Ragnell: Sorry, sometimes it's just... Look, I'm literally someone who studies the occult and has done rituals to contact the dead and my mind is still blowing at the thought that we have people in high positions of the government pushing policy to literally set up a ritual to bring about the Apocalypse.

Sorry, sometimes it's just... Look, I'm literally someone who studies the occult and has done rituals to contact the dead and my mind is still blowing at the thought that we have people in high positions of the government pushing policy to literally set up a ritual to bring about the Apocalypse.

Everything in fiction has primed us to expect this sort of thing will come from people like ME who will be eaten by our own gods, and that uptight Christians just need to do some drugs. Nope, uptight Christians are headed for the ironic end and people like me need to do some drugs.

nudging the sabbatic goat statue on my altar like "are you seeing this?"

That “eaten by our own gods” trope annoys the hell out of me

It'd be one thing if Hermes showed up, said "You want to DO WHAT?", turned the guy to stome and left but its always some big monster that eats the bad guy first and then proceeds to go for death and destruction because there's only room for ONE benevolent god in the writer's head.

Makes me think of how in Internet pop culture, Cthulhu is treated as the ultimate example of this, but in the actual story, he approves of his human followers and doesn’t eat any of them

It's horrifying. There's people I know who are happy I'm Jewish, because it means I get to be saved when Christ returns. Like, what the actual fuck?

It's chilling.

It really is. These people will excuse any evil, any degradation for rights, any abuse because they truly believe that Jesus's return is nigh. Something, I should note, He very specifically warned against.

Yeah, it would be one thing if they were just gonna build a building and stand there with a cow waiting for Jesus to appear but they are funding a freaking genocide to arrange for this. Which is the reason they were warned specifically against this.

I've tried like four times to reply to this, like how all know good Christians who aren't weirdos and follow the teachings of their Messiah, but these Apocalyptic bastards just make my blood run cold. It's not a question of religious theory. Children are dying and they think it's good and right.

Every religion's got it's evil contingent. That this particular evil contingent is the one that's infiltrated like freaking everything is because this the mainstream religious framework. The framework they use to hide their malice and to justify their desires. And their desire is to end the world.

They're just bastards and they are picking from a religious framework to justify their awful desires and their real beliefs, that they are more human than others and that Heaven for them is watching others suffer. That the framework is mainstream means they can pretend to be like normal people.

Jesus literally unambiguously said "That which you do to the least among you, you do unto me." It's not a parable, it's not word play, just"Help the sick, cold, needy, unsheltered" etc and that helps Jesus.

Look, I just want to say; "these people" aren't an abstract Big Bad. I was raised with all these beliefs; saying the Lord's Prayer saves you no matter what youve done/will do, an Israeli state is needed for the Tribulation and End Judgement to occur, all heretics/unbeleivers will be sent to Hell etc

As I believe now, my own parents see me as Hellbound, because it's the words plus the right dogmas that make them work. They completely disqualify the other half of the faith. A lot of these folks have severe trauma (my parents do) or prejudices that make them vulnerable to this cult of power/fear

These aren't "crazies in the boonies." They're your neighbor, your manager, the lady in front of you in the grocery. They're usually "nice," but they wish nothing more than their ecstatic renumeration and everyone else's tortured destruction. And they're seeking that end through policy/influence

My cousin’s husband (they’re ultra Christian & I’m Jewish) told me that we’re on “different paths” & we’ll only know who’s “right” when we die. Meaning he thinks I DESERVE to go to hell because I’m “wrong” for being Jewish. It’s sick.

No, dude, you know who's right now. People who are basically waiting on murder-by-deity cuz they disagree with someone believe something Very Wrong Indeed.

I don’t disagree. It’s so strange because he’s otherwise a nice guy. He’s a teacher who clearly cares about his students. But he works in a very white, very Christian area of the state. I don’t know how he’d be received or how he would treat kids from other religions.

No I get the type completely. I know one. Very moral dude and treats everyone with respect. Says the most distasteful shit. It's almost like people are complicated or something. I hope you can get some good conversations going with him. IME that's the only way to reach people. Good luck.

