too many of them have a "beam me up scotty" individualistic mentality.
PeaceAngel Posted: Sep 13 2003, 12:12 PM
There is a lot to worry about the "left behind" crowd. They inflame the middle east situation by blindly supporting Israel believing it will lead to Armageddon. They are indifferent to our declining environment; afterall, the world is ending right? They are also very judgemental of people on the margins of society, labelling them "sinners" and doomed anyway. The very people Jesus reached out to are the ones they exclude.
The challenge for the progressives is to understand the causes of their mindset and work to change those causes.
A BELIEF SYSTEM THE FOCUSES ON AN ESCAPE HATCH TO HEAVEN LEADS TO SAYING ,"SCREW THE EARTH."
Job Ebenzer, director of Environemtnal Stewardship For The Evangelical Luthern Church of America said in the July 19, 1997 issue of the Ventura Star newspaper that, "Many times, heaven and not earth as been the churches' focus, but when you recite the Lord's Prayer, it actually says: "Thy will be done ON EARTH.as it is in heaven." He also explains how this theme of the earth is completely missing from the theological programs at the universities and religious colleges. Yet, the question is why? Especially why the Bible, both the Hebrew Scriptures and Christian Scriptures are filled with such a wealth of information of this subject?
THE 'RAPTURE" BELIEF LEAVES OUT HOPE AND CARE OF ANIMALKIND
1. Psalm 36:5, 6 tells us that God is concerned for animalkind and humankind alike. The 'Rapture' belief takes in NO consideration for animalkind's wellbeing and how we fit into the web of life along with them as earth's family. Intersting that is the story of Noah that animals are made sure to have a safe escape plan by God but all a sudden in the "rapture' no one gives a damn about animalkind.
2. Psalm 145:15 and 37:29 speaks of God's plan that the earth is to "endure FOREVER."
NATIVE AMERICAN'S UNDERSTAND "THY KINGDOM COME" BETTER THAN EVANGELICALS...
3. The Native American author Sun Bear wisley points out in his book Black Dawn, Bright Day that in the Bible where the Bible speaks of Jesus talking about "The end of the 'world'," the word here "World" is actually a mistranslation. The actually Greek word found here is suppose to be this "AGE", taken from the Greek word "AEON". See the footenotes in the Living Bible or Living Translation Chapter 9 and 24 of Matthew.
So Jesus is talking about the end of this present system of things and 'NOT' the end of this physical planet earth, as the vast majority of Evangelical/Fundamental Protestants teach.So Jesus is talking about the end of this present system of things and 'NOT' the end of this physical planet earth, as the vast majority of Evangelical/Fundamental Protestants teach.
ANTI-EARTH THEOLOGY SEEMS TO ALWAYS ALSO CONNECT TO ANTI-FEMALE THEOLOGY
4. Because of the Evangelical churches' concern over the ancient theme of the Cananite cult and it's immoral and violant philosophies and practices that were against the God of the Bible, an extreamist parnoia of the femine type attributes of God such as compassion and empathy have resulted.
The fact is that the Bible does speaks very clearly that though God is Spirit and therefore is neither male nor female physically in gender, still God has the perfect blend of both fatherly and motherly qualities. After all, let us remember that in the Beginning God said to Jesus: "Let us created them (the humans) in OUR image. " And so, it says that "God created them both male and female." See Gensis 1:2.
Thus, it would seem clear that God does not consider femine attributes as inferior or insulting. Infact, Isaiah 49: 19 actually discribes God's love for the ancient people as being like how a nursing mother cares for her newborn baby, saying also that Israel people "were the child of God's womb." God's Son, Jesus, broke many of the ancient man-made rules of his times that were based on discrimination. See John 4:7-42.
McDonough speaks in his book how it has been tragic for women, for the church and for the wider earth community as a whole that the vast majority of churches have chose to based their their additudes on the earth and woman and those not in their groups on the social customs and traditions of the dominate views of their society instead of follow the example and creative lead and Gospel of Jesus.
ANTI-EARTH+ANTI-FEMALE+ANTI-NATURE=ANTI-SOCIAL JUSTICE
Historians of women's equality rightly have pointed out how history proves that additudes that belittle and degrade women seems to come from the precise seem sources who also exploite the earth and hunt animals for mere cruel sport. Does the future salvation of our earth and it's preservation lie souly on imperfect humankind's effort? While we as individuals, and collectively do our part. Revelation 11:18
PRO-EARTH, PRO-NATURE=PRO-SOCIAL JUSTICE=PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY
Our understanding of the earth and all life upon it and the visualization of it's coming renewl and restoration and it's connection to God could and should inspire a call for a renewed earth-based spirituality appropriate for our time.
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