It's a little crude but I don't know if I'd go as far as demonic.
I'd be more impressed if it predicted a great "falling towards" moral actions.
Saying that we're heading to a time of increasing disregard of moral norms is pretty much a constant thing happening somewhere, regardless of time period.
I can't just flip it on Alex....though I consider your concern genuine.
It would be like me asking for you to just quit the faith for a bit. You can't really do it....right?
I've never been a part of any religion....organized or otherwise. I was introduced to Christianity by a neighbor at 10-11 and didn't really get it. That's when I realized I didn't believe in God but didn't even know that there was a term for that lol. As a result of not being indoctrinated....I don't think I have that "religious impulse" a lot of atheists who left the faith for some reason have in them.
What would you cite as evidence that the Bible predicted woke?
I'm just curious....I won't argue or anything.
I can see how you're seeing that as a description of the here and now.
Tell you what....if Jesus comes around my door asking if I want to learn about him, I'll give him the same 10 minutes I give the 7th day adventists.
I hear your points about Christianity, and yes, someone such as a neighbor should not have introduced you to Christianity when you were in junior high, as a lot of junior high students can be a little, how can I put it, they like to go their own way and buck the norms. Trust me, I was like that as well, but at age 12 to just a few years ago in my late teens
. My parents raised me Christian, without forcing it down my throat, and now my faith is stronger than ever.
From a Christian brother to an atheist, I care deeply about you, cos we both have very similar ideas on how our world is getting worse, and that the Bible describes that the current days were predicted nearly 2000 years ago or more. Plus as an aside, I believe in an old Earth that is billions of years old and trust in science as well (
Psalm 111:2), so not all Christians believe in a young Earth. Christians come in many flavors, denominations, and individual interpretations of certain parts of Old Testament scriptures and Revelation. The OT and Revelation are pretty complicated, so that is why I stick to the New Testament mostly.
I. Life Anecdote:
Bro, in just 3-5 years of my life, we went from a society that had less woke stuff, to now an overload of woke stuff. Yes, there were woke moments in the past, but it seems like everything is going woke. Already ruined my favorite TV franchises such as Doctor Who and Star Trek. You can check my Lust Month (June) rant here about which franchises got ruined in 2023-2024:
Lust Month is finally over
II. Later Days (1 Tim 4)
This verse from 1 Timothy 4 below reminds me of what happened at the 2024 Olympics/opening ceremony. Yes, I am pro-environment up to an extent (my A/C smart thermostat is set to 79 F during the day, 74 at night, and I use LED lighting), but the Olympics went overboard. For instance, Paris Olympic officials attempted to offer
more plant-based foods in an effort to reduce the Games' carbon footprint. While there is a variety of cuisine available to accommodate the tastes of different countries — and
an abundance of baguettes in France —
vegan meals aren't in line with what the athletes prefer to eat while competing.
Also, in 2024, it is harder to get married for some people, as a lot of people prefer to be single, though the first part of the verse could refer to Gnosticism, a heretical denomination that was common for the first three centuries AD. I am not a theologian, so I can not explain Gnosticism.
The verse:
1 Timothy 4:1-6: "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
They forbid people to marry and
order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed."
III. Signs of the Times (Matt 24):
Finally, Jesus says in Matthew 24, some signs of the times. There will be more wars, nations rise against nations, more droughts, and more quakes. This is completely normal, and is expected due to the advancements in military technology. Before 1914, there was no war that was ever fought on a global scale, as we did not the technology to facilitate the logistics of sending and communicating with troops in other locations in a short period of time. Radio telegraphy played a role in allowing the war to be fought internationally, according to the Smithsonian.
WWI tech explained + bonus art material from the Smithsonian:
Explore some of the most pivotal aircraft from World War I and the technologies that supported them in the air.
airandspace.si.edu
More quakes are happening due to fracking:
Earthquakes in Texas doubled in 2021. Scientists cite years of oil companies injecting sludgy water underground.
WWII was the second global war, and where multiple nations rose against each other, same with WWI:
World War II - Wikipedia
More famines due to global warming, including in Madagascar in 2021 (article contains images of starving children, viewer discretion advised):
Madagascar on the brink of climate change-induced famine
Source:
Food supply and preparation are concerns for athletes in the Olympic Village, particularly eggs and chicken for lunch and dinner.
sports.yahoo.com
The verse:
Matthew 24:4-8 (NIV): "Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."
