Except when speaking of the Assumption of the Blessed virgin Mary, the rapture is a concept made up by fundamentalists, to support their fundamental socio-political views, and to fill their coffers with the cash of the ignorant.
People like Hal Lindsey etc. have made a great deal of money by misinterpreting the book of Revelations which was written by St. John to give hope to the early Catholic Church during the OFFICIAL Roman persecution. It is written in ancient Hebrew symbolic style, so that it would be understood by the early catholics, who came from a Hebrew tradition, but would not give away the faith of a person found by a Roman authority to be carrying the letter, and thus having the carrier be identified as a Catholic and thus be put do death or be asked to worship the emperor or be put to death, as the Romans would not be able to understand it.
Since it is written in this symbolic manner it is easily used by the fundamentalist movement to support their fundamental goal of establishing a new socio-political system to their liking. Remember one of the hallmarks of the fundamentalist or evangelical movement is that the bible and religion are bent and only useful in so far as they support the socio-political agenda. It is this socio-political agenda or point of view that is fundamental whether it be so called "christian" Islamic fundamentalism, the religion is secondary and only "used" to support the fundamental -- socio-political goals. These goals are a threat to the United States of America and to other faiths.
Evidence suggests that The fundamentalist or evangelical movement was started by a group of subversive wealthy "intellectuals" bent on the destruction of the US as we know it by removing the freedoms in the Constitution and the Declaration of independence; and replacing these witha strict adherence to a pseudo religious law. Thus we see something called Islamic law not only Arab countries, but working itself into European nations, and we see a sort of old Mosaic law, being promoted by the so called Christian Fundamentalists/Evangelicals aka religious right wing.
In the US we have found via the ideals initially expressed by Thomas Jefferson of freedom and democracy that these fringe groups eventually fade away. Actually they tend to ebb and flow in the US. But it is our freedom and democracy, the very things these groups seek to first discount and then destroy that saves us. Ridiculous ideas tend to be uncovered and die in the free market place of ideas.
Naturally it is our freedom of speech that the fundies seek to destroy first, using a so called "higher" authority they seek to replace freedom with their version of right. Ironically the fundamentalist use any expression of opposition to their point of view as an example of limiting their own freedom of speech. This very article I am entering will be attacked by fundamentalists as an attempt to limit their freedom of speech, when in fact any thinking person would see it as an expression of an opposing point of view supported by an interpretation of the facts -- this is true opinion. Whether or not you agree or disagree with my interpretation of the facts is up to you. My point of view will will stand or fall in the free market place of ideas.
I am Catholic, and I believe e we are the first group the evangelicals or funides would get rid of if they ever had their way or sway.
Our social teaching and doctrine are based in our history of tradition, apostolic succession, pope the magistrium, and scripture and it is formed from knowing the truth, but it is our religion that is fundamental not our social teaching. The church and scripture begot our social teaching, and when any social teaching is found to be out of line with doctrine it is the social teaching that is changed; with the evangelicals it is the other way around, if the social-political is found not to be supported by scripture it is the interpretation of scripture that is changed. This is a direct result of Luther's precedent from which has come the idea that scripture can be interpreted and understood on an individual basis, without the exegies based on our history to understand it's context. This conveniently allows various sects and protestant denominations to branch off of each other endlessly (ie the Calvary Chapple movement (non-denominational) was formed by Chuck Smith who branched off from his pentecostal roots for his own reasons). Until we get to the modern day evangelicals the "fundies" who so far removed from the vine aka Jesus that they do not know the truth when they hear it. Many were born into these sects, and thus have a prejudice against the truth. are not responsible as Pope John Paul II taught us; they are not responsible for the original heresy that they were born into.
However, a case can be made that a "fundie" born into one of these sects in the united states, with our freedom of access to the truth and our freedom of religion who remains a part of one of these sects beyond middle age, must retain some culpability for the heresy they hold tightly to as well as for leading so many from the truth.
So, no the rapture is nonsense invented to sell books to support a sinister pseudo-christian sub culture.
Let me reiterate, the fact that we as Catholics hold common positions with the fundies on abortion and gay marriage. and the encyclical of John Paul II does not the negate the fact that these evangelical sects while being our brothers and sisters through baptism continue to be separated and hang tightly to a partial truth which includes heresy. As any young catholic can tell you baptism does not insure salvation beyond the washing away of original sin and all other sins at the time of baptism, and since w retain free will after baptism we most certainly are capable of sinning and thus losing our salvation after baptism, if we do not seek and receive absolution through the sacrament of confession as prescribed by Jesus and written by us in the new testament as a part of the new covenant. We Catholics are the leaders, of these brothers and sisters in baptism who have fallen away, and it is our duty to bring them home.
This is very difficult for some of us, and many Catholics get picked off into fundie fellowships, my suggestion is not to associate with them even on the common ground we hold on abortion and gay marriage, unless one is deeply grounded and rooted in the truth of Catholicism.
