Harold Camping is at it again!
http://www.theage.com.au/world/the-world-will-end-again-on-friday-night-20111017-1ls7w.html

Moron.

[JuZ]

I did enjoy the rebuttal from another pastor (albeit a retired one) arguing that what dear old Harold was saying was ridiculous and just invited comedians to make fun of Christians. Really?

Living in a world filled with competing monotheistic beliefs can be pretty fascinating.

I love it when Christians treat him and his ideas as crazy... when really... the only disagreement they have is the date.

Then again, he could be right, if Last Thursdayism is proven correct (again).

cheeky monkey

I love it when Christians treat him and his ideas as crazy... when really... the only disagreement they have is the date.

That's not completely true. Sure, lots of fundamentalist Christians who are a very vocal minority claim to know a date, but I'd say the vast majority of those who have actually read the bible have seen, clear as day, "you shall not know the time nor the place." Can't get much more clear cut then that. And speaking as a practicing Catholic, fundamentalists are taking things that are pretty blatant symbolism in the bible and using it as justifications to their views of the end times. I find it far more likely we'll all blow each other up with nuclear weapons or burn a hole in the ozone layer still seriously believing global warming doesn't exist or, the most likely, our sun consumes us in the next few billion years than the four horsemen come riding in for our souls.

I love it when Christians treat him and his ideas as crazy... when really... the only disagreement they have is the date.

That's not completely true. Sure, lots of fundamentalist Christians who are a very vocal minority claim to know a date, but I'd say the vast majority of those who have actually read the bible have seen, clear as day, "you shall not know the time nor the place." Can't get much more clear cut then that. And speaking as a practicing Catholic, fundamentalists are taking things that are pretty blatant symbolism in the bible and using it as justifications to their views of the end times. I find it far more likely we'll all blow each other up with nuclear weapons or burn a hole in the ozone layer still seriously believing global warming doesn't exist or, the most likely, our sun consumes us in the next few billion years than the four horsemen come riding in for our souls.

Okay so they have two disagreements: the dates - and whether you can know the date. Other than that, the second coming of Jesus is pretty mandatory for Christianity.
Now of course I realize there are as many versions of a religion as there are members/believers of that religion. I am talking about ideology here. Not people.

Also... I will never understand how Christians, fundamentalists or not, can tell the difference between what's symbolic and what's literal in the bible. Sounds like cherry picking to me. (Which I obviously prefer over fundamentalism. Don' get me wrong)

I don't want to get in a big religious discussion or anything, but for me, and I don't want to speak for everyone who identifies as a Christian, it doesn't matter if it's symbolic or literal. I have things I feel like are one or the other, but if it's all literal or all symbolic to me it doesn't matter as the message is the same.

Just wondering.. All you english-speaking people. When you're travelling to places where they speak another language, do you feel it a bit uncomfortable, since most people understand you, but you almost don't understand anything?

Just wondering.. All you english-speaking people. When you're travelling to places where they speak another language, do you feel it a bit uncomfortable, since most people understand you, but you almost don't understand anything?

French/English speaker here, only place I went that was non english/french was Taiwan, and people we're extremely friendly, so no, not uncomfortable.
I did get a pizza with cream cheese, carrots and peas, when I wanted a plain ole all dressed...

Ah, ok

Just wondering.. All you english-speaking people. When you're travelling to places where they speak another language, do you feel it a bit uncomfortable, since most people understand you, but you almost don't understand anything?

I haven't really traveled, but thanks to the interwebs, I've "Talked" to people from a few places. It mainly makes me feel bad, and lazy for not taking the time to learn their language, as they have taken the time to learn mine. It makes me feel like as Americans, we expect too much out of others. I would love to learn another language, but choosing one to pick up is hard, not to mention the process of learning said language.

Seriously, I could learn you some norwegian if you want to But there are very few norwegian-speaking people, so you will probably never get the chance to use it, haha

Really makes me appreciate the dual langage country I live in, even though most people are not bilingual, it still gave me the tools and opportunity to learn English.
I still feel that if you know English, you can usually get by in most modern countries, so there's not as much encitive for native English speaker to learn another langage.

Seriously, I could learn you some norwegian if you want to But there are very few norwegian-speaking people, so you will probably never get the chance to use it, haha

I wouldn't mind that. A little knowledge could come in handy someday. I never expected the need to know a hybrid of German-Turkish, until I was on Chatroulette, and found a German-Turkish couple who were gracious enough to not be touching themselves. Thankfully they knew english, but had I know a bit or either languages at the time, it would've been helpful.

Not to mention that I'd like to travel, and NEED basic knowledge of random languages!

Really makes me appreciate the dual langage country I live in, even though most people are not bilingual, it still gave me the tools and opportunity to learn English.
I still feel that if you know English, you can usually get by in most modern countries, so there's not as much encitive for native English speaker to learn another langage.

Honestly, english is boring. I'm not saying that because it's all I've known, but like the Louis C.K. bit goes, it just sounds so unenthusiastic and dull. Other languages have that crackling energy, while english just slides out (barely, for most americans.)