View Full Version : The Doomsday Code
Did anyone catch the programme presented by Tony Robinson (Baldrick/Time Team) about the End Timers and their belief in the apocalypse? Linky (http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/C/can_you_believe_it/debates/doomsday.html)
The whole premise was interesting and certainly food for thought bearing in mind the evangelical position of many in a postion of power in the US.
A little disturbing was the piece about how these "End Timers" are doing their utmost to actually ensure that peace in the Middle East never happens as this will stop the prophecies of the 'end of times' ever happening.
One aspect which is interesting is the "Rapture" - the moment (which might be as I type this so if it stops it means I have been taken) when all born again christians will be taken to reside with Jesus leaving behind their clothes, belongings and family and friends who have not be born again (oh well, maybe I'll get to finish this post after all). Millions, if not billions, of people will just vanish. There is even a website about it (www.raptureready.com) which is trying to decypher when this event will happen.
While we may worry about aspects of Islam maybe we should now be as concerned about the evangelical christians who see their destiny only being fulfilled after the Middle East becomes the spark which will bring about Armageddon....
Let us be honest Mr Pict, it is religion per se that we have to be concerned about. However the concepts explored and the connection to the American government and the volatile state of the Middle East is enough to get one more than a little concerned and these concepts have been concerning me for years.
......or not (comment on MadPict's post. G2 got his words in before I got mine up on the screen.) There is nothing new in any of this. It has been popular within aspects of Christianity for, oh, let's say almost 2000 years.
The theory that the unrest in the Middle East is fuel for the fire is a fairly popular theory. But remember, theory is not fact. As for the rapture, not my idea of something to look forward to. My time on earth is limited enough. I have no desire to see it shortened for any reason.
pultneytooner
20-Sep-06, 13:09
Did anyone catch the programme presented by Tony Robinson (Baldrick/Time Team) about the End Timers and their belief in the apocalypse?
The whole premise was interesting and certainly food for thought bearing in mind the evangelical position of many in a postion of power in the US.
A little disturbing was the piece about how these "End Timers" are doing their utmost to actually ensure that peace in the Middle East never happens as this will stop the prophecies of the 'end of times' ever happening.
One aspect which is interesting is the "Rapture" - the moment (which might be as I type this so if it stops it means I have been taken) when all born again christians will be taken to reside with Jesus leaving behind their clothes, belongings and family and friends who have not be born again (oh well, maybe I'll get to finish this post after all). Millions, if not billions, of people will just vanish. There is even a website about it (www.raptureready.com (http://www.raptureready.com)) which is trying to decypher when this event will happen.
While we may worry about aspects of Islam maybe we should now be as concerned about the evangelical christians who see their destiny only being fulfilled after the Middle East becomes the spark which will bring about Armageddon....
I don't get how all these people are so sure they are going to be raptured?? How arrogant of them!
Out of tens/hundreds of millions of Christians, only 144,000 are to be raptured, which means that most of those that believe they are, are gonna be totally hacked-off at getting left behind.
Still, at least we'll have their petulant indignation to look forward to.......http://filesoup.co.uk/forum/style_emoticons/default/rofl.gif
What bothers me is main stream media is starting to cover "armageddon" (they have done it before on 1999) and this just riles up the nut jobs, frankly I think 24 hour news is one of the worst thing to ever happen to us, they literally have to make stories up to fill the hours, instead of covering real issues.
Not being a follower of any religion I would not know that much about how long such ideas have been floating about. So if I appear uneducated in the subject of religious belief it is because I have no religious belief....
The possibilty that these 'end time believers' now have the power to influence what actually happens in the Middle East (be it through influencing US foreign policy) is now something I am aware of - the possibilty that part of their adherence to one part of the Bibble and it that nuclear strikes seem to feature in their interpretation of a book is something else I am aware of.
The fact that no-one knows if Bush is an end of time follower adds even more tot he subject.
The rapture part of their prophecy is apparently only about 200 years old and was made up by a renegade British preacher John Nelson Derby who founded the Plymouth Bretheren - so the End Timers seem to pick and choose what they believe. I wouldn't worry too much PT ;)
pultneytooner
20-Sep-06, 13:34
I hold no religious beliefs but still think it's a shame how in America Christianity is being deviated for political propaganda and to serve rightwing domination (Israel's war on terror, peace for Jerusalem,etc..), not to mention that they publish incorrect and distorted information about Islam.
I tend to think that none of the above has to do with ideal Christianity. In the Middle East Christianity is completely different. There is no "war on terror", or "support Israel because the Bible says so" or any of that. I find it quite ironic that they are justifying the killing of many of their Christian brothers there.
The most amusing thing about their board, is that they have a stickied thread to pray for the President. (http://www.rr-bb.com/showthread.php?t=224215)
j4bberw0ck
20-Sep-06, 13:38
I did watch it, and was quite enjoying it (if "enjoying" is quite the word, but you know what I mean) but about 40 minutes in it slipped back into being one of those "let's laugh at these stupid Americans" programs that the media is so fond of.
I'm not saying that some of the beliefs aren't laughable (imho) but whilst Baldrick was describing the churches in Kampala, for instance, the lay preacher was clearly Australian or a New Zealander, and the pastor was Canadian (judging by his "ou" sound pronunciation).
Certainly, it's in the US that the believers have political clout, but let's not kid ourselves that all Americans believe it, or that it's confined to the US; I just watched Channel 5 News this morning and a report on street patrols in Manchester featured "Street Pastors" whose beliefs, judging by what their leader said about "truth", "our Lord Jesus Christ" and "redemption" are not far away from the people on Tony Robinson's program.