We don’t see that side of the family much so I likely won’t get a chance to talk to him soon. And I’m so much more radicalized than I was since we last spoke. I have a hard time being tolerant of intolerance now lol

Not to put a damper on End Times, but Jews are not saved by the 2nd coming. Israel has a part in its coming, but unless Jews have a "relationship" with Jesus of the Gospels, they “will be thrown into outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:11–12

Ah, I'd forgotten that awful little detail. Not that it'd change their behavior any.

Religion within the government is never a good idea. Look how it's destroying the U.S. Then you add the distrust of government, massive disinformation campaigns, an uneducated population, and you end up with an 🟠🍑🤡 as the GOP candidate for POTUS.

Yup and the Evangelicals are so super stoked about that ugh

I obviously don't know you, but I'm assuming your studies are out of curiosity and interest as opposed to these Bill Plimpton cartoon looking honkies that think they're gonna start the rapture like they're is any fucking way they're going to the good place if it's true.

Curiosity and interest. I mean, I am religiously polytheist, but that's because it just makes sense to me that the universe has a bunch of well-meaning gods who aren't always in sync. Ritual and prayer is mainly that I'm human and ritual and prayer feels good. Armageddon would be unforgivable evil.

Their belief is that everybody's final destination *also* comes down to spellcraft; everybody goes to hell by default, but those who say the magic words will go to heaven. Not because of their deeds because no deed is good enough for God; even thinking they could be weakens the magic. Just magic.

Oof, they're dumber mother fuckers than I was even aware of. Thank you ...I think. (Kidding. I always appreciate the information just , Elvis FUCKING Christ this depressing. Thank you.)

This topic reminds me of this moment from The Critic. How dare some marginally elected “leader” thinks they deserve to tilt the balance of life on our planet in the name of their personal beliefs. We are all doing the best we can day to day. Make our lives easier with good policy.

The Critic Cartoon - Jay Gets Delusions Of Grandueryoutu.be From The Cartoon The CriticDr. Jay episode

“Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! To what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.” Amos 5:18

…perfect text, damn.

Amos is pretty good for that sort of thing!

This gave me such an earworm ("Your Face")

Suicidal Death Cults. Although, I suspect that as Empires have almost always used religion and ideology that they privately know are BS as useful idiots, it's to further their power grabs.

They are essentially Buffy the Vampire Slayer villains.

More like Angel: MAGA boils down to Wolfram and Hart.

I admit I am not surprised by this. Powerful people have been appealing to the Great Unseen for millennia. What galls me is these officials are content to watch people die and even pour on some more petrol to this bonfire to make it happen. It doesn’t matter how many die, and they don’t care.

Not to put a damper on End Times, but Jews are not saved by the 2nd coming. Israel has a part in its coming, but unless Jews have a "relationship" with Jesus of the Gospels, they “will be thrown into outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:11–12

The eastern Orthodox believe elijah or one of he prophets will convert them.

There are writings by the "Church Fathers" on the subject, but it's not the "Jesus said red letter" Gospel teaching.

My understanding is Jesus believed John the Baptist was the Prophet Elijah and had already been rejected by most Jews. Jews still would need to believe and convert. It's not some mass conversion magic trick. In general the "apocalypse" is not a part of the Orthodox liturgical teachings.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRG0... This is where I am getting a lot of this information. I don't know if these Ideas are fringe, but ever since I was a child these concepts were ingrained in me even in Protestantism.

Apostasy and Antichrist - Part Iwww.youtube.com (Part I/IV) This book offers a detailed explanation of the coming apocalypse, the reign of antichrist, and the trials the Faithful will be called to endure b...

Yeah, BIG difference between Orthodox Christian & Protestant theology. Not to proselytize, but Orthodox Church was the first to organize. The Great Schism 1054 divided it into Roman Catholic Church & Eastern Orthodox Church. Luther's & Henry VIII Protestant Reformation against Popes etc @ 1500s.

The "Writings and Lives of the Saints" and Early "Church Fathers" writings are all interpretations of the Gospels.

Apostle Paul actually sailed to Greece. And wrote those communities letters: Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians, Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, Philemon, and also to the Romans.

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