Which Christian denominations believe in the rapture and which ones do not?

[bluestateguy]

Southern Baptists and Pentecostals are Rapturists, but who else?

[tanyev]

1. Not: Episcopals, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians

[Maureen54]

2. non rapture believers

Nor Catholics

[Irishonly]

11. Nor Docs n/t

[onehandle]

3. I think the real difference is who actually calls it 'The Rapture.'

It's been a long time since I was a even a semi-regular Catholic and I never heard the term even uttered.

That being said, Christ's return and the end of the world are standard beliefs among all Christians. It's in the bible.

The people who think that Jesus will literally come down out of the sky and oversee your soul being sucked out of your body as you drive are way in the minority.

These are the ones who call it The Rapture.

[jody]

4. Interesting question. I like Jesus' statement about all nations, "And before him shall be gathered

all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats" (Mat 25:32)

Problem is with some/many/most self anointed Christians is they claim "belief" is all that's needed but in Matthew 14:31-46 Jesus in no uncertain terms says anyone, that's ANYONE, who cared for the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and in prison will be with him in heaven.

[NeedleCast]

5. I dont think it's denomination based

I know quite a few southern baptists who don't believe in rapture, or at least not the crazy fundy version of rapture.

[OmahaBlueDog]

6. The Rapture is simply part of the prophecy in The Book of Revelation

...so, in a sense, all practicing Christians believe it.

This all comes down to the same debate many denominations have -- is The Word to be interpreted literally, figuratively, or somewhere in-between.

[iris27]

7. Lutherans don't believe Revelation is about the end times.

At least not Missouri Synod Lutheran. They believe it was a prophecy foretelling the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The only stuff I ever heard about the end of the world growing up Lutheran was from the gospels "you know not the hour", "thief in the night" and the Matthew verses someone else quoted above.

[OmahaBlueDog]

12. Fair enough

Again, I would point back to what I said about literal vs. non literal. Is the Book of Revelation (among may other Biblical tales) to be interpreted literally, or are the events in Revelations symbolic of other things, places, or events.

[Jennicut]

17. I am Lutheran as well and never hear about it at the church I go to.

I can ask the Pastor there, my husband works for him as the church organist and he married us. Makes me curious....

[TexasProgresive]

9. Actually not.

Show where it is in the Book of Revelation.

[Motown_Johnny]

10. Revelation 7

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%207&version=NIV

.

[OmahaBlueDog]

13. Thank you Motown Johnny

I'd have found it, but it would have taken hours.

[HeresyLives]

14. Only ones going to heaven are 144,000 Jewish male virgins.

3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Revelations 14

[OmahaBlueDog]

15. I didn't say it made sense...I only said it was there in writing

[HeresyLives]

16. It's why Fundies are so anti-sex and pro-Israel I guess.

Maybe they figure they'll get in as an 'honorary' member, or on a guest pass or something. :rofl:

[grantcart]

18. these are all symbolic references as is the entire book of Revelation

[TexasProgresive]

21. I don't think that can be rightly interpreted as those who will be

"raptured" (seized- from the same root as raped). The idea of rapture is that before the end of this creation- God will seize the righteous and take them up to safety. This citation of yours is not rapture but seems more to represent what will happen after the end. In otherwords the righteous will suffer along with the unrighteous-so much so- that "If the time was not shortened even the righteous would be lost."

This whole idea of "rapture' comes out of the 19th century in the U.S.. It is not some long time belief of Christians in history or around the world except where proselytized by rapture believing American wacko christians.

[kestrel91316]

8. I was raised Presbyterian and never heard of such nonsense.

My great-grandmother was a Congregationalist (United Church of Christ) and they don't believe that crap either.

[Withywindle]

19. Actually, many Southern Baptists don't, and neither do many traditional Pentecostals.

Where you find it the most are in the "non-denominational" "neo-Pentecostal" megachurches.

The Rapture "doctrine" as you find it in, say the Left Behind books, was pretty much invented in the late 19th and early 20th century, so you won't find it playing a major part in any denominations older than that.

[grantcart]

20. The real question is do they believe in a literal interpretation of the bible?

All mainline Protestant and the Catholic Churches do not.

Individual non aligned community churches are much more likely to believe not only in the Rapture but also in the literal reading of Creation and so on.