re: #43 ckkatz

It has not happened much to me, but when folks start talking about the “End of Days” and “The Rapture” to me; I have an urge to go “Oh My gosh! You don’t know?” followed by “I’m so sorry!”

By the way, the United States has had quite a relationship with the concept of the “End of Times”.

For example, William Miller announced that Christ’s return would occur October 22, 1844. When it didn’t, it became “The Great Disappointment”.

There were groups who claimed a misinterpretation of the date with forecasts for 1874, 1914, and 1925, among other dates. From Miller’s disappointed followers originated a group called “Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society”. It is known today as “The Jehovah’s Witnesses”.

Another bit of Americana “When the Saints Go Marching In” is an African-American rendition of the Apocalypse.

My grandfather, a Missouri farmer used to talk about “The old ‘Mossback Farmers’ waiting for the ‘End of Times’ on their front porch next to their caskets”.

And, of course, the lyrics of the Hallelujah Chorus in Handel’s Messiah come from Revelations 11 and 19.

I always want to ask them if their deceased parents or grandparents believed, like themselves, that Jesus woudn’t leave THEM waiting for the rapture.
We were talking about flossing one day and she said it didn’t matter because of the rapture. She’d be in heaven before her gums rotted. She hadn’t really thought that answer through.