One thing I do not understand about some eschatologists

[Anna the Seeker]

(Notice the accent of not generalizing.)

I have noticed that some eschatologists take their zeal so far that they start to attack the other nominations. Many people in different nominations do cry out to the Lord, only in different ways. I truly doubt in my mind that Lord wanted His followers to have such huge pride about where and how they stand in the end days, that they attack their own brothers and sisters in Christ.

Jesus said that evil wouldn't expel evil when He was helping the possessed. Now likewise, would it work if a saint would expel a saint? Would that be a saint at all?

The same people seem to have little idea of what they are talking about when they talk about conspiracy theories, condemning the works of people who have clearly been Christians to my knowledge.

Anyway, please, try to keep your cool, and your sane judgement.

Ask yourself: Was the body of Christ meant to have an autoimmune disease?

 

[BadHabit]

Eschatology debates are in my mind like all other kinds of debates - generally not worth the time and for the most part they are the equivalent of a dog-fight between peoples' egos.

It is possible to have sane and rational discussions about things, but unfortunately, not many people know how to do that. Pity.

 

[tranquil]

One thing I do not understand about some trolls: why they come onto eschatology boards to tell us why they are so much smarter and reasonable than everyone else.

 

[Anna the Seeker]

Eschatology debates are in my mind like all other kinds of debates - generally not worth the time and for the most part they are the equivalent of a dog-fight between peoples' egos.

It is possible to have sane and rational discussions about things, but unfortunately, not many people know how to do that. Pity.

And Christianity isn't really about ego, is it? If anything, Jesus warned us about swelling ego. About one member of the body bragging to be better than the other. Or grafted branch bragging about being better than the rest of the tree.

One thing I do not understand about some trolls: why they come onto eschatology boards to tell us why they are so much smarter and reasonable than everyone else.

I am unsure what you mean and if you mean me or not, but I mainly came here because I was a little disheartened by a debate elsewhere - not in this site.

 

[tranquil]

I am unsure what you mean and if you mean me or not, but I mainly came here because I was a little disheartened by a debate elsewhere - not in this site.

What was the debate elsewhere?

Your OP is very vague and voila, opens the door for the type of troll comments people on this forum have to deal with every day.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

I am unsure what you mean and if you mean me or not, but I mainly came here because I was a little disheartened by a debate elsewhere - not in this site.

Hello. I am curious. Did you make this generalized accusation about eschatologists on the site where you were reportedly "a little disheartened "? Why come here with such an accusation? Shouldn't the site that has offended you know how you think about them?

 

[Anna the Seeker]

Hello. I am curious. Did you make this generalized accusation about eschatologists on the site where you were reportedly "a little disheartened "? Why come here with such an accusation? Shouldn't the site that has offended you know how you think about them?

I thought I had the disclaimer of not generalizing in the first line in brackets.

I came here because I thought that unlike there, I would get some actual discussion about this subject without this attitude being continued, with some understanding. I guess I was wrong when made that assumption...

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

I thought I had the disclaimer of not generalizing in the first line in brackets.

You did put a disclaimer then, but you proceeded with the generalized accusation.

I came here because I thought that unlike there, I would get some actual discussion about this subject without this attitude being continued, with some understanding. I guess I was wrong when made that assumption...

Yes, I would say you were wrong in your assumption. Your OP pointed the finger at members of this forum. Now had you started your OP by saying you wanted our opinion about the behavior you noticed on the other site, maybe that would have gone over a little better. But welcome to CF Eschatology Forum.

 

[Anna the Seeker]

You did put a disclaimer then, but you proceeded with the generalized accusation.

"I have noticed that some eschatologists take their zeal so far that..."

How much clearer must I be not to make a "generalized accusation"?

 

[BadHabit]

My goodness, this conversation went downhill fast. LOL.

"Welcome to the Eschatology Forum" - indeed.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

"I have noticed that some eschatologists take their zeal so far that..."

How much clearer must I be not to make a "generalized accusation"?

Try not starting our your introduction to a new forum with an accusation. We are not familiar with your style of posting. I always heard that you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. You don't want your first post to look like you are trolling.

 

[Dave Watchman]

The same people seem to have little idea of what they are talking about when they talk about conspiracy theories, condemning the works of people who have clearly been Christians to my knowledge.

Anyway, please, try to keep your cool, and your sane judgement.

Ask yourself: Was the body of Christ meant to have an autoimmune disease?

I must have a guilty conscience, I'm thinking this is talking about me. Jesus was right, he who is without guilt cast the first stone.

Anyway Anna, I remember responding to one of your posts here before so I know that you're cool.

I think that I wrote too long of a note then and killed the thread.

So I'll keep it short.

Welcome back.

Gee, it feels nice to be cordial.

 

[Job8]

I have noticed that some eschatologists take their zeal so far that they start to attack the other nominations.

There is no good reason to attack any denomination as such regarding eschatology. However pointing out false beliefs as held by others (say Partial or full Preterists) can be taken as an attack on denominations, since there are some who hold to these beliefs simply because the denomination holds to them. At the same time, while one can expose false teaching without necessarily attacking false teachers, the two generally go hand in hand.

 

[AlasBabylon]

.

Personally, this topic makes me feel a little lukewarm.

.

 

[Anna the Seeker]

I'll specify what I meant by "denominations". I've just come across a lot of conspiracy theories that are clearly against the Catholic church. Now, I was raised as a Lutheran myself and neither I have joined the Catholic Church, but I have still felt a little appalled for the beliefs that the devil controls the Catholic church from Rome.