Other than the assumption of Blessed Mother there is absolutely no historical or biblical support for the "rapture".
Since it is written in this symbolic manner it is easily used by the fundamentalist movement to support their fundamental goal of establishing a new socio-political system to their liking. Remember one of the hallmarks of the fundamentalist or evangelical movement is that the bible and religion are bent and only useful in so far as they support the socio-political agenda. It is this socio-political agenda or point of view that is fundamental whether it be so called "christian" Islamic fundamentalism, the religion is secondary and only "used" to support the fundamental -- socio-political goals. These goals are a threat to the United States of America and to other faiths.
Evidence suggests that The fundamentalist or evangelical movement was started by a group of subversive wealthy "intellectuals" bent on the destruction of the US as we know it by removing the freedoms in the Constitution and the Declaration of independence; and replacing these witha strict adherence to a pseudo religious law. Thus we see something called Islamic law not only Arab countries, but working itself into European nations, and we see a sort of old Mosaic law, being promoted by the so called Christian Fundamentalists/Evangelicals aka religious right wing.
In the US we have found via the ideals initially expressed by Thomas Jefferson of freedom and democracy that these fringe groups eventually fade away. Actually they tend to ebb and flow in the US. But it is our freedom and democracy, the very things these groups seek to first discount and then destroy that saves us. Ridiculous ideas tend to be uncovered and die in the free market place of ideas.
Naturally it is our freedom of speech that the fundies seek to destroy first, using a so called "higher" authority they seek to replace freedom with their version of right. Ironically the fundamentalist use any expression of opposition to their point of view as an example of limiting their own freedom of speech. This very article I am entering will be attacked by fundamentalists as an attempt to limit their freedom of speech, when in fact any thinking person would see it as an expression of an opposing point of view supported by an interpretation of the facts -- this is true opinion. Whether or not you agree or disagree with my interpretation of the facts is up to you. My point of view will will stand or fall in the free market place of ideas.
I am Catholic, and I believe e we are the first group the evangelicals or funides would get rid of if they ever had their way or sway.
Our social teaching and doctrine are based in our history of tradition, apostolic succession, pope the magistrium, and scripture and it is formed from knowing the truth, but it is our religion that is fundamental not our social teaching. The church and scripture begot our social teaching, and when any social teaching is found to be out of line with doctrine it is the social teaching that is changed; with the evangelicals it is the other way around, if the social-political is found not to be supported by scripture it is the interpretation of scripture that is changed. This is a direct result of Luther's precedent from which has come the idea that scripture can be interpreted and understood on an individual basis, without the exegies based on our history to understand it's context. This conveniently allows various sects and protestant denominations to branch off of each other endlessly (ie the Calvary Chapple movement (non-denominational) was formed by Chuck Smith who branched off from his pentecostal roots for his own reasons). Until we get to the modern day evangelicals the "fundies" who so far removed from the vine aka Jesus that they do not know the truth when they hear it. Many were born into these sects, and thus have a prejudice against the truth. are not responsible as Pope John Paul II taught us; they are not responsible for the original heresy that they were born into.
However, a case can be made that a "fundie" born into one of these sects in the united states, with our freedom of access to the truth and our freedom of religion who remains a part of one of these sects beyond middle age, must retain some culpability for the heresy they hold tightly to as well as for leading so many from the truth.
So, no the rapture is nonsense invented to sell books to support a sinister pseudo-christian sub culture.
Let me reiterate, the fact that we as Catholics hold common positions with the fundies on abortion and gay marriage. and the encyclical of John Paul II does not the negate the fact that these evangelical sects while being our brothers and sisters through baptism continue to be separated and hang tightly to a partial truth which includes heresy. As any young catholic can tell you baptism does not insure salvation beyond the washing away of original sin and all other sins at the time of baptism, and since w retain free will after baptism we most certainly are capable of sinning and thus losing our salvation after baptism, if we do not seek and receive absolution through the sacrament of confession as prescribed by Jesus and written by us in the new testament as a part of the new covenant. We Catholics are the leaders, of these brothers and sisters in baptism who have fallen away, and it is our duty to bring them home.
This is very difficult for some of us, and many Catholics get picked off into fundie fellowships, my suggestion is not to associate with them even on the common ground we hold on abortion and gay marriage, unless one is deeply grounded and rooted in the truth of Catholicism.
Other than the assumption of Blessed Mother there is absolutely no historical or biblical support for the "rapture".
copyright 2009 Fred Celio
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Those interested in the long-covered-up history of the popular-but-now-waning pretribulation rapture can Google "Famous Rapture Watchers," "Pretrib Rapture Diehards," "Pretrib Hypocrisy," "X-Raying Margaret," and "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty." Catholics need to know how anti-Catholic and nonsensical the 179-year-old pretrib rapture view really is. Incidentally, the best and most comprehensive book on pretrib rapture history is "The Rapture Plot" (see Armageddon Books online).
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