"Right Behind"

[ThoughtCriminal]

Right Behind

Suddenly, without any warning, millions of people vanish. The Rapture arrives, but those remaining are perplexed. Over the next few days it becomes clear that the departed are not members of the Christian Religious Right, but seem to be limited to the tolerant, the liberal, the advocates of peace, the quiet ones - Christian and non-Christian, faithful and non-believers. Only those who understood that only their religious dogma was "The Way" remain.

With remarkable speed, the remaining religious leaders revise prophesy to explain what has happened: "God has removed the Godless from Earth to create a paradise for us". We just misunderstood. But, as reports from all over the world began filter through the chaos, it becomes clear that there are problems in the revised interpretations. Fundamentalists of all faiths have been left behind. - Clearly, God has left them more work to do in the elimination of evil...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Actually, it would be just fine with me if the fundies got raptured.

That way those lunatics would be out of the way of the rest of us, and we could get down to business making the world a better place to live -- minus all that fanaticism, intolerance and general foolishness. And we'd get their stuff, too.

[varkam]

6. I agree.

I'd rather stay here. I'd miss House MD too much :)

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. House would come with us

and the production company.

[The Straight Story]

2. I think the rapture already happend, and only a few left the world

The few and the poor who no one missed leaving.

They were replaced by androids who monitor how we treat them and are recording it for judgement day...

ok, I just made that up. I don't really believe it, but might make a nice book :)

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. The Rapture already took place some 1900 years ago

The Book of Revelations is not a prophesy, it is a first-hand account. This world is what was left after the Saved went off into the New Jerusalem, and has been for centuries. :hi:

[Reckon]

4. hahaha... good one

Get's my vote!

I'm going to send this to a few sheeple...

Thanks, TC

[EST]

5. To misquote Huckleberry Finn,

Sometimes I begin to think we oughta take a club and rapture 'em right away...

[NMMNG]

7. Not a bad adaptation

I don't believe in any of that stuff, but it's nice to think of the fundies getting theirs. :evilgrin:

[Crunchy Frog]

8. I think that storyline should be worked into an actual novel.

I think a whole series would be overdoing it, but a single novel would be good. :D

[ThoughtCriminal]

10. I did consider that

A few years ago, but sadly, by writing abilities are not adequate for the task. I told my wife that if I ever wrote it and got it published, we would probably have to leave the country.

In my scenario, the world quickly becomes Hell-On-Earth. The United States is almsot instantly transformed into a Fundamentalist Christian Theocracy. Wars are launched against the surviving fundamentalists of other faiths, and since the population is depleted, our God-Approved nuclear arsenal is put to use.

Domestically, all social programs are terminated except for church based charities. Bitter family and government battles are fought over the possessions and assets of the "Disappeared". Doctrine warfare between churches also escalates to violence. In short, with only extremists remaining, "Paradise" is an awful place.

I quick search reveals that there is a book with that title. I do not knwo how similar it is, but it looks worthwhile.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1885767870/002-9994775-1344061?v=glance&n=283155

[Orrex]

11. Implausible for one reason--otherwise, great!

The Religious Right would never admit to misunderstanding prophecy. You're right about the revision idea, though--no doubt they'd declare that they'd been given the divine task of smiting the infidels still remaining on Earth, and they'd quickly lynch anyone who suggested otherwise.

It would be almost impossible to work into a full-length novel if you tried to play some sort of game with the reader. You'd have to reveal early on that the "Right Behind" folks really were the godless ones, because if you string it out too long it will be gimmicky and trite like a Shyamalan movie.

Neat idea, though!

[ThoughtCriminal]

12. True - most likely they will just add-on

The view would be that God's act of removing the liberals would remove the restraint that had kept them from completing the Holy task - then they get raptured.