I agree with Gleber2. Religion is the problem. Faith is fine; just keep it personal, is all.
Just a footnote on Tony Robinson: funny as he is, as Baldrick, he's also a very active politician. He's a prominent former member of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee, a prominent anti-Blairite, and a prominent anti-Iraq war commentator, has plenty of possible reasons to poke fun at Americans' expense. It's the fashionable thing to do, after all. His comment about Ronald Reagan was typical - he cited a "recent American President" whom he quoted as saying that global warming is caused by cows farting, and then said "Well, it was Ronald Reagan, after all" with the wry look that people love to have when they talk about Reagan. He neglected to remind us that Reagan left office almost 20 years ago, when global warming was the preserve of hairy, bearded eccentrics and the focus of the day was on the Soviet Union collapsing and on negotiating down the nuclear weapons stockpile.
I am well aware of Baldrick's political leanings but that's not to say he doesn't make interesting programmes.
I saw the quote about Reagan as showing that not just Bush holds some strange environmental beliefs - and it was plants and cows he quoted.
I certainly was not laughing at the Americans - while they hold such dangerous beliefs they are not to be mocked but watched very closely IMO.
The Ugandan connection of course pivots around the fact that the President of Uganda is a born again christian and so the End Timers are sending money, Bibles and missionaries to Uganda to help spread their version of christianity.
I believe that Tony is also a staunch Catholic which would explain his attitude to the Da Vinci Code etc.
cuddlepop
20-Sep-06, 14:36
I'm sorry i missed it,looks like it was an interesting programe.
There seems to be alot of attention paid to the end of the world senarios just now,they know something we dont?:eek:
j4bberw0ck
20-Sep-06, 14:49
I am well aware of Baldrick's political leanings but that's not to say he doesn't make interesting programmes.
Interesting programs? Sure. I'm a Time Team veteran.:lol:
I saw the quote about Reagan as showing that not just Bush holds some strange environmental beliefs - and it was plants and cows he quoted.
Yep. In that case he might have made the point differently, so it didn't play to the "Reagan was a stupid man anyway" prejudice that's so widespread. He wasn't a stupid man.
I certainly was not laughing at the Americans - while they hold such dangerous beliefs they are not to be mocked but watched very closely IMO.
And therein lies my point. Now it's "The Americans". Not "some Americans". Though I agree about the danger that the views of those Americans present.
The Ugandan connection of course pivots around the fact that the President of Uganda is a born again christian and so the End Timers are sending money, Bibles and missionaries to Uganda to help spread their version of christianity.
Certainly, and there are people spreading those views who should be locked up. I'm sure it's happening in other parts of Africa as well. A shame they don't all go to Saudi Arabia and try there........
Not everyone watching the programme will have had their "critical censor" tuned in; many people will believe the most outrageous nonsense because it comes out of a TV set (or in some cases, off a website :lol: ). Which is why Robinson's delivery was crucial, imho.
j4bberw0ck
20-Sep-06, 14:52
they know something we dont?:eek:
Nahhhh - how many newspapers get sold on "Nothing Happened Today" headlines? It's just fashionable, is all. And before anyone jumps on me I don't discount global warming as a danger.
And therein lies my point. Now it's "The Americans". Not "some Americans". Though I agree about the danger that the views of those Americans present.
Sorry, I should have quoted you more accurately - "these Americans" as opposed to "the".....
As I have found at least one person who watched it, can you please tell me the ending? My video cut off the last few minutes - he had just put forward the idea that perhaps the Book Of Revelations might have been written under the influence of a type of fungii (sounds familiar territory…) and was probably just on his closing statement (on a boat). Cheers.
j4bberw0ck
20-Sep-06, 16:03
Well, there you have it; legend had it that Revelations was written in a cave on the island of Patmos, where there's a rich supply of hallucinogenic mushrooms. Allegedly the effect of these mushrooms is typical of the sorts of semi-psychotic stuff found throughout Revelations. The local priests insist it's true (of course - they have a tourist and religious industry to run and branding is important :lol: ) but there isn't much evidence for that.
IIRC there was a suggestion of two different authors several hundred years apart but my problem with the ending was that the phone rang. Do you suppose some sort of divine conspiracy is on the go?
pultneytooner
20-Sep-06, 18:58
It looks like unfettered belief is taking us exactly where 1984 and f451 suggested we may go.
George Brims
20-Sep-06, 20:33
In that case he might have made the point differently, so it didn't play to the "Reagan was a stupid man anyway" prejudice that's so widespread. He wasn't a stupid man.
Of course he wasn't. He was an evil man.
Sounds very "do-do-do-de-do-do" - Twilight Zone to me. Another nutcase sect - wonder what they chop up in their smoothies! They're coming to take me away, ha-ha, he-he.
j4bberw0ck
20-Sep-06, 22:04
Of course he wasn't. He was an evil man.
I know you live "over there" so it might be useful to understand why you believe the man who built the prosperity of the US from the eighties into the nineties, and overturned communism and the Cold War on his watch is evil............
I know you live "over there" so it might be useful to understand why you believe the man who built the prosperity of the US from the eighties into the nineties, and overturned communism and the Cold War on his watch is evil............I thought that was exactly the reason why some people didn't like him.
He wasn't supposed to be able to do any of those things, especially the last ones you mention.
Or if you read 'into' the End Of Times, by averting the Mutually Assured Destruction threat posed by the superpowers standoff, Reagan actually robbed the End Timers of their chance at the Apocalypse and all it's resulting Raptures, Tribulations and return of the Messiah.....
...hmmm, maybe there is something to this after all?......
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