It may be sympathy for those Catholics I like - family members included - but I refuse to believe that being a Catholic means that you're automatically condemned.

 

[dysert]

Getting back to the OP, many of us have spent untold numbers of hours studying eschatology over many years. We've written about it, taught it, and are quite sure of our position. When someone comes along that holds a different position it's the human condition to defend our position. After all, we don't want to think that all our effort has been wasted.

However, I think of the Pharisees. They studied the Law so much that I believe they actually had the Torah *memorized*. And yet, they were still wrong! And Jesus had very harsh words for them.

Personally, I've gotten to the point where I don't defend my position any more. It's not Christlike to be bickering, especially about such minutia. Person A holds their views, and they happen to be different from mine. In the end, it's really not going to matter. So I live by my own advice and simply chill when I see a different position.

 

[tranquil]

I'll specify what I meant by "denominations". I've just come across a lot of conspiracy theories that are clearly against the Catholic church. Now, I was raised as a Lutheran myself and neither I have joined the Catholic Church, but I have still felt a little appalled for the beliefs that the devil controls the Catholic church from Rome.

It may be sympathy for those Catholics I like - family members included - but I refuse to believe that being a Catholic means that you're automatically condemned.

This is something we can discuss.

Conspiracy theories, in and of themselves, are neither good nor bad. To outright say they are bad means only the current understanding of something is acceptable - and guess who controls what is acceptable to say in society?

Imagine in the Dark Ages or Soviet Russia or Fascist Germany if someone had said 'there are pogroms going on, we need to do something!'- what would that person hear in response? You already know what the answer is.

Satan also spreads conspiracy theories for many reasons. In regards to the devil controlling the Catholic church: in my opinion, the woman of Revelation 12 refers to Rome. Jerusalem has already been punished and desolated in 70AD, now it is time for God to expose Christianity and Christians for what they really are (good or ill.)

The good of Christianity will form some of the symbolic 2 witnesses/ 144,000.

Now why would Rome be targeted for such high level propaganda/ aka 'conspiracy theories'? Rome is to be the scapegoat for the 'antichrist'. Once Rome has taken all the blame for the sins of the world, the antichrist will appear to be 'good'.

Or, it could just as easily go back to another Holy Inquisition, a new Dark Ages led by Rome. We have to wait and see.

 

[AlasBabylon]

I'll specify what I meant by "denominations". I've just come across a lot of conspiracy theories that are clearly against the Catholic church. Now, I was raised as a Lutheran myself and neither I have joined the Catholic Church, but I have still felt a little appalled for the beliefs that the devil controls the Catholic church from Rome.

It may be sympathy for those Catholics I like - family members included - but I refuse to believe that being a Catholic means that you're automatically condemned.

I was baptized Lutheran... but the lukewarm Lutheran church fails to follow the teachings of Luther... or the Bible.

My position on the Roman Catholic church and most other churches including Lutheran is very clear. I devoted
a topic here to it. Like the temple in the OT that God destroyed... the lukewarm church is the 'secure nail' that
has failed [Isaiah 22:15-25.] No outside enemy prevailed against it... it rotted from within and imploded. Today,
when the enemies of the Christ-bearing people are at their worst... the church has pitifully failed God's people.
Like the weak British queen who has ruled 64 years over the destruction of her church and her Christian people...
the church has rejected being 'defender of the faith' in favor of being worldly, secular and popular.

The keys of the Kingdom that Christ gave to Peter [Matthew 16:18-19] were misused by his lukewarm successors...
and are now back in the hands of Christ [Revelation 1:18 & Revelation 3:7-9.]

Come quickly, Lord Jesus, forever Faithful and True... true Priest and true King !!

.

 

[Job8]

It may be sympathy for those Catholics I like - family members included - but I refuse to believe that being a Catholic means that you're automatically condemned.

Only God knows the hearts of people, and only God knows who is genuinely saved or not. So that is none of our business. Therefore we need to be willing to separate the adherents of any religion from the actual official beliefs of their churches. For example, Mormons are generally fine, upstanding people with high moral values, and there is much that is admirable in their lives (as is true for Catholics). But when we examine the teachings of these churches, they are deficient in correspondence to Bible truth. So this should be brought to their attention, and hopefully they will discover that the Bible is the ultimate authority for God's truth. The truth should never be offensive, but frequently it is (because it hurts).

 

[tranquil]

I was baptized Lutheran... but the lukewarm Lutheran church fails to follow the teachings of Luther... or the Bible.

My position on the Roman Catholic church and most other churches including Lutheran is very clear. I devoted
a topic here to it. Like the temple in the OT that God destroyed... the lukewarm church is the 'secure nail' that
has failed [Isaiah 22:15-25.] No outside enemy prevailed against it... it rotted from within and imploded. Today,
when the enemies of the Christ-bearing people are at their worst... the church has pitifully failed God's people.
Like the weak British queen who has ruled 64 years over the destruction of her church and her Christian people...
the church has rejected being 'defender of the faith' in favor of being worldly, secular and popular.

The keys of the Kingdom that Christ gave to Peter [Matthew 16:18-19] were misused by his lukewarm successors...
and are now back in the hands of Christ [Revelation 1:18 & Revelation 3:7-9.]

Come quickly, Lord Jesus, forever Faithful and True... true Priest and true King !!

.

Yes, the churches have betrayed us all. And then some followers will insist that because the secular world is bad, then the church must be good or be our sanctuary - even when it clearly isn't. The lesser of 2 evils argument, I suppose.