Apocalypse (Almost) Now

[madinmaryland]

An interesting OP-ed piece by Nicholas Kristof of the NYT:

If America's secular liberals think they have it rough now, just wait till the Second Coming.

The "Left Behind" series, the best-selling novels for adults in the U.S., enthusiastically depict Jesus returning to slaughter everyone who is not a born-again Christian. The world's Hindus, Muslims, Jews and agnostics, along with many Catholics and Unitarians, are heaved into everlasting fire: "Jesus merely raised one hand a few inches and . . . they tumbled in, howling and screeching."

Gosh, what an uplifting scene!

If Saudi Arabians wrote an Islamic version of this series, we would furiously demand that sensible Muslims repudiate such hatemongering. We should hold ourselves to the same standard.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/24/opinion/24kristof.html?oref=login

I actually read the first several of this series (from the library) until the plots got so bizarre and their was a prayer on every other page

[liberal N proud]

1. That series is a bunch of fundamentalist propagana

And the sheep follow allong and say isn't that such a great story.

[veggiemama]

3. 'Tis indeed, and funded--in part--by Reverend Moon!

Moon's behind so much of this neocon, apocalyptic shite, and people need to know:

http://www.geocities.com/nomoonies1/1/

[noonwitch]

6. Moon's a good candidate for the anti-christ

The "faithful" have been deceived by him, which is one of the qualifications of the anti-christ. They have merged causes with him for political expediency and he is a sociopathic cult leader, who has served time for tax fraud.

If the religious ideas underlying the "Left Behind" series are true, the religious right have major beams in their eyes about Moon.

[BlueEyedSon]

2. kick for Jesus

[jokerman93]

4. Far Worse

I suspect most Christo-fascists hold the tacit belief that these horror novels are divinely inspired and lay out the "blueprint" for the rise of their hateful, deluded movement into world dominion.

Am I an alarmist? No. But I do understand cults and cult thinking. Enough said about that.

These books aren't dangerous. It's the malleable death-worshiping mob that reads them we must be concerned about. Such people take writings like that and look to them for signs, indications, guidance and "insight" that reinforces their hopes and beliefs.

The series is a best seller because it accomplishes this reinforcement and unifies the readers into a movement of sorts. They're "all on the same sheet of music" as it were. Very comforting and empowering for the conformists that are drawn to this sort of thing.

Also, I've studied Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and if I know these books provide opportunity for establishing a simple and powerful (hypnotic) induction that can be used for manipulation and control, then surely the politicos and money-men behind them (such as Sun Myung Moon) know it too.

Anyway, I've reached my own conclusions about the marketing strategy and political motivations behind the book series. They encourage the worship of death and the dehumanization of "unsaved" humanity.

Since the WH is pandering to this mob, to say the least, these people worry me.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

5. Fundie porno

They get off by the thought of the unholy dying by the holy hand of Jesus "Rambo" Christ.

Death cultists.

[Poor Richard Lex]

7. yeah - that doesn't sound like the Jesus I heard about . . .

I think that not very long ago it would be considered blasphemy. How can this douchebag minimize Jesus to a CHARACTER in his freaking NOVEL??

Any real church would boycott this garbage.