Turning Away From Religion: Rapture edition


So I was watching that "If You Use Contraceptives, You Will not Be Raptured" video that's been going around (transcript at Shakesville). I must confess that I don't actually get this Rapture thing, and how most people who believe in it really live their lives waiting for it.


It sort of is counter-productive to the idea of loving God, you know? Apparently, God put you on this earth so he could make your life miserable and see how well you bear it. If you do as he says, he rewards you. If not, you get sent to hell. Everything in your life is performed according to your fear of Hell, and wanting to go to that Good Place instead.


But as I said, it runs counter-productively to the whole, I respect God because He is in fact the Almighty, by ignoring that big thing which gives him that Almighty status in the first place - Life On Earth Itself. What kind of messed-up mindedness do people need to get to the point where they are driven to loathe or ignore the rest of the world, just so they can receive this reward of getting up to Heaven?


It's almost like saying this world that God Almighty created isn't good enough. Because it's filled with all these people who aren't the right kind of people, who have different mindsets and whatnot, and who will not worship God the same way.


Somewhere in a hadith or the Quran, there's a verse which goes something like, "I peopled the world all sorts of folks because I want you all to get to know each other." Which you know, sounds to me that God is trying to get us all to learn how to get along and be tolerant about different kinds of people, which isn't just limited to them black and brown folks, ya'll! If it were otherwise he would have put us on different planets, folks.


What is up with the concept of Rapture? Why is it so alluring? Is life so shitty for these folks they need to make sure to get off the world as soon as possible? Is the Rapture some sort of status symbol where they get to point and laugh at those suckers who didn't get to be Raptured? That's not very nice, is it? Am I missing something in the Bible which says, "And the Lord said, MOCK ye those who you perceive to be inferior to thee"?

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